I found this recipe last year and it has remained a favorite. In the New York Times version, the writer uses savoy cabbage, black mustard seeds, curry leaves and jalapeno peppers. I made a few minor changes to my ingredient list to include items in this week's CSA box. I used brown mustard seeds that I found at Greenlife, instead of the black, and did not make an extra shopping trip to find curry leaves. The final product was nonetheless amazingly tasty. I recently served this with seared three-grain tempeh and it was a near-perfect flavor combination, but it is also fantastic with grilled meats, and wild rice.
Ingredients: 1 head of green or purple cabbage Canola oil 4 whole cloves 1 Tbs brown mustard seeds 1 bay leaf 3-4 sliced shallots 3-4 garlic cloves, chopped 2 banana peppers, quartered and sliced A 2-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and julienned 1/2 Tbsp ground turmeric 1 medium to large tomato, diced 1 Rapunzel vegetable bouillon cube, dissolved in 2 cups of water Sea salt to taste
Method: Cut the cabbage into 8 wedges, leaving the core intact so the wedges hold their shape while cooking. Heat some oil in a large skillet and sear the cabbage wedges for about 5 minutes on each side, or until they brown on the cut sides. Remove from the pan and set aside on a plate. Add a little more oil and the cloves, mustard seeds, bay leaf, shallots, garlic and banana peppers to the pan. Saute for a couple of minutes until the vegetables begin to sweat. Add the diced tomato, turmeric, ginger and cook one minute more while stirring. Add the vegetable broth, stir, and reduce heat to low. Place the cabbage wedges back in the pan on top of the broth mixture. Cover and simmer until the cabbage is tender.