Recipe: Red Cabbage and Spicy Peppers (Λάχανο Κόκκινο με Καυτερές Πιπεριές)

Spring in Alaska keeps you on your toes. For the past week, it’s been sunny and warm. Nearly all the snow was gone. At our house it was 60°F yesterday. We broke out the grill for the first time all year. Mosquitoes were out and active.

This morning it started hailing, followed shortly by snow. It’s been snowing all day now, at least 12” so far and rising. The new predicts another foot of snow.

I went out today and there were accidents everywhere; no doubt partially caused by people taking their snow tires off too early. In my area, several major roads are closed. The power just blinked off and on.

I know it won’t last long, but still. Snow at the end of April is wrong. I shouldn’t complain; my friend Sheila says the record last snowfall in Anchorage occurred on a May 22.

With all the snow, I wanted something warm and comforting to eat, but didn’t want to work very hard to get it. I settled on quickly sautéed Red Cabbage and Spicy Peppers, a full-flavored dish that goes together quickly.

The cabbage recipe comes from Tangerine’s Kitchen, an interesting blog specializing in Indian foods, with many recipes, including the cabbage, from the Kerala region.

I found the recipe because I was paired with Tangerine’s Kitchen for this month’s Taste and Create organized by For the Love of Food. In this event, food writers are paired with a randomly assigned partner, and asked to cook and review one recipe from their partner’s blog.

One of my challenges in cooking from Tangerine’s Kitchen was that many of the ingredients she uses aren’t available in Alaska. Tangerine had the same problem with finding ingredients for my recipes. Our difficulties are understandable; there are few places more different than India and Alaska.

Red Cabbage and Spicy Peppers is a beautifully purple dish, and would make a terrific accompaniment to fish of any kind. While I was eating it, I realized how well it’d go with salmon; not only are the flavors complimentary, but the standout colors of salmon and red cabbage would make a gorgeous plate.

Red Cabbage and Spicy Peppers (Λάχανο Κόκκινο με Καυτερές Πιπεριές)
Serves 4 – 6
Adapted from Tangerine’s Kitchen
This recipe goes together very quickly and has a lot of flavor. Both Tangerine and I prefer the cabbage when it's a little crunchy; if you prefer softer cabbage, cook it longer. The peppers may either be chopped, as Tangerine recommends, or thinly sliced, as I did. With Tangerine’s method, the peppers melt into the overall flavor of the dish; with mine, there are bites in which the pepper flavor boldly stands out. Next time I make this, I’ll add a tablespoon of minced garlic and lots of freshly ground black pepper.

1 1/2 pound red cabbage
3 cups thinly sliced onions
7 jalapeño or other hot peppers, chopped or thinly sliced
2 Tbsp. olive oil
Salt

Cut the cabbage in half and discard the core. Thinly slice the cabbage.

In a Dutch oven, sauté the onions and jalapeños, lightly seasoned with salt, in olive oil until they soften and the onions are translucent. Add the cabbage and stir well to evenly distribute the onions and peppers. Turn down the heat to medium and cover the pan. Cook for 10 minutes. Taste and add salt, as needed. Serve immediately.

Recipe for Potato Pie with Cabbage and Mustard (Πατατόπιτα με Λάχανο και Μουστάρδα)

Whether it’s potatoes and cabbage in the winter, or eggplant and tomatoes in the summer, I love layer upon layer of perfectly seasoned vegetables. I recently dug into my Full Circle Farm CSA box to make one of those wonderful dishes: Potato Pie with Cabbage and Mustard.

Over the years, I’ve separately served each individual layer of the Potato Pie to accompany meat, poultry, or seafood. Oven roasted potatoes, caramelized onions with cumin, and sautéed cabbage with thyme are all are old stand-bys that taste great.

The old stand-bys combined in a single dish make company-ready fare that is better than the sum of its parts. The vegetable juices run together and mingle, forming unexpected and delicious flavor combinations.

Potato Pie with Cabbage and Mustard is warm and filling, and makes a satisfying meal when paired with a crisp green salad, olives, and bread. It is also a charming partner for sausages or roast meat.

Potato Pie with Cabbage and Mustard (Πατατόπιτα με Λάχανο και Μουστάρδα)
Serves 4 – 6
Inspired by A Passion for Vegetables by Paul Gayler (Lyons Press 2000)
I’ve suggested using a 9” springform pan for this recipe because it makes unmolding the pie easier. However, I’ve made this in a well-oiled large soufflé dish and the pie slid right out, so a springform isn’t absolutely necessary. The vegetables are cooked separately and individually seasoned; keep in mind the finished dish and be careful not to over-salt any single vegetable. For a more decorative presentation, place pitted, dried black olives between the potato slices on the bottom layer. Turnips may be substituted for the potatoes.

1 pound Yukon gold or red potatoes
1/4 cup olive oil, divided
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
6 cups thinly sliced yellow onions, cut in quarter moons
4 tsp. minced fresh garlic
1 tsp. freshly ground cumin seeds
1 Tbsp. wholegrain Dijon or Creole mustard
4 cups thinly sliced green cabbage
4 tsp. minced thyme
1 cup grated graviera or cheddar cheese

Preheat the oven to 450°F.

Wash, peel, and cut the potatoes into 1/4” slices. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss the potatoes with 1 Tbsp. olive oil and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Roast for 10 – 15 minutes or until the potatoes soften and start to turn golden.

Sauté the onions, lightly seasoned with salt and freshly ground black pepper, in 2 Tbsp. olive oil until the onions soften and start to brown. Stir in the garlic and cumin and cook for 2 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove the onions to a bowl. Stir in the mustard when the onions have partially cooled.

In the pan used for the onions, add the remaining 1 Tbsp. olive oil. Sauté the cabbage, lightly seasoned with salt and freshly ground black pepper, until the cabbage wilts completely. Remove from the heat and stir in the minced thyme.

Thoroughly oil a 9” springform pan; tightly cover the outside of the pan with foil to prevent oil from leaking out into the oven.

Layer the springform pan's bottom with 1/3 of the potatoes, cover the potatoes with 1/2 the cabbage, cover the cabbage with 1/2 the onions, and cover the onions with 1/2 the cheese. Repeat the layers, and finish with a layer of potatoes. (The recipe can be made ahead to this point and refrigerated; bring to room temperature before baking.)

Bake for 30 – 35 minutes, or until the top of the pie is golden and the juices bubbling. Let the pie rest in the pan for 5 – 10 minutes. Invert and unmold on a serving plate; if any potato slices stick to the bottom of the pan, carefully move them back to their place on top of the pie. Carefully cut into wedges and serve.

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More Cabbage Recipes:
Greek Cabbage and Rice (Λαχανόρυζο) (My recipe for rice with cabbage, onion, thyme, tomato, and currants)
Red Cabbage with Mushrooms and Blueberries (Chou Rouge Forestière) (My review of Robert Reynolds and Josephine Araldo’s From a Breton Garden, including Araldo’s unique red cabbage recipe.)
Cabbage Rolls (λαχανοντολμαδάκια) (Peter Minakis’ recipe for Greek cabbage rolls stuffed with rice and meat.)
Mama’s Health Soup (Zoe’s Greek mother’s recipe for cabbage soup, written up by Lulu as a service to humanity).

Recipe: Greek Cabbage and Rice (Λαχανόρυζο)

This week Alaska held its presidential caucuses. My caucus site was a zoo; people were packed like sardines into the available space. In Anchorage, you rarely see crowds like this and I’ve never seen more Alaskans gathered for a political event.

Traffic was jammed up for miles; we parked at a shopping center across the way. With temperatures hovering around -10°F, the hatless walk between the shopping center and the caucus site was invigorating. The tops of my ears were complaining bitterly.

An amazing aspect of the event was the attendees’ joviality. Despite traffic jams, freezing weather, overflow crowds, delays, and the general disorganization that occurs when too many people are packed into too small a space, everyone seemed happy and excited to be present.

The opposing camps in my district laughed and joked together as we were sorted and counted. No matter how the primaries ultimately turn out, the engaged and enthusiastic crowds seemed a promising omen for the general election in November.

When I got home from politicking, I was past ready for dinner and wanted something to ward off the subzero weather. I happily dug into a bowl of leftover Greek Cabbage and Rice. I had originally served the Cabbage and Rice as an accompaniment to Grilled Pork Steak, a recipe in Tastes Like Home: Mediterranean Cooking in Alaska.

Cabbage and Rice is flavored with onions and tomato paste. These savory flavors, paired with sweet dried currants, turn Cabbage and Rice into a filling vegetarian main course. For meat eaters, it is equally tasty served as a side dish with pork or chicken.

Greek Cabbage and Rice (Λαχανόρυζο)
Serves 2 - 3 as a main course, or 4 - 6 as a side dish

1 small green cabbage (about 2 pounds)
3 cups diced onions, 1/2” dice
1/4 cup olive oil
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
3 Tbsp. tomato paste
1 Tbsp. dried thyme, crushed
2 cups water, divided
1/2 cup rice
1/4 cup dried currants

Discard any tough or damaged outside cabbage leaves. Cut the cabbage into quarters; cut out and discard the core. Cut the cabbage quarters crosswise into 1/2” strips.

In a pan large enough to hold all the ingredients, sauté the onions, lightly seasoned with salt and freshly ground black pepper, in olive oil until they soften and start to turn golden. Stir in the cabbage, lightly season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, and cook until the cabbage wilts. Stir in the tomato paste and dried thyme and cook for 1 minute. Stir in 1 1/2 cups water, bring to a boil, cover, reduce the heat, and simmer for 20 minutes.

Stir in the rice, dried currants, and remaining 1/2 cup water. Cover and cook over low heat for 20 minutes or until the rice is done. Serve immediately.
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This is my entry for Weekend Herb Blogging, hosted this week by Ulrike from Kuchenlatein.

Recipe: Red Cabbage with Mushrooms and Blueberries – Chou Rouge Forestière (Λάχανο Κόκκινο με Μανιτάρια και βακκίνιο το Μύρτιλλο)

“Sing,” she said. “It will improve your cooking.” Josephine Araldo

Josephine Araldo inspired a generation of cooks. She was a legend: an elf-like woman who spoke rapid-fire English with a French accent.

Araldo was born in Brittany in 1896. She went to Paris in the early 1920s and was one of the first women to graduate from Cordon Bleu. In 1924, she moved to San Francisco as a cook for a wealthy family and stayed there the rest of her long life.

After World War II, Araldo retired as a cook and began teaching her skills to others. Marion Cunningham (of Fannie Farmer fame) and Alice Waters both studied under Araldo. Fran Bigelow, who started Fran’s Chocolates and popularized grey salt caramels in the US, was also a student of Araldo.

Chef Robert Reynolds, now of Trou Food, started as one of Araldo’s students, but later became a close friend. Reynolds collaborated with Araldo in writing From a Breton Garden: The Vegetable Cookery of Josephine Araldo.

From a Breton Garden is a brilliant book. Araldo taught that “vegetables are the jewel in the crown; they make the plate” and her book reflects that philosophy on every page.

The recipes use common, everyday vegetables. The most exotic is artichokes, a favorite of Araldo’s judging from the thirty-one artichoke recipes in the book. Some recipes in From a Breton Garden are traditional and others creative, but all are delicious. I’ve owned the book for 17 years, and have thoroughly enjoyed every recipe I’ve made from it.

From a Breton Garden was published in 1990, one year after Araldo’s death. The biographical information in it gives readers a glimpse into her interesting life, and leaves one wanting to know more about Araldo. Reynolds is now discussing an Araldo biography with her grandson; I’m looking forward to reading it.

The book opens with country recipes from Brittany, where Josephine was born and raised. The Paris chapter reflects the classical cuisine that Araldo learned in cooking school. The San Francisco section is filled with Reynolds’ recipes, which demonstrate the sensibilities he learned from Araldo as she passed her knowledge on to the next generation.

La Mère Jacquette was Josephine Araldo’s grandmother. According to Reynolds, La Mère Jacquette learned to cook before Napoleon III came to power. Her cuisine, as passed down through Araldo to us via From a Breton Garden, includes many unusual recipes combining fruits and vegetables.

One of my favorite recipes in the book came from La Mère Jacquette: Red Cabbage with Mushrooms and Blueberries. The cabbage is braised in red wine and onions, and then tossed with perfectly cooked mushrooms and fresh blueberries.

In Alaska, this dish is a natural; when it’s time to harvest red cabbage, our woods are filled with wild mushrooms and the blueberries are ready to pick. It’s best made with fresh wild Boletus edulis (aka porcini or cèpes) and wild blueberries, but it still tastes great when made with supermarket ingredients.

Last night I used red cabbage and mushrooms from my Full Circle Farm CSA box with supermarket blueberries. Even my husband, who is dubious on the subject of cooked cabbage, agreed it was wonderful.

Red Cabbage with Mushrooms and Blueberries – Chou Rouge Forestière (Λάχανο Κόκκινο με Μανιτάρια και βακκίνιο το Μύρτιλλο)
Serves 4 - 6
Adapted from From a Breton Garden: The Vegetable Cookery of Josephine Araldo by Josephine Araldo and Robert Reynolds
I’ve always made this recipe with blueberries, but Araldo says La Mère Jacquette would have used whatever berries she found in the woods. Araldo emphasizes that tossing the mushrooms with garlic and parsley is essential: “without these elements, ‘Cela na vaut pas le pet de lapin’ (it’s not worth the fart of a rabbit).” Araldo recommends using bacon fat to flavor the onions and cabbage; I substitute olive oil without a problem. I’ve served Red Cabbage with Mushrooms and Blueberries as an accompaniment to pork, roast chicken, grilled lamb, and sausages, and enjoyed it every time.

2 cups thinly sliced yellow onion
4 Tbsp. butter
2 Tbsp. olive oil (or bacon fat)
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 pound (6 cups) thinly sliced red cabbage (1/2 a medium head)
1/2 cup red wine
1/2 pound mushrooms, sliced
1 tsp. minced garlic
3 Tbsp. minced parsley
1 cup fresh blueberries

Sauté the onions in 2 Tbsp. butter and the olive oil (or bacon fat), lightly seasoned with salt and freshly ground black pepper, until the onions are golden. Stir in the cabbage and red wine, lightly season again with salt and freshly ground black pepper, and toss to evenly distribute the ingredients. Cover and cook over low heat for 20 to 30 minutes, until the cabbage is tender.

While the cabbage is cooking, sauté the mushrooms, lightly seasoned with salt and freshly ground black pepper, in 2 Tbsp. butter in a hot pan. Cook the mushrooms in 2 batches to ensure they brown nicely and retain their liquid (if you put too many mushrooms in the pan at one time, they release their juices and stew rather than brown). When the mushrooms are done, toss them with garlic and parsley.

When the cabbage is done to your liking, stir in the mushrooms and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the blueberries. Taste and add salt or freshly ground black pepper, as needed. Serve.
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This is my entry for Weekend Cookbook Challenge – Veggin’ Out hosted by Sara of I Like to Cook. Red Cabbage with Mushrooms and Blueberries is full of antioxidants, so I am also sending it to Sweetnicks for Antioxidant Rich Foods/5-a-Day Tuesdays.