You can count on cabbage all year long

Cabbage is the one leafy vegetable you can count on this time of year. Harvested all summer long until the first frost, our local cabbage stores beautifully right up until spring, long after most greens have disappeared from our markets.

It's one of the most versatile vegetables — and it's also one of the oldest. Culinary historians track the original cabbages to China and records show it's been cultivated in Europe since the time of the Celts.

This vigorous cold-weather vegetable flourishes in our region, and this year's harvest was abundant. Cabbage is packed with nutrients (vitamins K and C), is high in fiber, very low in calories, mildly sweet and crunchy.

But those huge heads can be daunting. The average green cabbage weighs in at about 2 to 3 pounds and is about the size of a bowling ball — enough to yield 10 or more cups of shredded cabbage or about 6 to 7 cups cooked. An unwashed, firm, compact cabbage will keep about 2 months wrapped in a damp paper towel in the refrigerator. They can also be quartered, then stored in a perforated plastic bag in the crisper for about 2 weeks. When ready to use, simply peel away and discard any outer leaves that have dried out or are wilted and limp.

Cabbage is a patient vegetable that can do just about anything you ask of it. Roast it in a hot oven, sauté it in a skillet on the stovetop, toss it on the grill, steam it in bamboo, simmer it in a soup, ferment it into kimchi or sauerkraut, shred and toss it with a bold vinaigrette. Its mild flavor takes nicely to fiery spices, creamy sauces, aged cheese, vinegar, mustard, horseradish, soy and citrus. In short, there's a whole lot more to cabbage than slaw.

The only trick in cooking cabbage is to NOT overcook. That's when it becomes mushy and develops a strong odor and taste. Cabbage varieties are similar in texture and flavor and are relatively interchangeable but with subtle differences.

Red cabbage is coarser than its cousins and tends to turn blue when cooked unless treated with acid first. When sautéing or stir-frying red cabbage, toss it with vinegar or citrus before introducing heat.

Napa cabbage is an Asian variety with light, crinkly leaves. It's not as dense as the others and is very tender — it's great in stir-fries.

Oxheart or sweetheart cabbage is an heirloom, conical in shape and harvested early in the season. These are usually gone from our markets by the holidays.

Bok choy, or Chinese white cabbage, with its bright green leaves and crisp stems, is a staple in Asian dishes, perfect in stir-fries.

Brussels sprouts look like baby cabbages, but they're not. They are members of the cabbage family and they make a bright green addition to any cabbage combination.

This time of year, cabbage plays a starring role in St. Patrick Day dishes, especially when paired with corned beef and potatoes. But there's a whole lot more that this noble vegetable can do.

Note: This simple skillet dinner makes a terrific St. Patrick's Day meal with way less fuss. The roasted kumquats add color and tang, but feel free to leave them out. Serve this with parsley potatoes and a thick slice of Irish soda bread. From Beth Dooley.

• 12 kumquats, cut in half, seeds removed

• 2 tbsp. unsalted butter

• 1 small head cabbage, about 1 to 1 1/4 lb., cored and thinly sliced

• 4 to 6 large Brussels sprouts, trimmed and sliced

• Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper

• 1 to 1 1/2 lb. cooked corned beef, cut into 1-in. pieces

• 1/2 c. beer or stock

• 2 to 3 tbsp. coarse mustard, or to taste

• Chopped parsley for garnish

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Arrange the kumquats on a baking sheet, cut side up, and roast until they begin to shrivel and char slightly, about 10 minutes. Remove and set aside.

Melt the butter in a large, deep skillet set over medium heat and add the cabbage, Brussels sprouts, onion and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Stir to combine. Cover and cook until the cabbage is slightly wilted but still crunchy, about 3 minutes. Stir in the corned beef, beer, mustard and kumquats and continue cooking until the corned beef is heated through, about 3 minutes.

Serves 4.

Note: The common green (Dutch) cabbage turns silky and sweet when sautéed over low heat until its edges turn golden. Toss lots of garlic and fennel into the pot, spark it with lemon, then toss with pasta and a little shredded aged cheese for a quick midweek dinner. From Beth Dooley.

• 3 tbsp. unsalted butter

• 1 small bulb fennel, thinly sliced, fronds reserved and chopped

• 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped

• 1 to 1 1/4 lb. green cabbage (small head), thinly sliced

• Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper

• 1 lb. angel hair pasta

• 2 to 3 tbsp. grated Parmesan or aged Gouda cheese

Directions

In a deep pot or Dutch oven set over low heat, melt the butter and add the fennel seeds and cook, stirring until they smell fragrant, about 15 to 30 seconds. Then add the fennel, garlic and cabbage. Sprinkle with a little salt and pepper, stir and cook until wilted, about 3 to 4 minutes. Cover and cook until the vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes, checking occasionally to stir and to be sure they're not sticking to the bottom. If they do, add a few tablespoons of water. Remove the cover and taste; they should be sweet and tender.

Cook the pasta in a large pot of rapidly boiling salted water until tender but firm, about 8 to 10 minutes. Scoop out about 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water and stir into the cabbage. Drain the pasta and transfer it into the pot with the cabbage, tossing it in with tongs. Season to taste with salt, pepper and lemon juice. Serve with the cheese sprinkled over the top and garnished with the chopped fennel fronds.

Serves 4 to 6.

• 3 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

• 1 onion, coarsely chopped

• 4 cloves garlic, smashed

• 1 red bell pepper, diced

• 1 small green or savoy cabbage, about 1 1/2 lb., cored and thinly sliced

• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

• 1 (28-oz.) can whole tomatoes, with juice

• 2 to 3 tsp. sweet paprika

• 1 to 2 tbsp. sherry vinegar, to taste

Directions

Season with the vinegar and adjust the flavors. Simmer another 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

Serves 4 to 6.

Note: This is one of those simple recipes that use just a few simple ingredients and techniques to surprisingly flavorful results. The cabbage wedges crisp and caramelize while the interior becomes tender-crisp. A balsamic glaze gives this a fine lacquered finish. From Beth Dooley.

• 3 to 4 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, divided

• 1 small head cabbage, about 1 lb., cut into 8 wedges

• Freshly ground black pepper

• 1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar

• 1 tsp. maple syrup, or more to taste

Directions

Film a cast iron skillet or heavy frying pan with 1 tablespoon of oil. Set over medium-high heat. Season both sides of the cabbage with salt and pepper. Place the cabbage wedges cut side down in the pan and cook until golden on one side, about 3 to 5 minutes. Using tongs, flip the cabbage wedges and continue cooking until golden and crispy, about 5 minutes.

Serves 6 to 8.

Note: This recipe is inspired by Sarma, a traditional Croatian dish. It sometimes includes ham along with the beef, pork and rice. The leaves need to be blanched to soften before rolling around the filling, but you can save some time by freezing the heads first to wilt the leaves instead of blanching. The leaves are rolled twice, first vertically and then horizontally to resemble small fists. Extra rolls freeze beautifully. From Beth Dooley.

• 1 large head cabbage, about 1 1/2 to 2 lb.

• 1/4 lb. ground pork sausage

• 3/4 lb. lean ground beef

• 1/2 c. minced onions

• 2 cloves garlic, crushed

• 1 egg

• 1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg

• 1 tbsp. fennel seed

• 1 tbsp. dried oregano

• 1/2 tsp. coarse salt

• 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

• 4 c. sauerkraut drained

• 1 large onion peeled and sliced

• 2 tbsp. caraway seeds

• 1 (28-oz.) can puréed tomatoes

• 1/2 c. white wine

• Chopped fennel fronds for garnish

Directions

In a large bowl, mix together the sausage, beef, rice, onions, garlic, egg, nutmeg, fennel seed, Worcestershire sauce, oregano, salt and pepper.

Peel off the leaves of cabbage and set aside. Make oblong balls of the meat mixture as though to fit in a clenched fist, then set each ball on the bottom of a cabbage leaf. Roll the leaf vertically first, then horizontally. Place the sauerkraut, sliced onions and chopped fennel bulb on the bottom of a large, deep saucepan. Place the cabbage rolls on top. Scatter the caraway seeds over that and add the tomatoes and wine. Set over medium heat, bring the liquid to a boil, then reduce the heat a little to simmer. Cover the saucepan and cook until the cabbage is soft and when you slice into a roll the meat is no longer pink, about 35 to 45 minutes. Serve garnished with chopped fresh fennel.