We Love Cabbage

It's true. Here on the farm cabbage is one of our favorite veggies. I can honestly say I that I don't ever remember eating cabbage once when I was growing up. My Mom didn't use cabbage in meals that I can recall and the only other time I was around it was when it was in the form of coleslaw with lots of mayo.

That whole creamy coleslaw thing is not my cup of tea. The cabbage seems soggy and, well, I am not a big mayo salad person to begin with. Don't worry, if you love creamy coleslaw, I'll still eat with you at a picnic and you won't even have to worry about me asking for a bite of your slaw.

It wasn't until we'd been married for a bit and in our "lean" Seminary years, that I first cooked with cabbage. It is a really cheap veggie and it's good for you. Cheap and healthy - that has frugal food budget written all over it. I found a recipe for stir fried cabbage and carrots in The More with Less Cookbook, one of my all time favorite cookbooks. We loved it then and it's a family favorite now.

Since that first go around with cabbage, we've given it a try in all sorts of dishes - salads, soups, steamed, sauerkraut. (Although the sauerkraut experiment was a big stinky flop.) We love it raw! If a head of cabbage is left out unattended on the kitchen counter, the swarming hordes that are my children will devour it in a morning.

Tonight I tried preparing cabbage in a new way - roasting. Oh my goodness! It was amazingly tasty and so EASY. We scarfed down two heads of cabbage during dinner.

Here's how to make yourself a little piece of cabbage heaven:

Grease a baking sheet with olive oil. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Place a head of green cabbage bottom side down on a cutting board. Slice the cabbage as you'd slice a loaf of bread, placing the slices on the baking sheet. You want the slices about as thick as a slice of bread. Not Wonder Bread slices, but a good hearty yummy bread. Brush or spray the cabbage on the tray with olive oil - just give them a good oily sheen. You don't want them to be all greasy. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and bake for 40-45 minutes. You'll know they're done when the are soft. They'll also have some dark brownish parts. You want those- they are my favorite parts.

That's it! See - I wasn't lying when I said it was easy. The cabbage gets sweet and tender, but not mushy. It's just a wonder to behold and eat. And did I mention that it was easy and healthy and cheap?

Here's a little bit of information about why cabbage is so good for you and how to buy to it here.