Cooking From My Basket

Isn't this the cutest little cabbage, it's called a Cone Head Cabbage and I've been getting them in my CSA basket for the last several weeks. The taste is the same as cabbage, just a little milder.

I'm indifferent about cabbage, I don't hate it ,but it wasn't a vegetable I would normally buy at the store unless I was making cole slaw. That has changed with the CSA. (one week I got three small heads in my basket, I can't eat that much cole slaw) I had to find other ways to use cabbage.

One way we cooked them was to cut in half and core them, baste with olive oil and sprinkle with fennel seed and broil or grill...that was pretty tasty both hot and cold the next day.

But our favorite way to use this cabbage so far, has been this recipe using ground pork. It's kind of a cabbage pork stir fry.

Skillet Cabbage and Pork 

1 onion chopped (I had green onion in my basket so I used those)

1 minced garlic clove

1 tablespoon oil

1 small head cabbage, chopped into bit sized pieces (1-1/2lbs)

1 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes

3/4-1 pound of ground pork

salt and pepper to taste

1. Saute onions and garlic in oil till tender or translucent

2. Add can of tomatoes and cook until liquid is evaporated

3. Add ground pork, cook until no pink in meat

4. Add cabbage, cook 5-10 minutes or until cabbage is tenderness you like.

The ingredients are very flexible. I have made it twice. The first time I had two small heads of cabbage and 3/4 pound of pork, the second time I had a pound of pork and one medium head of cabbage, both times it turned out well.

You can also vary the type of sausage you use. The first time I made it I used plain ground sausage. The dish reminded me of the filling that you would get in an egg roll and husband seasoned his with soy sauce. When I made it this week, I found some pork apple sausage to use (the pork had apples, raisins and nutmeg in it) and it was delicious. I might try italian sausage next time, if cabbage keeps showing up in my basket...we shall see. 

This is a one dish meal, add some bread and you are set for dinner.

Recipe adapted from Sauteed Napa Cabbage with Pork from Pansang Pinloy