Cabbage

For the last few weeks I've been receiving a box of local produce from the Capay Valley. It is fun because I get whatever is in season, not just stuff that I'd normally buy. So it forces me to try new recipes and new veggies. As lame as it sounds, it is exciting for me.

This week I received some mystery greens, 2 small pumpkins, a fennel bulb (with fronds), potatoes, some habanero peppers, and a head of Chinese cabbage.

My problem is that I already have a head of Chinese cabbage in the fridge from the last shipment. Since Dave isn't here during the week and we go to Livermore every weekend I haven't been able use all my produce as quickly as I receive it. Cabbage isn't one of my favorite vegetables because when cooked it is slimy and it smells like sulfur. But I paid for it and it is in season so I'm goin got make the most of it.

What does one person do with two heads of cabbage? There's Chinese Chicken Salad, of course. But that'd be a lot of salad for one person, and I don't really like chicken much anymore. I decided to find some casserole and soup recipes that I can make and put into small containers for the freezer. By splitting up a casserole recipe into 3 or 4 smaller Corningware dishes then I can defrost one and eat through it by myself during the week. (Full recipes aren't good for one person because then I end up eating one dish everyday for lunch and dinner for the whole week. It gets really old.)

This week I made a butternut squash with caramelized onion casserole, a cabbage and hot sausage casserole, a Morrocan potato tomato casserole, and a batch of black bean cabbage soup with tomatoes in the CrockPot.

Tonight we ate the soup with some bread I made while baby sitting this afternoon. For cabbage soup, it was pretty darn good.
Cabbage Soup For the Soul

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1/2 large onion, chopped
• 5 cups chopped cabbage
• 2 (16 ounce) cans of beans (and kind), drained
• 2 cups water
• 3 cans of chopped tomatoes, undrained
  
• 4 bouillon cubes
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons oregano
• 1 teaspoon thyme
  
• 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
  
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper

1. Heat oil in a large stockpot over medium high heat. Cook onion until it begins to brown. Add cabbage, beans, water, tomatoes, bouillon, cumin, salt, pepper, and herbs. Stir to dissolve bouillon, and cover. (You can add browned ground beef to this if you want, too.)

2. Cook on high setting for 4 hours, or on low setting for 6 to 8 hours. Stir occasionally. Enjoy!

Once I defrost the casseroles I will take pictures and post the recipes.