Feeling Irish in the Kitchen

One of the vegetable fears I have overcome through my CSA is cabbage. Growing up with too much sauer kraut and bad cole slaw had me turning my nose to cabbage (sorry mom). But I frequently received it through my CSA and my husband happens to love the stuff. Here are my three sure fire (no cook) recipes for enjoying cabbage. Although, technically I do not believe any of my recipes below are actually Irish.

Mother-in-law's Cole Slaw:
Most of the time when my husband prefers the way his mom preps something, I let him enjoy her cooking rather than my attempt to reproduce the meal. With cole slaw however, he happily jumps into action and makes a batch that feeds a crowd. This winter we have made a ton of coleslaw as it is part of one of our favorite quick and easy meals for new moms. Here is their famous recipe:

Shred half a head of cabbage
dice half-one green pepper
shredded carrots (I buy the pre-shredded kind in the bag, and it is about 1/3 of the bag)

Mix together:
1/2 cup canned evaporated milk
1/4 cup vinegar
4 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
dash of black pepper
dash of celery seeds
6 tablespoons of mayo

Pour mixture over shred and let sit for at least two hours, or overnight.


Asian Slaw:
This recipe was new to me when I came to DC, but has become a favorite since a few of my friends here love it too! It is a quick and easy way to use up some extra cabbage and is the perfect accompaniment to cashew chicken lettuce wraps.

Half a head of shredded cabbage
1/2 cup sliced almonds
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1 package of ramen noodles *reserve and add right before serving
Toss together (and freely add any additional ingredients like, sliced celery, ground flax seeds, green onions, shallots, etc.)

Mix the following ingredients to make the dressing:
2 Tbs. sugar
3 Tbs. rice or wine vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil (or peanut oil)
1/2 flavor packet from noodles

Pour dressing over salad at least two hours before serving. Top with noodles and garnish of choice.


Blue Cheese Salad:
A twist on the blue cheese wedge salad, this is a great way to get a salad in the winter when greens aren't garden fresh. There are no measurements, because this recipe is all according to taste.

shredded cabbage
blue cheese or gorgonzola cheese, crumbled
chopped walnuts or lightly toasted pine nuts
raisins, golden raisins, or dried cranberries
red onion (thinly sliced)
toss with your favorite homemade balsamic vinaigrette
...and maybe garnish with crumbled bacon?

How do you eat your cabbage?