Sautéed Red Cabbage with Bacon
Sautéed Red Cabbage with Bacon showcases our only edible crop this year, Paul's guerrilla red cabbages. While we do enjoy a good cabbage slaw in the summer months, fall has us yearning for our classic Sautéed Red Cabbage with Bacon, a dish which balances the sweetness of caramelized onions and cabbage with tart vinegar and salty bacon. This spring, Paul surreptitiously planted a mini colony of red cabbages in our front flower garden, nestled between daylilies and daisies. With sunny spots in scarce supply, Paul was adamant that winter was coming...and we needed to ensure an ample supply of sauerkraut and cabbages for the lean months!
Yield: Serves 4 as a light entree or 6 as a side
Ingredients:
- 6 slices thick cut bacon,
- 1 large onion, thinly sliced
- 1 small (2.5 pounds) red cabbage, thinly sliced (about 7 cups)
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- pinch of cayenne
Steps:
- Cook the bacon on medium high heat in a large skillet (at least 12 inch) until crisp and browned. Set aside to cool on paper towel and discard all but 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat from the pan. If you do not have enough bacon fat, supplement with canola oil.
- To the bacon fat in your original pan, add the sliced onion and cook over medium heat until golden and soft, about 7 minutes.
- Add the red cabbage and salt to the onion mixture and cook on medium for 3 minutes, stirring regularly. The cabbage should be just wilted but maintain some crunch.
- Add the garlic and cider vinegar, stir to combine and cook for 1 minute more.
- Remove the pan from heat and stir in the pepper and cayenne. Taste and adjust salt and vinegar to your preference, it should deliver a flavor kick! Serve garnished with crumbled bacon.
Note: this dish freezes well for lunches and leftovers and is also a great holiday side dish!
Cream of Asparagus Soup
Paul is in the homestretch of his masters program, and is once again home in the evenings. He has been cooking, smoking and grilling up mountains of food in celebration. I sometimes have trouble focusing on the meal he’s made, because it’s such a novelty to have our evenings together again. To warm us up on this cold spring week, Paul made a extraordinary Cream of Asparagus Soup and fresh sourdough bread. The secret, I discovered, was in the short cook time on the asparagus, and the addition of peas for color and sweetness at the end of cooking. Paul finished the soup with savory flavor boosts of parmesan and vinegar to add depth to this quick spring soup.
Grilled Potato Salad with Jalapeno, Bacon, & Blue Cheese
Grilled Potato Salad with Jalapeno, Bacon, and Blue Cheese is inspired by my father-in-law’s love of bacon, blue cheese, and caramelized onions. This 'salad' is decadent and packed with rich flavors. The grilled new potatoes are tossed in a garlic jalapeno vinaigrette and layered with smoky slices of thick-cut grilled bacon, sweet charred red onions, and pungent blue cheese. Move over mayo, there's a new potato salad in town!
Brussels Sprouts with Bacon
Brussels sprouts are a miniature member of the cabbage family that has seen a well deserved rise in popularity in recent years; with restaurants now featuring dishes ranging from Brussels sprouts brushcetta, Brussels grilled cheese, raw Brussels slaw, to charred Brussels pizza. As with all cabbage relatives, we particularly love our Brussels cooked at high heat with punchy accents of garlic, vinegar, salt, and bacon. Brussels Sprouts With Bacon is simple and delicious; a perfect fall side. If you are looking for more Brussels inspiration, check out our Barley Risotto With Roasted Brussels Sprouts.
Haitian Pikliz
It is a big week for us. Friday marked our first official day as country representatives, and tomorrow we are moving into our new house. The thought of unpacking after 6 months makes me giddy! This week's transition seems more final than the previous ones, it feels like we have finally arrived at our destination, Haiti is home. As we have explored Haitian culture through food, pikliz was our first culinary attempt. Pikliz is a beloved Haitian condiment; a pickled cabbage dish with spices and citrus notes, that often accompanies rich or fried foods. Our usual make-taste-adjust routine was somewhat stymied, when after our 9th batch, we just couldn't seem to get a consensus from our Haitian friends and co-workers, of the flavor profile for the perfect pikliz. More heat, more sweet, less sour, more citrus, less salt, more salt, add color, more crunch. Finally we figured it out, there is no perfect master recipe. This is our favorite version of our many, many batches. Enjoy tinkering with the recipe to make pikliz your own. This tangy condiment is fantastic with all manner of meat, hot dogs, burgers, and stewed dishes.
Red Cabbage Slaw
In these chilly first days of spring, Red Cabbage Slaw bridges the divide between the hearty stewed dishes of winter and the fresh colors of spring. Red cabbage is the perfect cross-over vegetable for this task, with its' sturdy wholesomeness standing up beautifully to a winter filled with pickling, braising and roasting. Red cabbage effortlessly adapts to its new role, partnering with picnics and barbecues in this savory slaw.
