I have written about the small local farmer’s market, Tasty Tuesday Market in front of the New Port Richey library, nearly every winter for about 5 years. February, March, April, and May are a great time to buy fresh leafy greens and other veggies grown in yards without chemical sprays. My favorite grower Cyndi retired from farming two summers ago, but I still have Jim offering loads of vegetables during the winter.
If you’ve read my food posts before, you probably noticed I like real food. I believe in eating clean, whole food that is prepared with real ingredients and fresh produce. Today we’ll talk about real food in a fresh bowl of soup full of vegetables. Rich in vitamins A, C and K, but also in minerals such as iron, phosphorus, potassium and calcium, savoy cabbage is definitely a wonderful ingredient for many typical winter recipes. What is one of the best recipes? Savoy cabbage soup! It’s very easy to prepare and with so many different variations, you can make it your way. If you find any recipe is too spicy or bland, make your own adjustments. This is what cooking is all about. It might not be the “classic” result, but it’s yours. The soup is made with bright green Savoy cabbage with carrots, potatoes, and tomatoes. I like to make it with chicken stock and even have put left over baked chicken in it. It is equally good made with a good vegetable stock for a meatless meal. Then I would add mushrooms and white beans for protein and fiber. With a hearty bread, you have a meal in a pot. If you can’t find Savoy cabbage, green cabbage will work, but don’t use red cabbage. It has a sharper flavor. If you want to add leftover meat like baked chicken, pork roast, or beef, add at the end and heat for 5 mintues.
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Tuesday morning you can nearly always know where I’ll be. I go to Tasty Tuesday Farmers Market in New Port Richey. It’s a small market set up in front of the library and is for local growers offering fresh from the yard produce which is grown without pesticides.
Several years ago I wanted to come up with a cabbage salad. I love cabbage – its crunchiness and taste. Cabbage is a low-calorie, fiber-rich vegetable with health-benefiting phytochemicals. It is healthy and filling with lots of fiber. I am not a fan of most cole slaws as most restaurants pulverize the cabbage and carrots in a food processor until it has little resemblance to the original produce and then douse it with too much sugar. Every now and then I am pleasantly surprised but not often. I really like chewing a great salad whether lettuce or cabbage and savoring the flavor. A local diner I love gave me the idea for cabbage Waldorf with their chicken Waldorf salad with carrots, celery, apple and fresh sliced grapes instead of raisins. The mound of salad is surrounded by beautiful red slices of tomato. This quickly became one of my favorite lunches at the diner. Read More