Don’t be Average, Eat your Cabbage
Don’t be Average, Eat your Cabbage
Cabbage is from the genus of plants called Brassica also known as cruciferous vegetables and is a humble vegetable that oftentimes gets overlooked despite the fact that it is a main ingredient in staple foods such as sauerkraut, Cole slaw and kimchi . It’s a cold weather veggie with many varieties including; red & green,… Read More »
Cabbage is from the genus of plants called Brassica also known as cruciferous vegetables and is a humble vegetable that oftentimes gets overlooked despite the fact that it is a main ingredient in staple foods such as sauerkraut, Cole slaw and kimchi . It’s a cold weather veggie with many varieties including; red & green, savory & Napa as well as Brussel sprouts and Bok choy. Part of the mustard family, cabbage has many unlikely cousins including arugula, broccoli, cauliflower, kale & radishes. Cabbage is also a “Cole” crop vegetable and many mistake the word “Cole” for “cold” as this family of crops prefer colder temps, however, “Cole” is actually the Latin root referring to “stem”.
Preferring colder temperatures we plant our varieties of cabbage in late April in nutrient rich soil utilizing crop succession planting along with crop rotation as a natural pest deterrent and to ensure longevity of the crop. Crop succession is the practice of seeding crops at intervals to maintain a consistent supply of produce throughout the season, whereas; crop rotation is a sustainable practice of rotating crops to reduce erosion while increasing nutrients and soil health. We begin planting cabbage two general times a year on our farm, first in April for a spring harvest, then planting again in mid summer for a fall harvest. We grow several varieties of cabbage on our farm that are sold directly at our farm store, farm stands in Mendham & Bridgewater, provided in our Community Supported Agriculture weekly produce boxes as well as have it available at our multitude of farmers markets throughout New Jersey.
Did you know? Cabbage is packed with healthy vitamins, minerals, antioxidants & polyphenols it is also a great source of Vitamins C, K, B6 & folate. Cabbage has been around for thousands of years used for cooking, for home health remedies as well as used as a natural dye for clothing or food. Try making your own Easter egg dye using red cabbage! There are several of the cabbage cousins that we are harvesting right now and cabbage gets lots of attention on St. Patrick’s Day makes it the perfect time to highlight in our blog and provide you with lots of
fun recipes to enjoy the good for you Cabbage!
Try these delicious recipes prepared by our own Culinary & Education Specialist, Miss Jenn for corned beef and cabbage here or try this recipe featuring cabbage and kielbasa by clicking here.
