ITEMS
Green Cabbage
Parsnips
Walla Walla Onions
Rosemary Bunch
Blondee Apples
Pumpkin Curry Pierogies / Gluten-Free Garlic Bread
PRODUCERS
Lowdown Farm - Moiese
Gallatin Valley Botanical - Bozeman
Terra Greens Produce - Manhattan
Amaltheia Organic Produce - Belgrade
Moss Farm - Rollins
Vickie's Pierogies - Bozeman / Sister's GF Bakery - Belgrade
Sautéed Cabbage with Apple & Onion
An excellent fall or winter side dish that could pair well with your pierogies! Also goes well with pork chops, kielbasa or other sausage, or just about any kind of roasted meat, as well as with egg noodles or cooked grains. Serves 4 as a side.
2 Tbs butter
1 apple, cut into matchsticks or grated
1/2 a head of green cabbage, core removed and thinly sliced (3-4 C)
1 small onion, thinly sliced
1/2 tsp salt, plus more to taste
Dash of ground nutmeg
2 Tbs cider vinegar
1 tsp maple syrup, honey, sugar, or sweetener of your choice
Optional flavoring additions: a pinch of fennel or caraway seeds, cooked bacon, a bit of whole grain mustard, or for pumpkin curry pierogies you could adapt the flavors to pair better: for example, use coconut oil in place of some or all of the butter, add a bit of ginger (grated fresh or dried), or perhaps cumin seeds or mustard seeds instead of fennel or caraway.
Melt butter in a large skillet. Add the onion and sauté for a few minutes, then add the remaining ingredients: cabbage, apples salt, nutmeg, vinegar, sweetener, and any seeds, mustard, or other flavorings you might be using. Sauté over medium-high heat until cabbage is tender and onions are cooked through (12-15 minutes). Taste and adjust seasoning as needed before serving.
If you want to add bacon, you can cook it first in the pan, then use the drippings in place of some or all the butter. Crumble up the cooked bacon and add it back to the cabbage once it's cooked.
Vickie's Pierogies
Once or twice a year, I love to team up with our local pierogi craftswoman. Vickie's handmade Eastern-European-style dumplings are a treat, and she does an amazing job coming up with seasonal flavors like this week's pumpkin curry. They're excellent comfort food, and work just as well on a snack table as the dinner table. They're simply delicious browned in butter and eaten plain, but they can also be paired with sour cream or plain yogurt, cooked cabbage, apples, or anything else that sounds good to you. Pierogies freeze well if you want to save them for another occasion.
Russian Vegetable Soup
To prove that A) borscht is not the only Russian soup, and B) vegetable soups don't have to be boring! Serves 6. Adapted from Betty Rosbottom's book, Sunday Soup.
1 green cabbage, ~2 lbs, halved and cored, cut into 1-inch thick wedges
2 medium carrots, sliced 1/4-inch thick
2 ribs celery, sliced 1/4-inch thick
2-3 parsnips (~3/4 lb), cut into 1-inch cubes
8 C good beef stock or broth, divided
6 oz tomato paste
1-2 sprigs fresh rosemary (optional)
1 tsp salt, plus more to taste
black pepper to taste
3 Tbs vegetable oil, safflower oil, or what you like to use
2 onions, halved lengthwise, peeled, and cut into 1/4-inch thick slices
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 large potato, or equivalent amount of small potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
Sour cream and chopped fresh dill, for serving (parsley or chives could also work)
Put the prepared cabbage, carrot, celery, parsnip, and 6 cups of beef stock in a large stockpot. Bring to a simmer, then add tomato paste, rosemary, 1 tsp salt, and several grinds of pepper. Simmer, uncovered, for at least an hour and up to an hour and a half, until vegetables are very tender.
While vegetables are simmering, heat the oil in a large, heavy skillet. When it's hot, add the onions and sauté until softened, 5-7 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté another minute. Remove from heat and set aside. You can prepare the potatoes now as well, if you haven't already.
After the vegetables have simmered at least an hour, add the cooked onion and garlic mixture and the cubed potatoes. Add remaining 2 C beef stock. If the liquid doesn't cover the vegetables, add water to cover. Simmer for another 20-30 minutes, until potatoes are tender. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed. Remove the rosemary sprigs before serving. Dollop each bowl with a generous garnish of sour cream and chopped fresh dill.
Additional Recipes & Suggestions
Rosemary oil & Rosemary aioli are great ways to use up fresh rosemary
Use this rosemary roasted potatoes recipe with parsnips, or a bit of both!
Parsnips make great oven fries. Pair with some rosemary aioli for an extra indulgence.
Roasted cabbage is good way to mix it up - we love roasted cabbage with sheet-pan dinners
Curried cabbage could be a fun way to use it up as well.
A few years ago, Rockford Coffee shop had a rosemary caramel sauce you could add to your coffee. I don't know if they still do, but I'm pretty obsessed with the idea. I think it would be an awesome dip for some apple slices. Here's a recipe to try.