Flush from the success of the broccoli and carrot harvests our mini potager has come up trumps again. This time it’s red week with red cabbages and beetroot riping to perfection. I’ve been looking forward to this harvest as this will be the first time I’ve grown either of these vegetables before.
Also, I am a great fan of braised and pickled red cabbage so as always looking forward to the eating!
Getting the cabbages out of the ground was no mean feat. These things had grown to massive proportions. It took a fairly good tug and towel to extract them from the soil. Eventually I was able to get a couple out and trim off the leaves to fit them in my trusty trug.
Then it was hot foot to the kitchen to start the culinary process. Well it would have been if I hadn’t almost cut off my finger with my sharpened knife with the first cut. Bandaged up I tried again. It hasn’t been easy there is a lot of chopping for my tried and tested Delia Smith recipe. I’ve taken this from my battered and bashed version of her complete cookery course my mother packed me off with when I left home for University.
This is how much chopping you need to do. Oh, and some mixing up of spices – nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon with some sugar and garlic.
Then you layer the cabbage with the apple, onions and spice mix finishing off with some red wine vinegar and butter to complete the recipe.
As I write, or rather fumble typing this post with my plastered finger, the smells are wafting from the oven. Hmm, it smells real good. I’ll get about 4-6 lots of cabbage from this big casserole. We’ll be having some tonight with some venison and the rest will be frozen to enjoy over the coming weeks.
I’ve still got a huge cabbage still to deal with and the beetroot but they’ll be subject to some preservation. More on that later. All I’ll say is that this will be my first time ever pickling and all the salting, soaked and boiling requirements are already putting me off. Surely there must be a way for a simpleton pickler like me.
If you’ve got any words of wisdom on the perils of pickling, do let me know so I can make sure I don’t fall into any obvious pickling traps. Come to think of it, learning from you might stop me getting into a pickle!!!
Oh I know it’s dreadful but I couldn’t help myself.
Beautiful photographs and oh, I’m so hungry! You’ll be able to open your own organic cafe at this rate!
Oh no! The catering trade is the hardest to be in. I know the difference between cooking for pleasure and work! JT
What beautiful veggies, Julie! Such a sight is a balm to my winter-blasted soul in Minnesota.
Is that not a genuine Sussex trug in the first photo? I actually have two of them myself. I think it’s so cool that the bottom slats are made of cricket bat willow…how English is that?
As for getting big cabbages out of the ground, I’ve found it helpful to give them a good twist before tugging upward.
The cabbages look so impressive, bursting with vigour, the colour is just amazing. I always put some smoked bacon in my red cabbage and let it cook slowly on top of the cooker. Next time I’ll try those spices as I only add some pepper to my version. As for the beetroot why not try raw and grated in salads. The only thing I’ve tried pickling was shallots but we didn’t eat enough to make it worthwhile. Have you ever been up north and seen those pickled eggs sitting on bars in big glass jars? I’ve never fancied one of those. We freeze our surplus eggs for when the hens stop laying.
Ruta, you’re a mind of information. Frozen eggs, please tell me more. I’ve never heard of that before. Pickled eggs I have but like you I’ve not been brave enough to try. I’m going to the do the salad thing with the beetroot with some feta cheese. I’ve got more red cabbage to cook so I’m going to try some with bacon as you suggest. JT
YUM EE! That looks delish and I bet it was!
I posted about my wee garden the other day and just thought of you the whole time. My excitement at such a small plot, yet what it would be like to have what you have! I would love it. Well done – this is the best bit x
Marrisa, saw your post and desparately wanted to comment but I can’t find the comment button on your blog any more. Have you switched them off??