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Producing white leaves at the bottom and pale green leaves at the top, attractive napa cabbage leaves are somewhat crinkly. Delicately flavored compared to common cabbage, napa is deliciously juicy, crisp, sweet and mild. A very versatile vegetable, this type of cabbage is especially appreciated by gourmet and health-conscious chefs. 

A must cabbage for salads and slaws. Steam, stuff, stir-fry, microwave, sauté or braise. Season with curry powder, dill seed, dill weed, mustard or caraway seeds. Pair with pasta, roasts and chicken. Add to soups and stews. Its mild taste is perfect for relish. Use in any recipe that calls for common cabbage. 

Storage Tips

To store, refrigerate in plastic perforated bag. Do not wash until ready to use. Do not remove all of the outer tough leaves before storage. They will help retain moisture, keeping the inside crisp and fresh. Keep Chinese cabbage in the hydrator drawer of the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

Nutrition

Nutritionally richer than regular cabbage, napa is higher in calcium and vitamin A. All cabbages offer vitamin C, potassium, folacin and dietary fiber.

Kim Chi

2 lbs of Chinese Cabbage

salt

6 scallions, white and green parts thinly sliced

4 garlic cloves, crushed and finely chopped

2 tbsp finely chopped fresh ginger

1 tbsp Korean chili powder, or cayenne pepper mixed with paprika

1 tsp sugar

1. Quarter the cabbage lengthways, then cut each quarter width-ways into approximately 2-inch pieces.

2. Pour 6 1/4 cups water into a large bowl and stir in 3 tbsp salt until dissolved. Add the cabbage and weight down with a plate to keep the pieces submerged.

3. Cover and leave for 12 hours, stirring the cabbage occasionally. Using a slotted spoon, remove the cabbage from the bowl, and reserve the salted water.

4. Mix the cabbage with the remaining ingredients and 1 tsp salt. Pack into clean, dry 2-quart jars. Pour in enough of the reserved salted water to cover the cabbage. Leave a space of 1 inch at the top of the jar. Cover the jar loosely with a non-metallic lid and leave for 3-6 days until the pickle has become sour enough for your taste. Cover tightly and keep in a cold, dark place. It will keep in these conditions for up to 1 year.

Brookfieldfarm.org

Classic Beef (or chicken)-Veggie Stir-Fry

FOR MARINADE:
1 ½ tbsp. soy sauce
2 tsp. cornstarch
1 tbsp. pale dry sherry (or any dry white wine will do)
1 tbsp. sesame oil
2 shakes black pepper
1 tsp. ginger root (or ½ tsp. ground ginger)
1 clove garlic, crushed
salt to taste

FOR GLAZE:
1 tsp. cornstarch
2 tsp. soy sauce
1/3 C water

FOR STIR-FRY:
½ lb. beef - top round steak - or chicken (I find boneless breast works best)
Peanut oil
1 can of sliced water chestnuts
Cut up 3-4 peppers and 1 large onion (Okay, so this is where I digressed.  I cut up a mess o' chard, 1 ½ bulbs of green garlic, and one LEF onion, plus I chopped up the Napa cabbage. I suspect one can use any combo of veggies that are even remotely reminiscent of Asia. :-))

DIRECTIONS:
Combine all of the marinade ingredients.  Cut the meat (whatever you're using) into bite-size pieces, and place it and the marinade in a small bowl and cover it (Tupperware works great for this part).  Marinate at least a half hour. (I like to do this in the morning and have it ready for dinnertime. The flavors are amazing.)

Heat some peanut oil in a large non-stick skillet or wok.  When the oil is hot, add meat and marinade and stir-fry until the meat is no longer pink. Remove the meat from the pan and set aside, leaving drippings in pan. Add a bit more oil to the pan, then add the veggies in the order in which it will take them to cook evenly.  Tonight, I started with the green garlic and onion, then added the cabbage, and the chard went in last.  Stir-fry until they're all done.  (If you need to add a bit of water to help the veggies steam, by all means do so.)

While the veggies are cooking, combine the glaze ingredients and set aside.

When the veggies are done to your liking, add the meat back to the pan to heat it back up. Pour the glaze into the pan and stir until the glaze glazes - about a minute or two.

Serve over rice or Asian noodles.

This serves two or three people, depending on how hungry they are. The marinade and glaze recipes easily double.

Live Earth Farm

Chinese Cabbage Salad

1 head Chinese Cabbage
2 carrots
1 bunch scallions
1 cucumber
Pinch mint, ginger and basil to taste
Peanut dressing or sauce
½ cup roasted peanuts for garnish

1. Quarter the cabbage, and slice thinly crosswise
2. Slice carrots diagonally (or shred)
3. Slice scallions into long thin pieces
4. Heat the dressing until aromas are released and then immediately toss all ingredients together.
Kris Larson, April 2008
 

Cabbage Casserole

1 medium head cabbage, shredded
1 lb. ground beef
1 can tomato soup
1 can water
½ cup chopped onion
1/3 cup green pepper
½ cup uncooked rice
½ cup grated cheddar cheese

Brown beef, onion and green pepper.  Drain.  Put cabbage in 9 x 13 inch casserole. Add rice to meat.  Pour over cabbage.  Mix water and tomato soup; pour over cabbage and beef. Add cheddar cheese.  Cover with foil. Bake 1 hour at 350 degrees.

Cabbage Hamburger Casserole

2 heads cabbage
3 lbs. ground beef
1 green pepper, cut up
2 onions, chopped
1 large can tomato juice

Fry hamburger and drain grease.  Cook cabbage (cut into quarters), onion, green peppers and tomato juice in pan and cook down, then add hamburger and cook until cabbage is tender.

Cabbage Rolls

1 large head green cabbage or Chinese cabbage
2 medium onion
2 tsp. Olive oil
3-½ c chopped mushrooms
1 c grated carrot
6 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
¼ tsp. dried thyme
½ tsp. dried dill
¼ c minced fresh parsley
1 tbs. fresh lemon juice
2-tbs. soy sauce
1-tbs. miso or sun-dried tomato paste
12 oz cake tofu, pressed & mashed
1 c tomato juice

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Core the cabbage and finely chop the onions.  Carefully plunge the cabbage into the boiling water, cover, and cook for about 8 minutes or until the leaves pull away easily from the head.  Set aside 12 leaves to cool while preparing the filling.

In a large skillet, sauté the onions in the oil for about 10 minutes, until translucent. Add the mushrooms, carrots, and garlic and cook, stirring often, for 3 minutes.  Stir in the thyme, dill, and parsley and continue to cook until the mushrooms become soft and juicy.  Add the lemon juice, soy sauce, miso, and mashed tofu and mix well. When the tofu is heated through, remove from the heat and set aside.

Preheat oven to 350.

Assemble the rolls.  Put about ½ cup of filling at the broad end of each cabbage leaf, fold the side edges toward the center over the filling, and then roll up lengthwise. Place the rolls, seam side down, in an unoiled 9 X 12-inch baking pan and pour the tomato juice over them.  Cover the pan tightly with foil and bake for 40 minutes or until hot and steaming.

Savoy Cabbage Salad

Savoy and napa cabbage have a lighter taste and texture than green cabbage. They offer a delightful change from the traditional cabbage salad.

8 cups thinly sliced Savoy or napa (Chinese) cabbage
1/3 cup sliced pitted kalamata olives
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper

INSTRUCTIONS:
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Combine the first 3 ingredients in a bowl. Drizzle with oil and juice, and toss. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, and toss well.

NUTRITIONAL INFO:
calories: 41 carbohydrates: 4.9 g cholesterol: 0 mg fat: 2.4 g sodium: 103 mg protein: 1.5 g calcium: 30 mg iron: 0.5 mg fiber: 0.7 g

YIELD: 8 servings (serving size: 1 cup)

Oriental Salad

1/3 cup rice or cider vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
2-1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons hney
2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon butter or stick margarine
1/4 cup slivered almonds, toasted
2 tablespoons sunflower seed kernels
2 (5-ounce) packages Japanese curly noodles (chuka soba), crumbled
8 cups shredded napa (Chinese) cabbage
2 cups shredded carrot
1 cup thinly sliced green onions

INSTRUCTIONS:
Combine first 5 ingredients in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Spoon mixture into a bowl; cover and chill.

Melt butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add almonds, sunflower kernels, and noodles; cook 3 minutes or until lightly toasted, tossing occasionally. Spoon mixture into a large bowl; cover and chill. Add vinegar mixture to noodle mixture; let stand 15 minutes. Add cabbage, carrot, and onions, tossing to coat.

NUTRITIONAL INFO:
calories: 183 carbohydrates: 29 g cholesterol: 3 mg fat: 6.1 g sodium: 259 mg protein: 4.4 g calcium: 68 mg iron: 1.1 mg fiber: 2 g

YIELD: 12 servings (serving size: 3/4 cup)

Thai Chicken Roll-Ups

These roll-ups are great for picnics, but remember to keep them properly cooled. Include a blue chill pack in your basket to keep the filling at a safe temperature.

2 tablespoons lime juice
2 tablespoons light mayonnaise
1 tablespoon reduced-fat peanut butter
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 garlic clove, crushed
4 (10-inch) flour tortillas
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
4 large napa (Chinese) cabbage leaves
6 ounces thinly sliced deli-roasted chicken or turkey breast
1 cup red bell pepper strips

INSTRUCTIONS:
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Combine first 6 ingredients in a bowl; stir well with a whisk.

Spread each tortilla with 1 tablespoon mayonnaise mixture. Top each tortilla with 2 tablespoons basil, 1 cabbage leaf, one-fourth of chicken, and 1/4 cup bell pepper, and roll up. Wrap in plastic wrap; chill.

NUTRITIONAL INFO:
calories: 319 carbohydrates: 39.8 g cholesterol: 2 mg fat: 10.3 g sodium: 763 mg protein: 15.9 g calcium: 98 mg iron: 2.8 mg fiber: 2.4 g

YIELD: 4 servings

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