Adapted Parkey Stew

Cabbage can be a bit of a struggle. Let's face it, when it shows up in the CSA box it's just not that exciting. Sadly, too often, it sits there in the fridge until it's too late.

I've been looking for some go-to recipes for cabbage so that we could use it and enjoy it when it's in the delivery. I know it's good for you and all that. So I've tried a few approaches to come up with something tasty for cabbage but nothing has done the trick for us yet.

Until...

A few months ago, I was paging through the Penzey's catalog (Winter 2012) and saw this recipe for Parkey Stew which was named after this person's grandfather. This recipe was for a cabbage stew that I knew I could adapt to our tastes and it might be that elusive go-to recipe for cabbage. I cut it out and added to my notebook of recipes to get to (most of which haven't been gotten to).

The basic idea is kielbasa and cabbage in a tomato and broth base. And it worked!

Below is just my starting point and my first adaptation of the original recipe.

Adapted Parkey Stew

Ingredients:

• Olive oil
• Carrots - 3 to 4, peeled, and quartered and chopped into fingers
• Garlic - 2 to 3 cloves, minced
• Broth - 16 oz. 
• Tomatoes - 1 15 oz. can crushed or diced tomatoes. Some brands have extra herbs and ingredients.
• Cabbage - 1 small to medium head of green cabbage
• Kielbasa - 2 Tofurky kielbasa sliced
• Herbs - Various - Use what you have - Tonight I used some Foxpoint Seasoning and some Mural of Flavor. Next time would add a few shakes of red pepper flakes.
• Salt - 1/2 teaspoon
• Pepper - 1/2 teaspoon
• Rice - 1-2 cups of cooked rice
• Parmesan cheese - grated as a garnish

OK, in the original recipe, there were 3 leeks which I skipped because I finally did a good job using them up in the last post. But know you can add them.

I also added the rice to the recipe because we had it as a leftover in the fridge. My wife suggested tossing it in. It was the perfect suggestion since the rice absorbs the flavors and makes it a more filling and satisfying dish.


Instructions:

• In a medium saucepan, heat olive oil and brown kielbasa slices and then remove
• Add sliced carrots (and leeks) and cook about 10 minutes stirring often
• Add the garlic and cook about 2 minutes
• Add broth, tomatoes, and cabbage to pot along with seasonings and herbs
• Bring to a mild boil and simmer for 20-30 minutes
• Add back the kielbasa as the recipe approaches completion
• Add cooked rice with the kielbasa (optional)
• When done, remove from heat and let cool a few minutes
• Top with grated cheese and some freshly grated black pepper

We decided that this was a keeper and it could evolve with time. I think having some strong but not overpowering herbs and spices can take this recipe to another level.

There's lots of room to be creative with this one.

Cabbage Soup

A head of cabbage in the box got me wondering how cabbage (along with corned beef) got so associated with Ireland. Seems that if you look online you will find that cabbage originated in either Asia, Britian, or the Mediterranean. Hmmm. Anyhow, it was a wild seaside plant that looked more like kale. Selective breeding led to the "head" of cabbage that we are familiar with today. The Celts brought cabbage to northern Europe and it did well in Ireland's cold climate. Its fast growing time (3 months) and nutrients made it an ideal dinner for poor, rural Irish farmers who boiled it along with onions for a simple stew.

In that spirit, I was able to use up a number of box items with this tasty soup which fed us for a few days.

Cabbage Soup

• 1 small onion, diced
• 1/2 head of cabbage, sliced thinly (I used the savoy cabbage from the box)
  
• 2 small leeks, cleaned and sliced
• 2 medium red potatoes, diced
• 2 carrots, peeled and sliced
  
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• butter and olive oil about 1 Tbsp. each
  
• big pinch of salt
• black pepper
• a few shakes of red pepper flakes
  
• 2 tbsp. thyme, chopped
• 4-5 cups of broth
  
• 1 can cannelli beans, rinsed
• shredded Parmesan cheese
  

Start by melting the butter in a large pot and add the olive oil when it's melted. Add the potatoes, salt, and pepper and stir to mix. Cover and simmer until they begin to soften and even brown a bit. Add leeks and onions and stir to mix. Mince the garlic into the mixture and toss in some red pepper flakes along with the thyme. Stir and let simmer until potatoes are cooked through. Add broth and beans and bring to a boil. Core the cabbage and slice into 1/4 inch ribbons. Add to soup as it begins to boil. Lower heat and let simmer until the cabbage has softened. Serve and top with grated Parmesan cheese. Have plenty of my favorite bread on the side: Semifreddi's seeded baguette. A salad of backyard romaine on the side made for a complete meal.

Day 2 leftovers: Saute up some Tofurky Italian sausage and add it to the soup.

Inspiration:
http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/rustic-cabbage-soup-recipe.html
http://csadelivery.blogspot.com/2010/01/cabbage-soup.html