Colour for the Season

Now that the wind is blowing and the landscape has muted, we could probably all use some colour in our little worlds of eating. Things like red cabbage, raddichio, green pumpkin seeds and carrots all blend together to create a mosaic of lunchtime POW. Chop finely. Drizzle with a light oil, sprinkle with red vinegar, add salt and any spicy herb you might like (fresh thyme, chopped coriander, fresh tarragon if you can find it or just lots of chopped parsley for bite) and toss until everything is wet and let sit. Cabbage loses its sting when it is allowed to absorb some dressing into its tough exterior.

Even though the days are getting cooler and for the most part I crave warmth I still like a little ZING in my day. Thai food and Indian food are perfect for me in this weather because they provide warmth, flavour and those saucy ZAPS of chutney or spicy sides to make a meal both sweet and sour. Because I'm a sweet AND sour girl after all...

Comments

[Mats]

Again, like the "lowly lima", cabbage deserves a much better reputation than it has. As a child, I had something called "cabbage soup" in which white cabbage ws boiled in a weak stock for at least an hour. This brings out the very worst of that chemical brassica taste/smell. Why was this done? Beats me. Raw, braised, stir-fried - cabbage is great. There is no need to stick only with white, red, and Savoy - there is a slew of Asian cabbages as well that taste wonderful.