Count on Cabbage

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If you steer clear of these dangers, you can begin harvesting cabbage anytime from 60 to 105 days after sowing, depending on the variety you plant. Cabbage plants can be pulled out of the ground roots and all. For early season cabbage, you can cut the plant just below the head and toss the stem and roots onto the compost pile. For late-season varieties, there are two main ways of storing your crop: with their roots or without. In both cases, they’ll store best if kept in a cool (32 degrees Fahrenheit is ideal) and humid location. Remove any loose, damaged or diseased leaves before storing. Some people keep their cabbage roots covered with wet sand during storage — the plants grow a second crop of small cabbage leaves after the heads have been removed.

Last year, my family and I grew about 40 pounds of cabbage in our modest suburban garden. About half of the harvest went into our sauerkraut crock. Pickling is a great way to extend the cabbage harvest into the cool months while keeping nearly all of its vitamin C intact — if you eat it raw, as my wife and I like to do. (Making sauerkraut is simple. Check out Got Cabbage? Make Sauerkraut!)

On chilly days, however, my body craves something warmer and more substantial than raw foods. My latest culinary discovery has been stuffed cabbage, a hearty peasant preparation. For as long as people have been growing cabbage, they have been cooking it stuffed with various combinations of meats, herbs, spices, vegetables and grains. To try out stuffed cabbage, remove the core of a medium head of cabbage and place it in boiling water. As the outer leaves loosen, remove them one by one with tongs and place them on a dish towel to dry. Prepare your favorite meatloaf or stuffing mix and place a large scoop of it in the middle of each cabbage leaf. Wrap and tuck the edges of the leaves around the mix. Arrange the stuffed leaves in a covered baking dish or Dutch oven. Top them with chopped onions, tomatoes and the remaining small cabbage leaves, and bake for 45 to 60 minutes at 350 degrees. While I don’t subscribe to all of Cato’s theories about cabbage’s medicinal virtues, I can’t think of a better cure for cold-weather blues.

Recommended Cabbage Varieties

‘Kaboko’ (60 days): This compact Napa variety is slow to bolt, making it an excellent choice for spring planting. Creamy white interior is tasty cooked or raw.

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