In Praise of the Savoy Cabbage
Amongst the snapdragons and foxgloves, the red beard scallions and the apricot strawflowers - all the new varieties of seeds I’m trying out under my grow lights for the first time this year - the one that seems the most eager to please is the relatively humble Savoy Cabbage. I’m aware that she’s bound to give me trouble as soon as she’s transplanted out into the garden; that along with all her brassica sisters she’ll need netting - one long, white wedding veil for their row to keep the wights at bay. She’ll also require frequent inspections for these pests which, at their larval stage, wreaked havoc on my purple Napas two years ago, before I started netting. Last year’s success with broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, and my precious purple Napas was thanks to the netting and also to several judicious applications of BT (Bacillus Thuringiensis, a safe and natural bacterial pesticide that is approved for use in organic farming). But for now - before Mademoiselle Savoy has me fluffing her veil, hand-picking her caterpillars, and spritzing her down for good measure - she's growing fast and strong and not too leggy.
In these bizarro days of Trumpian aggression and idiocy, I, like many of us north of the border, have been doing my best to buy Canadian at the grocery store. It may be a tough go in the winter at times, sacrificing all that Californian produce, but the forced return to the way our ancestors ate (primarily local) is an opportunity to reconnect with nature and the seasons. Buying Canadian might seem limiting to the vegetable-lover in these early days of spring, pre-Asparagus, but we’ve still got all the root cellar things: beets, onions, rutabagas, certain squashes, potatoes, turnips (neeps and tatties, anyone?) In addition, there’s a wide variety of frozen or canned things grown in Canada last summer - peas, corn, broccoli, you name it. There’s also a growing demand for our greenhouse tomatoes, cucumbers, microgreens and even strawberries that will hopefully become more affordable with increased supply. And let’s not forget mushrooms! We’ve got plenty of local options on that front, too. The only thing I’m particulary hurting for at the moment is fresh dark greens - I’m talking big bunches of crunchy purple kale, rainbow chard, fresh lettuce. Forgoing American products has made it necessary to get creative when it comes to our salads. Enter: the Savoy cabbage and her cousins, red and green, all currently available and just as Canadian-grown as The Red Green Show.
Speaking of shows, do you remember that episode in Portlandia with the peerless Steve Buscemi as a hapless salesman stuck selling celery to the masses (good luck!) while Fred Armisen lives large as a bacon mogul? Too good. I often think of that episode while I’m experimenting with new ways of using this or that vegetable. With the Savoy cabbage, it’d be almost too easy. She’s versatile as they come. It’s nearly a “boil ‘em, mash ‘em, stick ‘em in a stew” situation (Sam Gamgee fans will catch the reference). In lieu of “mash”, though, which doesn’t really apply to cabbages, we might say “macerate,” “pickle,” “roast,” “sauté,” “stuff”… and the list could go on.
When I was in London last spring, we were told it was a must to experience the British tradition of the Sunday Roast. On my dear friend’s late husband’s suggestion, we went to Coin Laundry in Exmouth Market - it was his favourite spot - and the single leaf of steamed Savoy as a bed for the meat in its pool of gravy was a pure revelation. So mild and wholesome in its taste so as not to distract from the carnivorous pleasure of the succulent roast, yet still counterbalancing vice with its pretty, green virtue.
Another example, but this time the leaves go on top: for our last New Year’s party, I made several types of lasagne, including one vegan version which, instead of cheese, was topped with a patchwork quilt of Savoy cabbage.
Most recently (yesterday) I made the salad pictured above, and it was so damn good (healthy, tasty, riffable) I think it’s worthwhile sharing, so here goes:
Roast, with a little oil, salt, pepper: chopped Savoy, drained canned chickpeas, and an entire (small) halved zucchini (okay, I’ll admit I cracked and bought the zucchini from our friends down in Mexico)
Make this “Liquid Gold” dressing: https://thefirstmess.com/2020/07/18/liquid-gold-dressing-recipe/
Prepare Freekeh (or whatever grain you like - quinoa, rice, farro…)
Top the grain with the vegetables, dress and enjoy!
And if my praises of the Savoy cabbage have been prosaic today, it is the better to leave you with this piece by the German-American poet Lisel Mueller:
FOUND IN THE CABBAGE PATCH
The shiny head is round,
full term, between
the spread leaves of its mother.
I come as the midwife,
a kitchen knife in my hand.
There. No lusty cry,
this child is silent.
Two white moths
hover and flutter,
milky attendants
in perpetual motion.
I leave the mother’s wound
for the sun to heal.
The stump of the newborn
dries in the crook of my arm.
I am the witch, cradling
the pale green head,
murmuring, “Little one,
you look good enough to eat.”
