A glut of cabbage

Sep 13, 2020 | Recipes

Chocolate cabbage cake

This is fun to make. It consists of a double chocolate sponge covered with leaves of dark chocolate formed by using the leaves of a fresh cabbage as moulds.

Choose your favourite sponge recipe and make 2 cakes in 20 cm tins. Fill the layer between the cakes with cream or cream and fruit.

For the cabbage leaves:
1 block of dark cooking chocolate
1 round cabbage (not savoy)

  1. Melt the chocolate over hot water making sure the water does not touch the bottom of the bowl or double boiler pan.
  2. Using a pastry brush, cover the inside of the outer cabbage leaves with a thin layer of chocolate, and then work on the next layer of inside leaves until you have about a dozen leaves.
  3. Paint the chocolate slightly thicker at the stalk end. Clean off any chocolate that has flowed over onto the other side of the leaf as this will cause the chocolate leaf to crack as you de-mould it.
  4. Place the leaves on trays and chill in the fridge for 5 minutes or until hard.
  5. De-mould the leaves starting at the stalk end where the chocolate will be thicker.
  6. Reassemble over the cake in the shape of the fresh cabbage.

Coleslaw with a difference

Traditional coleslaw is made with a mayonnaise dressing but here is a sesame ginger dressing that is delicious.

Sesame and ginger slaw
3 cups shredded green cabbage
3 cups shredded red cabbage
1 cup grated carrot ribbons
1/4 cup of chopped chives
1/4 cup of chopped parsley
1/4 cup black sesame seed

Dressing
3 tablespoons sesame oil
3 tablespoons lime juice
2-3 tablespoons of grated ginger
1 flat tablespoon of honey
1/8 teaspoon salt

  1. Cut the cabbage into 4 wedges, remove hard core from each, and then shred cabbage wedges finely with a knife or mandolin.
  2. Mix 3 parts shredded green cabbage, 3 parts shredded red cabbage and 1 part grated carrot.
  3. Then add herbs and seeds of your choice.
  4. Mix together dressing ingredients and toss through the chopped ingredients.
  5. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Fermented red cabbage

You will need a fermenting jar (such as a Mason jar with an airlock) which can be purchased online, stones to weigh the mix down which can also be purchased online, or alternatively find some stones that will fit through the neck of the jar and sterilise them by boiling.

2 kg red cabbage (or green)
12 crushed juniper berries
20 crushed coriander seeds
3 tablespoons of sea salt

  1. Slice the cabbage thinly, having first removed the core.
  2. Put cabbage and spices in a bowl and sprinkle the salt over the top.
  3. Bash the mix with a wooden spoon for 10 minutes to release liquid from the cabbage. This will be the brine which will cover the mix. If not enough liquid is released, top up with brine made of 2 tablespoons of sea salt to 1 litre of water.
  4. Pack the cabbage into the fermenting jar tightly, cover with the brine from the cabbage and top up if necessary with salt brine.
  5. Cover the mixture with 1 cm of brine. Place stones over the mix to weigh it down and keep the brine over it. If it rises out of the brine it will develop mould and be ruined. Pack down so that there is 6 cm clearance above the brine.
  6. Clean the rim of the jar, screw lid on with airlock*.
  7. Fill the airlock with water and leave for 1 – 4 weeks. Taste every few days until it tastes as you want it to.

*An airlock is the key to a safe lacto-fermentation process. The fermentation process gives off carbon dioxide and lactic acid. The carbon dioxide being heavier than air pushes the air out of the jar without allowing more in. This ensures an anaerobic environment in the jar and keeps the food safe.

Written by Robin-Gale Baker.

 

cabbage saute

Winning recipe – Caraway, red apple and cabbage sauté

Here is the winning recipe for our October 2020 virtual #isobaking #cookoff 

2 tablespoons of butter
2 teaspoons of caraway seed
1 red apple
170 grams of finely sliced cabbage

Melt the butter in a fry pan over medium heat
Sauté the caraway seed for 2 minutes, add the apple and sauté for another 2 minutes (tossing after 1 minute)
and add the cabbage and do the same for another 2 minutes.
Delicious!

Well done to Robin Gale-Baker!