Getting Familiar with Red Cabbage

We all have a set of foods that we typically eat. If we really counted the number of foods we had on a regular basis, it probably wouldn’t vary a great deal. By joining a CSA, it has forced me to get more familiar with vegetables outside of my typical wheelhouse. Cabbage is one of those vegetables that I’m still working on. I like it, but don’t really have much experience cooking with it. I know you can make coleslaw with it, but what else? I had received a head of red cabbage and I wanted to do something different with it.

After perusing recipes I found one from Martha Stewart that had good feedback and sounded delicious. It was for Braised Red Cabbage with Apple and Onion. It was pretty simple to pull together and it seemed quite forgiving to my relatively little experience with the vegetable, which I appreciate in a recipe.

The flavors really compliment each other. You get a bit of sweetness from the apple and onion and a bit of sour from the cabbage and cider vinegar. It would make for a great side dish to roasted pork or chicken.

Cabbage is an inexpensive cruciferous vegetable, making it budget friendly and super healthy. It provides vitamin A and is an excellent source of vitmamin C. Red cabbage also contains healthy compounds called, anthocyanins. These compounds are also responsible for giving fruits and vegetables their blue, purple or red coloring. Interestingly enough, there is evidence that these anthocyanins may provide protection against cancer, improve brain function and promote heart health.

Sources: When it Comes to Red Cabbage, More is Better. Agriculture Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture
Harvest of the Month by Network for a Healthy California