Two Remarkable Cabbage Recipes

Now, I have generally had trouble being inspired by cabbage. What to do with it when you've had enough coleslaw? While there are some great cabbage recipes for winter, when they're locally glass-house growable but still more likely to be coming from far away, in the summer, when they're actually in abundance fresh, Russian deep-dish pies and cabbage-potato stews seem too heavy.

But last summer, I came up with this delightful taste fusion:

Provencal/Twist Cabbage and Beans
1. Heat oil with 1 tsp crushed cumin seeds, 1 tsp mustard seeds, 4-5 cloves of garlic, a few red pepper flakes
2. Toss in 1 chopped cabbage, 1/2-1 cup fresh green beans
3. Add a Tbs of water, cover and let steam a few minutes till beans bright green and cabbage wilted.
4. Toss on about 4 Tbs dijon or favorite mustard, diluted in enough water to make it pourable, and 2 Tbs chopped fresh rosemary. Toss thoroughly.
5. Take off heat and cool. Serve over rice, couscous, or quinoa. For protein, mix beans into your grain.

Ta-da! A delightfully French recipe with an unexpected bite of cumin!

Inspired by the memory of that dish, I tried to come up with another cabbage stir-fry that would have enough sparkle to eat on the porch on a hot summer day. I'm still working on proportions on this one, so do your own taste-and-adjusting for sure.

Tabasco-lime summer cabbage
1. Saute 1 chopped cabbage and additional veg of choice (carrot or pepper is good, I bet new potatoes would be also) in oil and onion/garlic. Salt, and stir in 2 Tbs honey.
2. Add 1 Tbs water and cover, let steam till cabbage is wilted.
3. Remove from heat and let cool 2 minutes. Then quickly add 2 Tbs tabasco sauce, 1 tsp lime zest, and juice from 1/2 lime, and toss well.
4. Set out tabasco and the other 1/2 lime for individuals to add seasoning to taste immediately before eating. Serve with creamier dishes like soufflee, quiche, mashed potatoes, strogonoff...The spice will create good yin-yang.

Important note: Adding lime juice at the end is crucial. The flavor absorbs and is ruined quickly by heat. Hence also, for best effect, touch it up with fresh juice right before eating.