EATING LOCAL: Celebrating the Art of Good Food
Roberta Jackson, RD
Culinary Nutritionist
we are grateful to have Roberta working with us to generate some resources to help you craft healthy, delicious dishes with Farmhub produce. Roberta brings years of experience as a chef and registered dietitian to provide insights on food that tastes good and is good for you. Her blog posts will feature recipes made with as much FarmHub produce as possible, at three levels of difficulty. You can connect with Roberta on Instagram @robertaleighjackson.
Cabbage can easily be overlooked as a winter vegetable, known for its longer storage life, and versatility when preserving, stewing and pickling. Yet, cabbage possesses a delicate, fresh, crunch that pairs with so many summer flavours - think citrus, mustard or apple! Cabbage comes in a wide variety of colours and textures, and is ready to be harvested when the head is firm. Cabbage is a Brassica (1), high in fibre and Vitamin C. One serving of cabbage contains 70% of your daily recommended intake (2). Eating a diet rich in Brassiceae like cabbage, has been linked to a reduced risk of heart disease, stroke and several cancers (2,3). With all the health benefits and an abundance of varieties available locally on Vancouver Island, cabbage is a perfect side (or center) dish for your next summer meal. Below are recipes that feature cabbage three ways - fresh, gently cooked and fermented.
Here are a few ideas to get you started!
Coleslaw
It’s hard to plan a BBQ or tacos without conjuring up a favourite coleslaw recipe. Cabbage has the ability to absorb flavours and soften as it marinates. All it takes is a few simple ingredients, the energy required to wash, chop/shred your veggies, and a well thought out dressing. If you desire to preserve a crunchy texture, prep the veggies ahead of time and combine with the dressing last minute before serving.
Two very different coleslaws: same simple ingredients.
Asian Coleslaw
This coleslaw dressing features peanut butter, garlic, soy sauce, brown sugar, rice wine vinegar, toasted peanuts and cilantro, blended until smooth and delightful.
Take advantage of the ingredients you have on hand!
Traditional Coleslaw
This simple dressing features Dijon mustard, mayo and apple cider vinegar. For added colour choose purple cabbage, red pepper or take advantage of seasonal flowers like these nasturtiums.
Boosting nutrition - nudge….nudge
Colcannon
A traditional Irish dish that combines mashed potatoes with cabbage. It is a wonderful way to boost the nutrition of plain mashed potatoes by adding more fibre, texture and flavour. No need to peel the potatoes either.
Gently sauté the cabbage and kale in butter or oil for 5 minutes before mixing with the mashed potatoes.
Colcannon is versatile, below it is served as a brunch item with roasted fennel bulb, and a poached egg. All locally available ingredients.
Kimchi
For the adventurous cook the ultimate cabbage dish is Kimchi: fermented, loaded with pre and probiotics, and packed with garlic, ginger and hot chili flavours.
The technique requires a bit of time and patience. Once the veggies are washed and chopped (or shredded as seen in the photos), the mixture undergoes fermentation for 2-5 days outside of the fridge. It is then stored in the fridge ready to enjoy with rice, eggs, or try it on top of your favourite Bratwurst sausage.
Kimchi is more of an art but worthy of inspiring your kitchen creativity. This batch included regional purple daikon radishes from the FarmHub.
The cabbage is brined for 2 hours to draw out some of its moisture and start breaking down the carbohydrate- fuel for fermentation. If you are interested in learning more about the fermentation process visit this link.
Helpful links to food resources: