By Emilie Dingfeld

Cabbage ranges from tightly packed red, green and white to loose-leaf Chinese cabbage (often referred to as bok choy). The Savoy cabbage – a chef’s favourite because of its tender leaves and its mild flavour – is a round, loose-leaf type that has heavily veined leaves of various shades of green. Most cabbages are available all year long, with the exception of Savoy, which is most widely available in the fall.

The Flavour
Cabbage’s flavours vary from bitter, red cabbage to the sweet and mild Chinese or Savoy. But even a mild cabbage can make a stink – it’s caused by sulphur compounds that are released into the air during cooking.

Cabbage Goes Well With...
Apples; butter; caraway seeds; nutmeg; walnuts; white beans; carrots; onions; potatoes; rice; sausage; corned beef; duck; pork; bacon; salmon; anchovies; veal; smoked meats; mayonnaise; sour cream; vinegar; olive oil; garlic.

Buying & Storing Tips
Cabbage heads should be tightly packed (for those in the tightly packed category) and feel relatively heavy in comparison to their size. For Savoy and green cabbages, choose ones that have bright, dark-green, crisp leaves. Don’t buy cabbage that have split or dry cores, and avoid those with holes in their outer layers. Most cabbages can be kept in the vegetable crisper, wrapped in plastic, for up to a week. Loose-leaf cabbage can only be kept for up to three days in the fridge.

Preparing & Using Cabbage
Cabbage can be eaten raw or cooked. When using it raw in salads, you can either shred or simply chop into chunks. One small or medium cabbage can feed up to four people. To prepare cabbage, trim off the stem and cut out the core. Then, cut the cabbage into wedges and wash the leaves. Rinse them with cold water, and pat dry. Cooking cabbage is easy – just boil, steam, braise or stir-fry. Cabbage is also delicious when stuffed with meat, rice or vegetables.

Nutritional Info
Cabbage is known for its cancer-preventing properties and contains vitamin C; vitamin K; beta carotene; calcium; iron; magnesium; phosphorous; potassium and folate.

Next week in Market to Table: Apples

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