Seasonal pantry: Conical cabbage tasty raw or cooked

Have you noticed the conical shaped cabbage available at some of our farmers markets? Ma & Pa’s Garden of Sebastopol has been growing it for the past two years and can barely keep up with the demand. However much owner Cliff Silva brings to the markets, he sells out quickly, often within the market’s first hour.

Silva’s cabbage is so crisp that it yields instantly to a knife, splitting open almost of its own effort. It makes outstanding coleslaw and is delicious sautéed and seasoned with nothing more than salt and pepper.

There are a few varieties of conical shaped cabbage, one of them called Conehead, which has to make you smile. But this cabbage has more than just a whimsical appearance. It has a light, sweet flavor and delicate texture. Even people who don’t think they care much for cabbage seem to warm to it.

You can enjoy it raw, as a wrap for dishes such as Thai laab (also known as larb), a warm salad of ground meat, herbs and spices; and picadillo. It also can be used in place of lettuce on sandwiches.

For more cabbage recipes from the Seasonal Pantry archives, visit “Eat This Now” at pantry.blogs.pressdemocrat.com.

Sautéed cabbage isn’t a particularly sexy dish and likely won’t win many accolades, but it is quite delicious, especially when made with great cabbage. Caraway seed is a common companion to cabbage, but use it only if you like it and if it will resonate well with other foods being served at the same time, as it can be overpowering.

Simple Sautéed Cabbage

Serves 4 to 6

3 tablespoons, approximately, olive oil, butter, or lard

1 small cabbage, trimmed, cored, and thinly sliced

- Kosher salt

- Black pepper in a mill

1/2 teaspoon caraway seed, optional

Set a large sauté pan over medium heat, add the fat, and when it is hot, add the cabbage. Use tongs or a long metal spatula to turn the cabbage to coat it with the fat. Reduce the heat to low and cook, turning now and then, until the cabbage is completely wilted and tender. Do not let it brown.

Season with salt, pepper, and caraway seed, if using.

Remove from the heat and serve as a side dish or as a bed for roasted meat, roasted poultry, sausages, or meatballs.

This is one of those dishes that is greater than the sum of its ingredients. It is irresistibly delicious and also easy to make, especially if you have homemade chicken stock on hand.

Potato, Bacon ?& Cabbage Soup

Makes 6 to 8 servings

- Olive oil

1 yellow onion, peeled and chopped

- Kosher salt

6 ounces, approximately, bacon in one piece, cubed

2 -2½ pounds potatoes, washed and sliced

2-4 cups homemade chicken stock

1/2 small green cabbage, cored and cut into thin slices

- Black pepper in a mill

- Hawaiian Chile Water, Tapatio, Tabasco or other hot sauce

Pour enough olive oil into a large soup pot to cover the bottom of the pan with a thin layer. Set over medium heat, add the onion and sauté until soft and fragrant, about 12 minutes; do not let the onion brown. Season lightly with salt.

Add the bacon and potatoes, along with the chicken stock and enough water to cover the potatoes by 1 to 2 inches. Simmer gently until the potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes or a bit longer depending on the size of the slices.

Add the sliced cabbage, stir and cook until it is just tender, about 10 minutes.

Taste, correct for salt and season with several turns of black pepper.

At this point, either leave the soup chunky or purée a portion of it using an immersion blender.

Ladle into soup bowls and serve with one of the condiments alongside.

This simple salsa is delicious with any type of roast pork, including Hawaiian Kalua pig, traditionally served with sautéed cabbage. It is also excellent with fish, carnitas and sweet potato tacos; bean and cheese burritos and grilled chicken. Spoon it over beans, beans and rice, and bean soups.

Cabbage Salsa

Makes about 2 cups

2 cups (about 1/2 small conical cabbage, or ?8 ounces) very thinly sliced cabbage

6 scallions, white and pale green parts only, cut into very thin rounds

1 serrano or jalapeño, minced

- Juice of 2 limes, plus more as needed.

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

- Kosher salt

- Black pepper in a mill

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves

In a medium bowl, toss together the cabbage, scallions, and serrano or jalapeño. Pour the lime juice, vinegar, and olive oil over the vegetables, toss gently but thoroughly. Season with salt and pepper, add the cilantro, and toss again. Taste and correct for acid.

Let sit at room temperature for 1 hour before serving.

This dish is inspired by the old chuck wagons that fed cowboys. It is meant to be served alongside roasted meats.

Grilled Cabbage Wedges

Serves 6

1 tablespoon kosher salt, plus more to taste

1 medium cabbage, trimmed

- Olive oil

- Black pepper in a mill

1 lemon, halved

1 tablespoon honey, warm

3-4 bacon slices, fried until crisp and drained

Prepare a fire in an outdoor grill.

Fill a large saucepan half full with water, add 1 tablespoon kosher salt and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium low.

Cut the cabbage in half, cutting from top to bottom. Cut out the core and cut each half into three wedges.

Carefully add the wedges to the simmering water. Cover and cook 7 to 8 minutes, until the cabbage just begins to soften.

Transfer the wedges to absorbent paper, using tongs to help keep each wedge intact.

Brush each cabbage wedge with olive oil.

Arrange the cabbage, cut-side down, on the grill rack. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Turn and cook 3 to 4 minutes more, until the wedges are tender when pierced with a bamboo skewer.

Transfer to a serving platter and season with salt and pepper. Squeeze lemon juice over the cabbage, drizzle the honey over it and scatter the bacon on top. Enjoy right away.

Variation: Omit the honey and bacon. Serve with Italian-style salsa verde, Moroccan chermoula, fresh corn salsa or honey-pepper vinaigrette.

Michele Anna Jordan is author of the new “Good Cook’s” series. Email her at michele@micheleannajordan.com and visit her blog at pantry.blogs.pressdemocrat.com.