Red Cabbage

The swirling pattern inside a big, five pound, red cabbage is a colorful suggestion of fall. I picked a cabbage today, thinking about making a salad with it. When fall comes, I switch from vegetable salads such as green bean or tomato or lettuce, to heartier cabbage salads. In early spring I crave young greens, but by fall the more mature cabbage suits my taste. Sweet and sour cabbage, and a smothered cabbage with chicken cooked with red wine are two other favorite ways of using this long storage vegetable (a big cabbage will keep till spring in the root cellar).

So I made a cabbage salad for lunch, using some shredded red cabbage, sliced carrots, sliced red onion, crushed garlic––all from the garden––dressed with olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and a splash of soy sauce. Sometimes I add a bit of mayonnaise, but not today. I let the salad sit for a few minutes until the cabbage wilts a bit. This is a meal that is wonderful to look at and healthy, and delicious, to eat.