Savoy Cabbage stars in our next batch of probiotic-rich kraut! #gardencuizine #stonesoupblog

    Savoy - Our next Batch of Kraut!

Savory cabbage stars in our next batch of probiotic-rich sauerkraut that is fermenting now. Did you see my social media posts of the most picture-perfect head of Savoy Cabbage? We bought it from our local farmers market. You can use any type of cabbage for homemade sauerkraut.

The Savoy cabbage was farm fresh, yet didn't yield as much brine as the regular head of fresh cabbage that we used in the last batch. I decided to add a little extra brine after 9-days of fermenting.

Making sauerkraut is fun and easy. I used one head of cabbage (Savoy this time), sliced it thin. In a large bowl, non-iodized sea salt was massaged into it: 1 tablespoon of course salt (not iodized) per 2 lbs. of sliced cabbage. 

I divided the cabbage mixture into two large glass mason jars, covered and set aside to ferment. Every day I open the lids to release any gases and poke down the kraut using tongs. With the lid on tight, sometimes turning the jar upside down to let any brine flow to the top so the top layer won't get moldy.

After 9-days the kraut seemed like it needed more brine. To reduce the amount of trapped air in the jars, I combined the two jars into one jar and pressed down the cabbage firmly. A small batch of additional brine was added. The brine still did not reach up to the top of the shredded cabbage; but, by the next day there was more brine! 

I learned from Holly Howe (see link below), who explains in her blog post, that brine level changes along with temperature in your kitchen. Perhaps our kitchen was a bit warmer. Plus the additional salt brine may have helped.

See below for my small batch brine recipe: note: this may or may not be a good idea! Some say that added brine could make the kraut mushy. I hope not. At the 21-day mark, I will add a comment on texture and flavor. - check back!

Recipe for 1/2 cup extra Sauerkraut Brine

1/2 tsp Non-iodized course sea salt

1/2 cup Chlorine free water (I used filtered tap water)

Related Links

Kraut in a Jar by book author Holly Howe

10 Delicious Kraut Additions

Blog post and photos Copyright (C)Wind. All rights reserved.

@JerseyFreshNJDA Vegetarian Stuffed Cabbage #GardenCuizine Low Sodium, Healthy Meal using fresh garden ingredients! @EatRight_NJ

low Sodium

Stuffed Cabbage

Vegetarian Stuffed Cabbage made from a beautiful head of Savoy Cabbage from Burlington County Ag Center's Farmers Market. Stuffed Cabbage makes a nutritious recipe for a large family or as meal prep for several meals for a household of one or two. 

The outer leaves were large and unblemished, which gave me the idea of using them for stuffed cabbage rolls. I plan to make more sauerkraut with the rest of the cabbage.

We used lentils vs ground beef for something different from traditional stuffed cabbage rolls with ground beef and rice. Harry picked up some red lentils vs green lentils, because that is all they had at the store. And, guess what? The red lentils worked out great and were delicious!

GardenCuizine Free style recipe - meaning use as much or little as you want of the ingredients!

Yields: At least 10-12 servings or more

Serving size: one roll

Ingredients                    

1 cup rice - (I used a rice blend from Rice Select "Royal Blend" - Texmati white rice, brown rice, red rice and wild rice)

Outer leaves from fresh head of cabbage

1 lb dry Red (or green) lentils cooked and strained - (I used Goya Lentejas Rojas and cooked the entire bag. We had leftover filling to use for fritters at other meals)

Onion, diced - I used half of a large onion (from the Farmer's Market)

1 jalapeno pepper, minced (from the garden!)

few thin sprigs celery with celery leaves chopped - (I used Tango celery from our garden)

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1 clove fresh garlic, minced

2 Tblsp olive oil

pinch salt and ground black pepper

Your favorite red sauce - we used a jar of Rao's

Grated Parmesan cheese for topping

Putting it all together

Cook the Rice

1) Cook the rice and set aside.

 Cook the Lentils

2) In a stock pot, saute the onion, peppers and celery in olive oil. Saute until onion is translucent; stir in the garlic and seasonings of your choice.

Add 4 cups water and lentils, salt and pepper and bring to boil, reduce heat. Cover and simmer 15-20 minutes or until lentils are cooked.

Combine

3) Stir in the rice blend with the cooked lentils and combine.

Set aside while you prepare the cabbage leaves

Prepare the Cabbage Leaves

4) Boil a large pot of water

Rinse off your selected cabbage leaves then add to boiling water; boil a few minutes to soften. Remove and place in a large baking dish to drip off and cool.

Use a paring knife to trim out the thick stem from the edge.

Stuff and Roll the Cabbage

5) Using an ice cream scoop, scoop a portion of your filling onto a cabbage leaf. Fold up the sides and roll burrito style.

Place into baking dishes with a layer of red sauce on the bottom.

Repeat for how ever many Cabbage Rolls you want to make.

Top with more red sauce and a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese

Cover and keep in refrigerator or freezor until ready to cook.

Cook and serve!

When ready to cook, add a small amount of water, cover and bake in 350 deg oven until heated through and bubbling.

Serve with a side of chopped ripe and juicy heirloom Jersey tomatoes!

Enjoy!

Blog post and photos Copyright(C) Wind. All rights reserved.

Jersey Fresh @BurlCoNJ Cabbage and Radish for homemade Sauerkraut #gardencuizine #probiotics @eatright

Homemade Sauerkraut with Radish 

We stopped by our local farmers market at Burlington County Ag Center yesterday. In addition to Jersey corn and fresh peaches and cherries, we picked up a whole head of cabbage and a bunch of spicy red radish to make homemade sauerkraut. 

I used the same recipe that was already posted here on GardenCuizine.com, but I will mention it again since it is so quick and easy.

You will need 1 head of cabbage. The first time I made sauerkraut, I used a supermarket cabbage. It was good; but, this time I'm using an even fresher head of cabbage from our local farmer's market. I can already see a difference in the amount of brine. Fresh picked cabbage has more water. 

Rinse and peel off any damaged leaves. Slice in half. Remove the core. Slice ribbons similar to coleslaw and put in a large bowl. I used a large stainless steel bowl and had it on a digital scale so I could weigh the cabbage. Our sliced cabbage weighed almost 4 lbs. Note: don't forget to tare the bowl on the scale first so you don't count the weight of the bowl.

We also added a small bunch of spicy red radish. Rinse and slice and add to the cabbage.

Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of course salt (not iodized) per 2 lbs. of sliced cabbage. I used just under 2 tablespoons since the weight was just under 4 lbs. Massage the salt into the veggies. I wore food safe plastic gloves.

Place the prepared veggies loosely into your desired mason jars or crock. Tamp down with a wooden spoon and cover the jars. Brine will increase over time. 

I debated on what to use to cover the jars. What do you use to cover your jars? I decided to use a paper towel under the screw caps. That way any natural gases that occur in the fermenting process can escape. 

I still may end up covering the jars with the metal lids so the brine does not evaporate. The gases can still be released when I open the jar daily to tamp the cabbage down beneath the brine.

Photos Copyright (C)Wind. All rights reserved.

Nutrition Data - #Cabbage #GardenCuizine #NNM #NationalNutritionMonth @eatright @kidseatright

Nutrition Data - Cabbage

All your food and beverage choices matter! Go further with your food selections by eating foods that are nutrient-dense. Nutrient-dense foods provide superb nutrition. Eating a healthy diet helps maintain a healthy body weight and reduces the risk of chronic diseases. 

According to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, vegetable consumption is lowest among boys ages 9 to 13 years and girls ages 14 to 18 years. But, in all ages vegetable consumption is below recommendations. Vegetables contain many important nutrients. Cabbage provides many nutrients, including:  

• Vitamin C for a healthy immune system. 
• Folate, which is especially important during pregnancy to prevent birth defects. 
• And, plant sterols that help keep cholesterol within normal limits.

Pediatricians are referring more and more children to dietitians because of abnormal lipids (fats) in the body. Common causes are either genetics, or even more often obesity - more than any other risk factor.*

Many adults and kids are deficient in adequate dietary fiber from plant foods. Dietary fiber is a nutrient to get more of. Soluble fiber in particular, has been shown to lower bad (LDL) cholesterol. Cabbage provides both soluble and insoluble dietary fiber and can easily be added to foods and snacks that your family will enjoy.

Check out my recipe for homemade sauerkraut (link below). What kind of cabbage is your favorite? What are your favorite ways to serve cabbage? 

GardenCuizine Nutrition Data Cabbage: 1 cup chopped (89 grams) - 22 calories, 0g fat, 2.2g dietary Fiber (9% DV), 33 mg Vitamin C (54% DV, WOW!), 68 mcg Vitamin K (86% DV), 38 mcg Folate (10% DV), 10 mg beneficial plant sterols

Excellent Source: Vitamin C, Vitamin K
Good Source:  Folate

*Reference:
EXPERT PANEL ON INTEGRATED GUIDELINES FOR CARDIOVASCULAR HEALTH AND RISK REDUCTION IN CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS 
Related Links 
What states grow the most Cabbage?
National Nutrition Month® St. Patrick's Day Party! 
Phyto (plant) sterols
Homemade Sauerkraut with probiotics! 
10 Ways to Cook Cabbage
Blog Post Copyright (C)Wind. All rights reserved. Go Further with Food logo used with permission.

Celebrate Cabbage Today! #GardenCuizine #NationalNutritionMonth #StPatricksDay

Celebrate Cabbage Today

No matter how you eat cabbage, raw or cooked, it is low in calories and a good source beneficial plant sterols, dietary Fiber and an excellent source of Vitamin C! 

Happy St. Patty’s Day! 

Eat something green today. Cabbage anyone?

• Coleslaw
• Boiled Cabbage
• Corned Beef and Cabbage
• Cabbage Chips
• Grilled Cabbage
• Kimchi-style Sautéed Cabbage
• Cabbage Soup
• Sauerkraut
• Borscht
• Cabbage with Apples
• Cabbage and Chickpeas with Mustard Seeds and Yogurt
  

… and many more! What’s your favorite recipe with cabbage?
GardenCuizine Nutrition Data Cabbage  
Raw: 100g (almost 1cup) = 25 calories, 0g total fat, Vitamin C 37mg (61% DV WOW!), Dietary Fiber 3g (10% DV), Folate 43 mcg (11% DV), Plant Sterols 11mg

Cooked, boiled: 100g = 23 calories, 0g total fat, Vitamin C 37.5 mg (62% DV WOW!), Dietary Fiber 2g (8% DV), Plant Sterols 10mg
Blog post Copyright (C)Wind. All rights reserved.