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Jim Dixon wrote about food for WW for more than 20 years, but these days most of his time is spent at his olive oil-focused specialty food business Wellspent Market. Jim’s always loved to eat, and he encourages his customers to cook by sending them recipes every week through his newsletter. We’re happy to have him back creating some special dishes just for WW readers.
I love cabbage. I don’t have the space here to tell you why (read my “Ode to Cabbage” on the Wellspent website), but I eat a head of green cabbage every week. Here’s how I cut one up.
If the cut end of the stem has oxidized and looks a little brown, cut off a thin slice. Peel off any outer layers that are starting to darken, too. Then cut the head in half from the stem end, and cut those halves again so you end up with four wedges. Stand a wedge up on its stem end, then cut down at a slight angle to remove the core. But don’t toss it in the compost, just chop it up, cutting the thicker parts thinly.
Place the wedge flat side down and make a few slices from the top to the bottom. If I’m making cole slaw or anything that calls for smaller pieces, I make the slices about a quarter-inch thick. But for most cooked dishes I cut them thicker, maybe three-quarters of an inch. Then I turn the slices 90 degrees and cut them again. Repeat for the rest of the wedges and you’ll have an impressive pile of chopped cabbage.
When I want a quick vegetable dish, I make something like this. Sometimes I cook a couple of pieces of bacon, cut into bite-sized pieces, before I add the onion and cabbage. Half a head of cabbage fills a 10-inch skillet, so I leave the other half whole; it’ll keep in the refrigerator for several days.
- Recipe
- ½ head green cabbage, chopped
- ½ onion, chopped
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- Kosher-style sea salt to taste
In a large skillet cook the onion in the olive oil and a pinch of salt until it softens, about 5-10 minutes. Add the cabbage and cook for another 10-15 minutes for slightly crunchy cabbage. If you like it softer, add a splash of water or broth, cover, reduce the heat, and cook for another 10 minutes.