Growing up with a Polish mother, I saw a lot of cabbage on the dinner table usually in the form of golabki (cabbage rolls) or sauerkraut. I really didn’t like either but I did like the inside of the cabbage rolls. Luckily for me, my dad would eat the cabbage and let me get away with eating the inside. As an aside, I also didn’t like the pepper part of a stuffed pepper, just the insides. (I know, very strange).

I am still not a big fan of cabbage, although I do like cole slaw a whole lot. However my husband and the kids are way bigger fans of cabbage than I am, which is good for us since we grow the stuff.

About

Cabbage developed from a wild mustard plant that flourished along the Mediterranean Coast as well as in Denmark and England. Some mention of cabbage has been found dating to the early days of Greece.

There are several types of cabbage:

• Green  -  The most popular type available. Used for everything from cabbage rolls to cole slaw.
• Red  -   Has a  nice red color that adds beautiful contrast to salads and stir fries.
• Savoy –  Has a loosely formed head with crinkled leaves, great for cole slaw. Available primarily in October and November. It is very tender and sweet.
• Chinese –  There are two varieties included here: one is an oblong cabbage used primarily for salads and Chinese dumplings and the other is bok choy which does not form a head but leafs in clusters.

Varieties We Grow

• Platinum Dynasty – a main season cabbage
• Ultima Vantage –  a mid to late season green cabbage
• Red Dynasty – a main season red cabbage
• Super Red 80 – an early red cabbage that is highly rated for appearance and taste
• Rona – a deep red late maturing cabbage that is good for storage
• Savoy King – considered by many to be one of the best Savoy varieties

Yields

One and one half pounds of cabbage yields about 4 servings. Ten pounds of shredded cabbage yields about four quarts of sauerkraut.

Freezing

Cabbage becomes limp and loses flavor when frozen. Canning is also a problem with cabbage as it discolors when canned. So don’t can cabbage unless you are making sauerkraut.

Fortunately cabbage will stay crisp for several weeks if you remove any outside leaves that may be wilted before storing in your refrigerator crisper drawer.

Serving Tips

Add shredded cabbage to your salads.

Combine shredded cabbage with other vegetables and stir fry until crisp tender.

To boil cabbage, heat one inch of water in a large pot until boiling. Add wedges or shredded cabbage and cover pot. Cook wedges about ten minutes; shredded cabbage about 5-7 minutes. As always, cook until tender crisp. Salt and serve with seasonings of choice.

Melt two tablespoons of butter in a frying pan, add several cups of shredded cabbage. Pan fry only until wilted, stirring regularly (about 10-15 minutes).

Nutritional Value

• Cabbage is rich in vitamin C, with 1 cup shredded raw green cabbage containing about 1/3 of the daily requirement.
• It is a very good source of fiber, manganese, folate, vitamin B6, potassium, and omega-3 fatty acieds.
• Cabbage is also a good source of thiamin (vitamin B1), riboflavin (vitamin B2), calcium, potassium, magnesium, vitamin A, and protein.
• It is low in calories with 1 cup shredded cabbage containing only 24 calories.

Broccoli Cheddar Buns

There are lots of books out there right now about making healthy bread for your family. Our daughter, Rebekah, made some Broccoli and Cheddar Buns out of this book: Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day: 100 New Recipes Featuring Whole Grains, Fruits, Vegetables, and Gluten-Free Ingredients.  Boy were they good! Of course this family loves yeast bread, broccoli and cheese so how could we not like them?

Broccoli and Cheddar Buns

(makes 3 batches of 8 buns)

Ingredients:

15 ounces (about 5 cups) raw broccoli florets

1 1/2 cups water for cooking the broccoli

3 cups whole wheat flour

4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1 1/2 tablespoons granulated yeast or 2 packages

1 tablespoon kosher salt

1/4 tablespoon vital wheat glutin

1 3/4 cups lukewarm water

Neutral flavored oil for greasing muffin tin.

3 cups shredded cheddar cheese (1 cup per batch of 8 buns)

1. Cooking the broccoli: In a medium-size saucepan, bring water to a boil, add the broccoli, and cook on medium-high heat, with the lid on, for 3 to 4 minutes. It is very important not to overcook the broccoli or it will taste bitter. It should be bright green. Remove from the stove and place the broccoli and the cooking water into a blender to puree. Puree as finely as you can, but don’t expect it to be perfectly smooth. This will yield 3 cups of broccoli puree. Set aside to cool slightly.

2. Mixing and storing the dough: Whisk together the flour, yeast, salt, and vital wheat gluten in a 5 quart bowl, or in a lidded (not airtight) food container.

3. Add the 1 3/4 cups lukewarm water and broccoli puree and mix without kneading, using a spoon or a heavy-duty stand mixer with paddle. You might need to use wet hands to get the last bit of flour to incorporate if you’re not using a machine.

4. Cover (not airtight) and allow the dough to rest at room temperature until it rises and collapses, approximately 2 hours.

5. The dough can be used immediately after its initial rise, although it is easier to handle when it is cold. Refrigerate it in a non-airtight lidded container  and use over the next 7 days.

6. On baking day, grease a muffin pan. Dust the surface of the refrigerated dough with flour and cut off a 1 1/2 pound (cantaloupe size) piece. Dust the piece with more flour and quickly shape it into a loose ball by stretching the surface of the dough around to the bottom on all four sides, rotating the ball a quarter turn as you go.

7. To form the rolls, divide the ball into 8 roughly equal portions (each about the size of a plum). Cut each of the pieces into 4 smaller pieces. Shape each one into a smooth ball. Put the 4 rounds together to form the clover leaf and place in the cup of a muffin pan. Allow to rest, loosely covered with plastic wrap, for 40 minutes (20 minutes if you are using unrefrigerated dough).

8. Thirty minutes before baking time, preheat the over to 450 degrees F, with a baking stone placed on the middle rack. Place an empty metal broiler tray on any other rack that won’t interfere with the rising buns.

9. Just before baking, sprinkle the buns with the cheddar cheese, being careful not to get in on the pan.

10. Slide the muffin tin directly onto the hot stone. Pour 1 cup of hot tap water into the broiler tray and quickly close the oven door. Bake for about 20 to 25 minutes, until richly browned and firm. The cheese will be melted and a bit caramelized.

11. Remove the buns from the pan and allow them to cool slightly before serving.

The buns were absolutely delicious and I plan on making them again.  Hope you enjoy them. To see what Rebekah had to say about them, visit her notes about this recipe at Sabbath Supper.

(Once again, it isn’t Friday but at least I am quicker than I was last week!)

A shot of broccoli from our 2009 crop

I don’t ever remember having broccoli as a child; I first encountered broccoli in my college dorm dining room. Every Saturday night was a steak dinner night with different sides every week. One week we had broccoli in a side salad and to my surprise, after surveying this strange vegetable, I found it to be quite tasty.

ABOUT: Originating in the Mediterranean countries especially Italy, broccoli is a member of the cabbage (or cole) family. Broccoli is another cool-weather crop (like peas) that does not like  hot summer weather. This vegetable has been grown in the United States since colonial times, but achieved popularity in the years prior to World War II when grown widely by Italian immigrants.

VARIETIES WE GROW:

Diplomat – a late summer/fall broccoli

Packman – an early broccoli

YIELDS: 1 pound of broccoli yields 6 cups raw, trimmed pieces (florets and stems) which is the equivalent of 4 to 6 servings.

2  to 3 pounds broccoli will yield about 2 pints frozen broccoli.

FREEZING:

Wash broccoli. Remove leaves and woody portions. Split lengthwise so florets are not more than 1 ½ inches across. Blanch 3 minutes in boiling water or steam for 5 minutes. Cool promptly in cold water and drain.
Pack into airtight freezer containers (we use freezer bags and squeeze excess air out), leaving no head space. Seal, label, date and freeze. Use frozen broccoli within 8 to 12 months for best quality

HOW TO PREPARE:

Broccoli can be steamed, stir fried or eaten raw. Add a little lemon juice to lightly steamed broccoli. It is delicious in salads or with your favorite cheese sauce.

RECIPES:

Look for a great recipe coming up on Tempting Tuesday – May 11. Think yeast bread!

NUTRITIONAL VALUE:

• Broccoli is an excellent source of Vitamins A and C, potassium, folate, and fiber. Broccoli has more Vitamin C than some citrus fruits.
• Need more calcium in your diet? Broccoli is a great source of calcium.
• It is also low in calories with a one cup serving of cooked broccoli having 45 calories.

Ever have one of those days where plans get thrown out the window and you still have to come up with something for dinner or dessert? That has happened around here enough that cobblers have become my go-to replacement dessert.

We eat our big meal at lunch so oftentimes dinner consists of dessert and the beverage of your choice. Most everyone in the house is happen with these meals and I enjoy baking so it is a win-win situation.

One of the great things about cobblers is that they can be made using most any fruit.  Since we freeze peaches and store the apples, I can whip up a cobbler in no time even during the winter. Another reason to call it a win-win recipe.

Below is a recipe for the apple filling which is quite good.

Apple Filling Ingredients

5 cups apples, peeled and sliced

1/2 cup sugar

2 tablespoons flour

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup water

1 tablespoon butter, softened

Combine all ingredients except butter. Pour into buttered 9 inch pan. Dot with butter.

Here is a recipe for a cobbler topping that is very good.

Cobbler Topping Ingredients (covers 9 inch square pan)

1/2 cup flour, sifted

1/2 cup sugar (I like to use a mix of brown and white sugar)

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons butter, softened

1 egg, slightly beaten

Combine all topping ingredients. Beat with wooden spoon until smooth. Drop batter over fruit spacing evenly. Don’t worry about covering fruit, the batter will spread a bit while cooking. Bake at 375 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until crust is golden brown.

Enjoy!

(No, today is not Friday, it is Sunday. Despite the post’s title, I am not posting this on a Friday, although that was my intention. From now on, I hope to post every Friday about one of our crops.)

(a look at our pea patch in 2009)

Peas are one of my favorite vegetables. However, while growing up, I never knew there were any other kinds of peas other than the ones that come in a can from the grocery store. Lucky for me, I learned that there are different kinds of peas, all delicious.

One of the other things I remember from childhood was my mother’s ongoing battle with my brother to get him to eat his peas. I never understood what he didn’t like about them but then he probably never understood why I don”t like onions. So I guess we’re even.

ABOUT: Peas are what is known as a cool weather crop. They love the cool spring weather and absolutely detest the warm summer weather. So we usually have peas for sale during the month of June, along with our strawberries.

Peas are a member of the legume family. There are three different types of peas:  garden peas (English peas), snap peas and snow peas. We grow two types of peas: snow peas and sugar snap peas. Snow peas have a flat edible pod and are picked when the seeds inside the pod are barely formed. Sugar snap peas have an edible round pod with small seeds inside.

VARIETIES WE GROW:

Sugar snap peas – Cascadia

Snow peas – Oregon Giant

FREEZING:

We froze several quarts of peas last year and it was well worth it come those cold winter days when you crave vegetables. The sugar snap peas seemed to freeze better for us. We tried the snow peas and the results were disappointing.

Instructions for freezing:

1. First, wash and trim the pea pods.
2. Set out a large bowl with either ice water or really cold tap water. This will be used to stop the cooking process before freezing the peas. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Blanching no more than one pound of peas at a time, drop peas into boiling water and immediately cover with a tight fitting lid. Leave the peas in the boiling water for 2-3 minutes.
3. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the peas to the ice water bath and soak for approximately 5 minutes. If you are using tap water without ice, change the water several times to help cool the peas.
4. Remove from water and drain.
5. We use plastic quart freezer bags to store the peas. Fill the bag with peas and try to remove as much air as possible. Freeze for up to one year at 32°F or below.
6. Both the blanching water and the ice water bath can be reused as you work your way through your vegetables.
   

RECIPES:

One of our favorite recipes is one I discovered last year. In fact, it was chosen by Rebekah as her birthday meal which tells you how much it is liked around here. Give it a try – Magicland Farms Chicken and Snow Pea Skillet. Although the recipe calls for snow peas, sugar snap peas work just as well.

NUTRITIONAL VALUE:

• Green peas are very low in calories – only 41 calories per cup.
• Green peas are rich in dietary fiber.
• Green peas slow down the appearance of glucose in the blood and thus, help keep the energy levels steady.
• Peas are a  good source of protein, vitamin A, niacin, vitamin B-6, folate, phosphorus and copper.
• They are a very good source of vitamin C, vitamin K, thiamin and manganese.

Since we usually have our big meal at lunch time, dinner is often just a pizza or something lighter. But usually two or three times a week, we have what we like to refer to as dessert for dinner. Most members of the family have a sweet tooth so having dessert for dinner is not a problem for them. One of the recipes I like that is easy, and tasty as well, is a puff pancake. This recipe is versatile since I can use either apples or peaches (both of which we grow) to vary the taste of this recipe. Both the apple and peach version went over well with my taste testers. Despite the name pancake, it isn’t cooked like pancakes but, rather, is baked in the oven. The batter used for the recipe is very similar to a pancake recipe though.  

Puff Pancake Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cups milk
• 3 eggs
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 tbsp. sugar
• pinch of salt
• 1 apple or 2 peaches, peeled and thinly sliced
• 2 tbsp. butter

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place butter in 9″ pie pan and melt the butter in the oven. When butter is melted arrange fruit in the pan. Mix the remaining ingredients and carefully pour into the hot pan. Sprinkle with brown sugar and extra cinnamon if you desire. Bake for 15-20 minutes or till puffed and golden. The pancake does fall after it is removed from the oven. Serve with maple syrup if you like.

My notes:

• This recipe is designed for a 9″ pie plate. I cook in large quantities so I make it in a 13×9 pan. In that case, you simply need to double the recipe.
• We like lots of fruit in our desserts. As you can see, the original puff pancake recipe calls for a small amount of fruit (at least in our opinion). I added a lot more fruit when I made it and it was wonderful.

I apologize for my lack of postings lately but that doesn’t mean that things have been quiet around here. Over the last couple of weeks, we have been able to start planting at the farm. We  even put in some sweet corn, hoping that the warmer than normal weather will provide us with early sweet corn. Here is what has been happening at the farm.

• The orchard got pruned and the brush hauled away.
• The first planting of beets went in.
• Our garlic crop is about six inches tall and looking good.
• All of the broccoli (early, midseason and late) has been planted. Also we have planted most of the cabbage.
• The sugar snap peas have been planted.
• The high tunnel is in use with the first planting of tomatoes.
• Norland, Yukon Gold and Kennebec potatoes are in the ground.
• New strawberry plants were purchased. They are in the ground being grown on plastic.
• Our famous Newaygo Newaygo onions were transplanted in the field. Hopefully they will do well this year.

There is much more to  come and we will keep you posted as things happen around here. Also, I have been working on the blog behind the scenes and hope to start posting regularly next week.