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Produce => Edible Plants => Topic started by: wardy on December 23, 2005, 21:33:15

Title: Red Cabbage
Post by: wardy on December 23, 2005, 21:33:15
Timely reminder for all those newbies that you MUST   grow red cabbage as it's the law!

This is my first year on the lotty and never seen a red cabbage, let alone grown one. I have just cooked my first vat of braised red cabbage ever and have brought the neighbours flocking in to see what's cooking  ;D  The smell is fantastic.  I previously would have thought red cabbage yuk  Now I've seen the light.  So all you newbies get some red cabbage seed and by Christmas you too will have pots of lovely braised red cabbage  :)
Title: Re: Red Cabbage
Post by: grassroots on December 23, 2005, 21:45:19
Wardy, also very nice pickled.
Title: Re: Red Cabbage
Post by: wardy on December 23, 2005, 21:48:31
Very lovely pickled but braised is a whole new ball game. If you're into food then braised red cabbage has to be up there with foi gras and truffles  ;D
Title: Re: Red Cabbage
Post by: Delilah on December 23, 2005, 22:00:46
Ok then Boss - if its the law I shall obey ;)
Title: Re: Red Cabbage
Post by: undercarriage plan on December 23, 2005, 22:06:55
Instructions Wards!! I've got loads and was going to turn it into ice cream....how did you create this???
Title: Re: Red Cabbage
Post by: Mrs Ava on December 23, 2005, 22:17:38
mmm...fabulous raw also!
Title: Re: Red Cabbage
Post by: wardy on December 23, 2005, 22:34:34
these red cabbages are all they're cracked up to be.  Never grown one before this summer nor eaten red cabbage raw, pickled or braised.  Lots of things to learn from this lottying lark.  One is to keep an open mind about food that you thought you might not like. I thought I'd hate red cabbage and celeriac. Am now converted to both and eat them at every opportunity.

Braised red cabbage a la Delia for Christmas dinner and boxing day dinner with lamb

We've not been able to resist the marvellous smells coming from the casserole dishes and have been picking.  Lovely  :)
Title: Re: Red Cabbage
Post by: MutantHobbit on December 23, 2005, 22:44:06
Nah, I'm not growing red cabbage from seed, even if it is the law!  :P, :o 

I've ordered Brassica plants, amongst which is RC "Integro" if memory serves me correctly, which it seldom does. :-[  Is this cheating? ;D

Dave
Title: Re: Red Cabbage
Post by: wardy on December 23, 2005, 22:46:10
As long as you end up with a red cabbage it don''t matter a fig  ;D
Title: Re: Red Cabbage
Post by: Delilah on December 23, 2005, 22:51:06
Sorry Wardy I know this is the wrong thread but can't remember where it was now - have you found your tree and presumably you survived the revelation to OH that his beer vouchers are no more  ;)
Title: Re: Red Cabbage
Post by: wardy on December 23, 2005, 23:01:02
Oh God don't remind me  :o

Husband came home after hard day.  No dinner, except red cabbage.  He saw charred remnants of his beer coupons on worktop.  Big empty expanse in window  :(  So we went straight off to B & Q and bought a small tree for half price.  Might look a tad little in window but hey.  He took his charred beer vouchers to Co-op and there was no problem as one serial number remained.  I shudder to think if it hadn't  ;D ;D

No trimmings up yet.  Maybe tomorrow  :)
Title: Re: Red Cabbage
Post by: Delilah on December 23, 2005, 23:06:10
Thank the Lord for little trees and serial numbers :D
Title: Re: Red Cabbage
Post by: Hot_Potato on December 23, 2005, 23:34:38
agree with Wardy and others that red cabbage is a dish 'to die for' - the smells are intoxicating and of course, it's even nicer served up the next day...here's a recipe I do on top of the stove but I've another that I do in the oven

Red cabbage with apple

1 small red onion, thinly sliced
15g butter
500g red cabbage, shredded & tough stalks discarded
1 tbsp. brown sugar
1 tbsp. red wine vinegar
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
2 eating apples, peeled, cored & sliced
50g. sultanas

1). Cook the onion in the butter in a saucepan until soft but not coloured. Add the cabbage, sugar, vinegar, nutmeg, allspice & cloves. Stir to mix, then cover and simmer for 40 minutes. Stir occasionally while simmering, adding a little extra water, if necessary, to prevent sticking.

2). Add the apples and sultanas and continue to cook for another 15 minutes.

Cooks Tip - the flavour of this dish improves with keeping, so if you like you can make a day or two in advance and simply reheat to serve.

This particular recipe comes from Asda's monthly magazine

H.P.
Title: Re: Red Cabbage
Post by: Derekthefox on December 23, 2005, 23:37:44
Shame on me ! I am not a newbie, but I am not growing red cabbage ... not sure why, yet more seeds to sort out ...

Derekthefox
Title: Re: Red Cabbage
Post by: Mrs Ava on December 24, 2005, 00:02:58
I agree that it is a must.  Not only is it great in so many dishes, it looks fab at the allotment!!  Yummy with nuts also.  ;D
Title: Re: Red Cabbage
Post by: the_snail on December 24, 2005, 02:40:45
Ya making me feel guilty for not netting mine  :-\ I grew some and the pigeons thought great hes planting cabage lets leave it for a week or two and give him a false sense of security and hope then we will go down an ravage them. Guess what! They did! My fault. You learn by your mistakes or should do anyway.

The_Snail
Title: Re: Red Cabbage
Post by: wardy on December 24, 2005, 06:00:54
Exactly EJ  :) I've bought some calendula seed to go with the red cabbage.  I think it'll look lovely in the patch together.  Only thing I've actually planned up to yet  :)
Title: Re: Red Cabbage
Post by: jennym on December 24, 2005, 08:39:52
Good grief Wardy, you were up early! or was it that you stayed up late??? ;D
Title: Re: Red Cabbage
Post by: blight on December 24, 2005, 08:51:31
"hot-potatoes" recipe sounds very much like the traditional german way of cooking red cabbage.  we use less nutmeg and cloves though and use goose fat instead of butter. 15 grams is nowwhere near enough i think. make sure you use a full-flavoured sourish apple.
braised red cabbage is hard-core traditional christmas fare with game and potato-dumplings. as "hot potato" wrote, it gets better from day to day unlike cold turkey.
Title: Re: Red Cabbage
Post by: Icyberjunkie on December 24, 2005, 09:06:26
OKay Okay I'm convinced - red cabbage will be given a go now I've room to try some more things.  Still have a worry that a third plot will end up being procured with everything planned!!   One year I will grow my own  Xmas tree ........... ::)
Title: Re: Red Cabbage
Post by: Derekthefox on December 24, 2005, 14:05:05
I have one question, do pigeons like red cabbage, or can I forego the nets ...

Derekthefox
Title: Re: Red Cabbage
Post by: blight on December 24, 2005, 14:24:46
mine do. they like all the varieties, mine do. but as i plant the brassicas all in one big bed i just cover the lot with this huge net i´ve got. btw. i know of no red cabbage variety that is as frosthardy as savoy or kale or  sprouts
Title: Re: Red Cabbage
Post by: adrianhumph on December 24, 2005, 14:35:02
Hi all,  :D
               & a very merry xmas to you all  ;D (even mr bah humbug) . OK I am one step ahead of you here , having already got my red cabbage seed from T & M. It is called Kalibos, allegedly new & exclusive for 2006. Bet you are impressed now  ::)
 Apparently it is a heiloom veg from eastern europe, best grown for late summer/autumn use. Any one got any experince of this variety ??? or what others would you recommend ???
                                          Adrian.
Title: Re: Red Cabbage
Post by: blight on December 24, 2005, 14:52:57
don´t know this. mine is called "roodkopp", a late variety for storing. for adventurous cooks: you can make red sauerkraut out of red cabbage.
Title: Re: Red Cabbage
Post by: Mrs Ava on December 24, 2005, 15:39:20
Not sure Derek as mine are interplanted with my green cabbages....however, they don't touch my kohl rabi at all...... so on my plot, kale and kohl rabi are defo safe, apart from the SLUGS!  Glad they don't have wings!!
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