Home-grown: White cabbage

Try this wonderfully savoury pasta dish based on a traditional Polish favourite. If you’ve 2 or 3 tablespoons of jellified chicken stock, leftover from roasting a chicken, so much the better, it will add another layer of extra deliciousness. Homemade egg pasta is used in Poland but a flat regular pasta, such as farfalle, also works well.

Serves 2-3 but easy to increase quantities INGREDIENTS

150g (5¼oz) pasta 1 medium-large onion, diced 2 tablespoons oil 3-4 rasher streaky bacon, chopped 6-7 mushrooms (chestnut mushrooms work well) sliced ½ vegetable gel stock pot or similar 2-3 tablespoons jellified chicken stock, if available Half a white cabbage, outer leaves & tough stalks removed, finely sliced (around 200g/7oz prepared weight) Leaves from 2-3 sprigs of thyme Freshly ground black pepper

METHOD

l Put the pasta onto boil according to maker’s instructions. Drain and set aside. Meanwhile, cook onion slowly in oil. After 5 minutes add bacon and mushrooms. Once onions and mushrooms are soft and bacon just beginning to turn golden, stir in stock pot and chicken stock. Steam cabbage briefly for 2-3 minutes until just soft. Add steamed cabbage, thyme and black pepper to pan, stir to combine and then stir in pasta. Cook for a couple of minutes, stirring frequently, and serve immediately on warmed plates.