Cabbage + Cabbage Leaves
About Me: Part of the brassica family, cabbage is extremely versatile. You can eat it raw, ferment it, grill it, boil it, poach it…anything you can think of! Cabbage is loaded with antioxidants like folates, vitamin C, K, and fibre. At Catena Farm we grow many varieties of cabbage:
The 'Standard': round red and green type cabbages with thick, almost wax-like leaves. These are great for cabbage rolls, a nice bubble and squeak breakfast, or thinly sliced in a cold noodle salad.
Chinese Cabbage: most often used for kimchi, has lighter leaves and can come in both green or red colours. The leaves are frilled which gives a great texture.
Winter Storage 'Deadon': great for winter storage with very thick leaves and an amazing green and pink colour with well defined veins.
Tokyo Bekana: Tokyo Bekana is a non-heading Chinese cabbage from Japan. The spring-green leaves curl at the edges and mature with slim white stems that widen at the base. It is crisp and tender with a mild, sweet, spinach-like flavour with mild pepper tones. It is suited for eating both raw and cooked such as sautéing, steaming, and stir-frying. The frilly green is mild and can be shredded and tossed into green salads, mixed into pasta dishes for added crispness, braised as a side dish, or sliced and added to soups.
To store: Cabbage has a remarkable storage capacity. Just stick dry, unwashed cabbage in a mesh bag, or paper towel, and then placed inside a bag, or container inside your fridge crisper for at least a month. The outer leaves may eventually get floppy or yellowish, but they can be removed and discarded to reveal fresh inner leaves. If you have a cold cellar, cabbage can be kept at high humidity for three months or more! Please note, Tokyo Bekana is not suited for storage like the other varieties. Store the same as regular cabbage but use within two weeks.
To Freeze: Remove outer leaves from cabbage then cut into desired amount. You can use wedges, or slices, it’s up to you. Let cabbage soak in water for a few minutes to remove soil, then pat dry. Blanch washed cabbage for 2 minutes. Rinse in cold water to stop the cooking process, drain, and pack into airtight containers, or vacuum seal and freeze. Please note, Tokyo Bekana is not suited for freezing like the other varieties.
Recipes: