Rediscovering cabbage

THERE’S MORE TO THIS LEAFY BRASSICA THAN COLESLAW

Bountiful cabbages are travelling in market bags into kitchens around Australia, where home cooks will transform them into salads, soups and casseroles.

If your culinary heritage is anything like mine, productive crops of cabbages in stews, bakes and casseroles were part of your childhood.

Dating back more than 4000 years, the humble cabbage has been documented in recipes since antiquity and was even considered a delicacy, gracing the tables of the Roman Empire with its medicinal and laxative prowess.

We can still find the original wild cabbage varieties growing along some regions of the European coastline.

However, these cabbages don’t resemble the lobed-edged, shortstemmed cabbages found today at our local supermarket.

Cabbage is often blamed (along with other brassica family members) for contributing to increased flatulence due to its sugar content.

And while you may hear plenty more of “it wasn’t me” when cabbage is in season, remember this ancient vegetable (a cousin of broccoli, cauliflower and Brussels sprouts) is also packed full of nutrients such as dietary fibre, beta carotene and vitamin C.

It imparts a peppery flavour to raw salads but gets sweeter when cooked in stews, stir-fries and casseroles.

It can also be pickled, fermented (sauerkraut), steamed, roasted, braised, or eaten raw in those ubiquitous summer coleslaws.

HOW TO CHOOSE

Choose cabbage heads that feel heavy for their size, or if you’re selecting a loose-leafed variety, make sure the leaves are crisp. Avoid cabbages that are discoloured or that have blemishes.

HOW TO STORE

Whole cabbages can be stored in a cool, well-ventilated place for up to two weeks, while cut cabbage should be covered in plastic wrap and stored in the crisper for up to two days.