THIFTY VERSATILE CABBAGE

 

                        Thrifty versatile cabbage

 

          Cabbage is one of those vegetables that is likely to get mixed reviews depending on the taste and past experiences of many individuals. In March, because of St. Patrick’s Day traditional dish of ‘corn beef and cabbage’, we find cabbage featured in groceries at significantly reduced prices and therefore a good source of produce for the thrifty cook. Fortunately, cabbage is versatile and can be adapted to many recipes from salads to soups, side dishes and even main courses.

          Most of the bad rap for cabbage rests on overcooking, which releases sulfur-based compounds. Cabage can denote wealth and good fortune in some cultures, is eaten for good luck on New Years in cabbage rolls in Eastern Europe, and in the past was one of the few vegetables available in cold northern winters. It is rich in fiber and low in calories, is grown worldwide and can be eaten raw or cooked.

                                      Colorful cabbage-carrot-radish salad

          Finely chop 4 cups of cabbage (white and red) as slaw and toss in a large bowl. Using a box grater, grate in about 2 tbsp. red onion, 1 large, peeled carrot, 4-5 large red radishes. In a small bowl mix ½ cup sour cream, ½ tsp. dry mustard, ½ tsp. celery seed, ½ tsp. salt and 2 tbsp. white vinegar. Toss the vegetables with the dressing and refrigerate for 30 minutes before serving. It will keep refrigerated for up to 3 days.

                                      Tomato-cabbage soup with pasta

          This is my thrifty and low-calorie soup for busy days.  Bring 3 cups of tomato juice and 2 cups of chicken broth to boil in a 3 qt. pot. Stir in ½ tsp. lemon pepper, ½ tsp. onion powder, 2 cups of shredded cabbage and ½ cup of small pasta, like ditalini. Cook on medium heat for 15 minutes and serve. For a spicy version stir in 1 tsp. of medium salsa. This soup is equally good with leftover rice instead of pasta.

          For our recent St. Patrick’s Day dinner, I discovered a delightful dish called “Bubble and Squeak”, which combines two Irish staples, potatoes and cabbage in a tasty combination. The origins of the dish are found in the United Kingdom where it was recorded as early as 1762. It has been called one of the great peasant dishes and the name signifies the quarrel between the components as they are fried. The dish is usually made with mashed potatoes and cabbage, but the following improvisation was equally delicious with thin slices of parboiled potatoes.

                                               Bubble and squeak

          Toss 4-5 cups of thinly sliced cabbage with ½ cup water and ½ tsp. salt and cook covered for 5 minutes. Drain and set aside. Scrub 3 large yellow potatoes, remove any discoloration and slice ¼ inch slices. Parboil in salted water for 5 minutes, drain and set aside.

          Cook 3 thick slices of bacon in a large pan to crisp and drain on paper towels. In the same pan sauté 1 medium chopped onion in the bacon fat for 5 minutes, stir in the potatoes and the cabbage, ½ tsp. lemon pepper, ½ tsp. salt, ½ tsp. paprika 1 tbsp. butter and the crumbled bacon. Cook turning several times with a spatula for 10-15 minutes until the potatoes start to brown. We served them with Irish bangers and mustard, but ham or other sausages would work equally well. Reheat the leftovers easily in a pan and they make a delightful breakfast when served with a fried egg on top.

          The Irish version of ‘bubble and squeak’ includes kale, while the Scots version includes turnips and cheddar in addition to the basic ingredients. It is a delightful dish for many variations.

 (I. Winicov Harrington lives in coastal Maine and is the author of “How to Eat Healthy and Well for Less than $5.00 a Day…” and “Uncharted Journey from Riga”; website: www.winicov-harrington.com)

 

 

ZESTY CORN CHOWDER AND VEAL-ARTICHOKE PICCATA

 

                Zesty corn chowder and veal-artichoke piccata

 

          March came in like a lion with blustery winds portending the unsettled weeks that bring us spring. The word March has a dynamic sound associated not only with weather. It is the time of Shakespeare’s warning to “beware the Ides of March”, referring to forecast of doom and misfortune for Julius Ceasar in 44 BC and ever after. It is also the month to celebrate Mardi Gras, St. Patrick’s Day, the Vernal Equinox and most happily to welcome Daylight Savings Time!

          March gives us a spring in our steps and the cook looks for recipes with a bit of liveliness as well. Corn chowder is always welcome on a windy day and the following recipe was inspired by my former neighbor Louisa on Dutch Neck, who had the temerity to liven up corn chowder by including a bit of jalapeno pepper with delicious results.

                                                  Zesty corn chowder

          Crisp fry 2 thick slices of bacon in a 3-4 qt. pot, drain on paper towels and discard all but 1 tbsp. fat in the pot. Heat the fat on medium heat and sauté 1 chopped medium red onion for 5 minutes. Stir in 1 chopped celery stalk, 1 chopped carrot, 1 diced large potato, ½ seeded and diced red pepper, ½ tsp. salt, ½ tsp. lemon pepper and 4 small slices of pickled jalapeno pepper, minced. Add 2 cups of low salt chicken broth, 1 cup water and cook for 20 minutes. Stir in 1 (14.5 oz.) can creamed corn and 1 ½ cups frozen corn kernels. Cook for 2 minutes, stir in ¾ cups Half and Half and heat to simmer. Serve hot with crumbled bacon on top.

          Any dish that incorporates lemon juice and lemon slices is destined to burst with bright flavor. The following version of veal scallopine incorporates artichokes for added texture that blends well with the bold flavor. The photo documents snif approval by our cat Sapho.

                                    Veal-artichoke scallopine piccata

          Lightly dredge 3 oz. of thin veal cutlets pounded very thin in ½ cup flour blended with salt and pepper.  Heat 2 tblsp. butter with 1 tblsp olive oil in a large pan to bubbling and fry the veal quickly 1 ½ minutes on each side. Set on a plate and keep warm.

           Sauté 1 minced garlic clove in the remaining fat for 1 minute, Stir in ½ cup dry white wine, ½ cup water, 2 tbsp. drained capers, 1 tblsp. lemon juice, 1 tsp. grated lemon zest and 6-8 thin slices of lemon.  Scrape up any bits from the fried veal and cook to reduce the volume to half. Stir in ½ (14.5 oz) can drained artichokes (not pickled) and 2 tbsp. chopped parsley. Heat thoroughly and pour over the veal. Garnish with additional lemon and chopped parsley. Serve with buttered pasta.

          Fresh fruit as desert makes a colorful appearance in combination with sweetened coconut in this easy and quick Fruit Ambrosia, that might have had its origins in Southern cooking but is equally tasty in New England in March.

                                                      Fruit Ambrosia

          The following quantities are for 2 persons, assembled from fruit on hand in the kitchen. Feel free to improvise with other fruit combinations.

          For each small bowls: peel and cut in bite size 1 small mandarin orange sections, ½ ripe banana, 8-10 black or red grapes cut in half. Toss with 1 heaping tblsp. sweetened coconut flakes. Serve and enjoy.

          We shall hope that our March will behave nicely and go out like a lamb.

 (I. Winicov Harrington lives in coastal Maine and is the author of “How to Eat Healthy and Well for Less than $5.00 a Day: the Smart-Frugal Food Plan”; website: www.winicov-harrington.com)

 

FLAVORFUL ITALIAN SAUSAGE

 

                                        Flavorful Italian sausage

           The observation, it is good that February is a short month, is not original to this column. But it is a comforting thought after our recent weeks of cold and snow. Sunny days with glistening mounds of snow may have an aesthetic appeal, while at the same time leave one yearning for something warm and flavorful on the dinner table.

          Italian sausage is a boon to cooks at such a time by providing a flavorful base to food in different combinations. Once the sausage meat is fried it becomes the mainstay of such typical Italian dishes as lasagna, pasta sauces, fillings for pasta shells or baked squash and even sandwiches.

          In America, we know it as sweet or hot Italian sausage, flavored with fennel, red pepper paste and pepper flakes, that determine the level of spiciness of the sausage. As the name of the sausage implies, it originated in the arch of the boot region of Italy. The people of Lucania taught how to make sausages to the invading Romans in the first century BC.  Today the region is renamed Basilicate and the sausages have developed many flavor variations depending on different regions of Italy.

          Two recent recipes from our table show other combinations for Italian sausage to please the eye and the palate. The choice of sweet or hot Italian sausage is up to you.

                              Italian sausage-kale-mushroom galette

          Brown ½ lb. crumbled Italian sausage meat in a pan and set aside. In the same pan sauté 4 oz. sliced mushrooms in 1 tblsp. butter and 1 tblsp. olive oil with ½ tsp. salt until soft, stir in 1 tblsp. lemon juice and set aside.

In the same pan heat 1 tblsp. olive oil and stir fry to wilt 2 packed cups of washed torn kale leaves with 2 chopped garlic cloves. Add 2 tblsp. lemon juice, 1 tblsp. soy sauce, 3 tbsp. tomato sauce, the mushrooms, sausage and ¼ cup water. Cover and steam for 8 minutes, uncover and cook until the liquid is just absorbed.

          Unroll a sheet of crescent dough on a sheet pan. Spread the sausage mix lengthwise in the dough and fold 1 inch of all sides over the mix. Brush the dough with cream or half and half and sprinkle with coarsely shredded Parmesan cheese. Bake in a 375-degree preheated oven for 14 minutes. Allow the galette to rest for 10 minutes, cut in slices and serve with a green salad.

                                                                                                                                                                                     Lima bean and sausage casserole

          This casserole is equally good made with Italian or Polish sausage, though it will provide different flavors depending on the sausage. This recipe used large dried lima beans, but it can be easily adapted to canned or frozen large beans.

          Soak 1 cup dried large lima beans overnight in excess of water. In a 3 qt. pot sauté 1 chopped onion with 2 chopped garlic cloves in 1 tbsp. olive oil for 5 minutes, stir in 1 chopped celery stalk, the drained beans, 1 cup water, one 14.6 oz. can diced tomatoes with liquid, 1 tsp. salt, ½ tsp. lemon pepper, ½ tsp. each dry mustard, marjoram, savory, basil, thyme and cook for 35 minutes or until beans are firm tender.

          Brown ½ lb. crumbled Italian sausage meat in a pan and mix with the cooked beans. Turn mixture into a buttered casserole and top with 2 tbsp. fine breadcrumbs mixed with 2 tbsp. Parmesan cheese. Place in a preheated 400-degree oven and roast for 8-10 minutes until the topping starts to brown. Serve for lunch or dinner with steamed broccoli or other greens.

          The astronomical beginning of spring marked by the spring equinox is still more than three weeks away, but fortunately the metrological spring begins in the Northern Hemisphere on March 1. The meteorological definition definitely sounds more hopeful.

     (I. Winicov Harrington lives in coastal Maine and is the author of “How to Eat Healthy and Well for Less than $5.00 a Day:” and “Uncharted Journey from Riga”; website: www.winicov-harrington.com)