Braised Cabbage

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I spent almost every spring just waiting for school to be out so we could go on our annual vacation.  Most always it was a trip to southern Kentucky to visit my great grandparents.  These were the two people that I thought ruled the world.  My Mamaw Bessie and Pa Potter.  Two of the most wonderful people that ever walked this earth in my opinion.  Summers just weren’t summers unless I got to spend a dewy foggy morning sitting out at the pond with great grandpa fishing.  He always took the time and patience to teach me what I needed to know to pull in those catfish that mamaw would be cooking up later for lunch.

Of course that was the second most favorite part of my vacations to their house.  Mamaw’s southern cooking.  She was the true embodiment of a Southern Lady.  The charm, the tenacity and the cooking skills you expect to find in a southerner.  I can remember watching her go out before sunrise to start working in her garden.  Sometimes she would bring me along and show me the blooms on the tomatoes and explain in a few months we will have green tomatoes to start frying up.  Of course when my mamaw fried something she always used her cast iron skillets.  I am the proud recipient of one of her oldest skillets and to this day it is my favorite skillet to cook in.  I treasure it and think of her every time I make a corn bread or fry up some pork chops.

I guess I got a bit side tracked there.  Let’s get back on track and talk about this recipe.  My mom always made fried potatoes with cabbage and onion when I was growing up.  I can still remember the crispness of the potatoes along with the sweetness of the onions and cabbage.  Most often they were along side some of those wonderful pork chops that I mentioned earlier.  Yes, I use moms recipe for frying them.   I still make the potato/cabbage/onion mixture to this day but last night I decided on making it without potatoes. (I was out of potatoes…LOL) so I just braised up some cabbage, onion and a carrot (for additional sweetness).  Oh, and guess what I used.  You got it.  Mamaw’s cast iron skillet.

This dish is good warm as a salad or side dish.  Heck, I even like it all by itself for lunch.  I think you all will enjoy this one too.  Let me know what you think.  I love hearing from everyone.

Ingredients:

• 1 head of cabbage
• 1 large carrot or 2 small carrots
• 1 large sweet onion
• 3 Tablespoons tomato paste
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• 2 tablespoon of unsalted butter

Directions: 

1. Chop cabbage, thinly.
2. Chop onion and grate the carrot
3. In a pan melt butter.
4. Add in cabbage, sauté  for 1 minute.  Then add in chopped onion and grated carrot.  Stir.
5. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon of salt (I use sea salt).  Also stir in the tomato paste.
6. On low heat sauté all together, stirring occasionally.
7. After 10-15 minutes, and juice from cabbage has evaporated cabbage is ready to eat.  You may add salt to your taste if needed.