In the vegetable world, cabbage rules March
In the vegetable world, cabbage rules March.
While the tradition of consuming corned beef and cabbage on St. Patrick's Day started in America and not on the saint's home turf, we have embraced it nonetheless, so much so that cabbage consumption peaks in March.
That's right. Even though 45 percent of the annual cabbage crop goes into summer picnic coleslaw, the Agriculture Marketing Resource Center reports that demand for the cruciferous vegetable builds through February and tops out in March.
That doesn't shock Chris Burrell, chef at Durty Nellie's in Palatine. He estimates he and his staff will core, shred and cook more than 500 pounds of cabbage during the pub's St. Patrick's Day celebrations.
"Last year I had 200 pounds. It ended up being our busiest day ever and we were caught off guard. We weren't prepared for it and ran out (of cabbage) late in the evening," Burrell said. "That won't happen this year."
Burrell serves a classic boiled cabbage on the corned beef platter, but created a baked dish that allows the vegetable to step out of the meat's spotlight.
His cabbage gratin, made with smoked bacon and Gruyere cheese, Burrell says, can be a side dish or an appetizer, something akin to a cheesy artichoke or spinach dip.
"I wanted something a little out of the ordinary, but still simple," Burrell said. "This is simple pub food."
Whether you eat it in a casserole or in a salad, you should be eating cabbage - and not just today.
Cabbage is high in vitamin C and fiber, and rich in phytochemicals, substances credited with protecting against cancer, writes Elmhurst dietitian David Grotto in his 2009 book "101 Foods That Could Save Your Life."
Ancient Greeks, Romans and Egyptians revered cabbage for its medicinal properties, crediting it with warding off hangovers, relieving inflammation and curing a host of illnesses.
When buying cabbage, Grotto says you could look for large, compact heads without discolored veins. The cut end should not look dry or split. Store whole cabbage heads in a plastic bag in the refrigerator; once cut use within two days.
Of course cabbage isn't a distinctly Irish crop. Burrell grew up eating cabbage, especially sweet and sour red cabbage, in his German-Bulgarian household.
Cabbage has been a domesticated crop for more than 2,500 years, Grotto writes, and made its way to Europe from Asia via Hun and Mongol warriors. It quickly became a staple in German, Polish and Russian cultures.
Today, there are more some 400 varieties of cabbage, but you're most likely to find Danish Ballhead and Savoy (with more crinkly leaves).
<div class="infoBox">
<h1>Recipes</h1>
<div class="infoBoxContent">
<div class="infoArea">
</div>
<div class="recipeLink">
<ul class="moreLinks">
<li><a href="/story/?id=366002" class="mediaItem">Irish Farmhouse Soup </a></li>
<li><a href="/story/?id=366011" class="mediaItem">New Age Reuben</a></li>
<li><a href="/story/?id=366012" class="mediaItem">Spicy Chopped Napa Pastrami-Cheese Salad</a></li>
<li><a href="/story/?id=366013" class="mediaItem">Cabbage Gratin</a></li>
<li><a href="/story/?id=366014" class="mediaItem">Asian Cabbage Scramble</a></li>
</ul>
</div>
</div>
</div>