How to grow and prepare cabbage

I guess they don’t call it a mélange of vegetables in Japan. But that exchange student sure did teach Bibba the cook how to make really good steamed cabbage. Bibba taught me how to make the cabbage in 1964, and that cabbage recipe is still one that I make today.

It’s the simplest and easiest of my recipes for vegetables. Oh, it’s so good.

Cabbage With Bell Pepper, Celery, and Onion

1 medium cabbage (about 2 pounds)

2 stalks celery, cut in half

1 large green bell pepper, cut into 6 wedges

1 large (10-to-12-ounce) onion, cut into 6 wedges

2 tablespoons cold water

2 tablespoons butter, plus more for serving

Salt and pepper to taste

Cut the cabbage into quarters. Cut the quarters in half horizontally. Place the cabbage into the bottom of a Dutch oven large enough for all the cabbage to fit on the bottom. Add the celery, bell pepper, and onion. Salt and pepper the top. Add 2 tablespoons cold water and 2 tablespoons butter.

Cover tightly, place on medium high heat (on my gas stove, a 4), and cook until cabbage is tender, about 25 to 28 minutes. Check cabbage for desired tenderness before removing to a plate or platter.

Remove the vegetables to a platter and dot the top with more butter plus salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot. Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Editor's Note: To read more of Anne and Linda's "how to grow and prepare" series, click here.

-----

Linda Weiss and Anne Moore met while Linda was the food editor and Anne was the garden editor for South Carolina Homes & Gardens magazine. They now write articles for the ETV GardenSMART television show website, where Anne is the horticulture editor, gardening consultant, and e-newsletter editor. Anne has written for magazines and newspapers. She is a member of and a recipient of a Silver Award for magazine writing from the Garden Writers Association. Linda is a personal chef. She attended Le Cordon Bleu of Paris’ catering program, has appeared as a guest chef on numerous television shows, has been a culinary educator for 10 years, and a food writer for a number of magazines. She is a professional member of The James Beard Foundation and the Southern Foodways Alliance. She has written a cookbook, "Memories From Home, Cooking With Family and Friends."

Previous

1 | 2