A Closer Look At Cabbage

Coleslaw is classic summer food. You'll find it on the side, adjacent to the hot dog, the fried chicken, the burger, and the chips. But before we launch into the summer coleslaw recipes first let's take a closer look at cabbage.  We sideline this vegetable too easily, pass it up in the market for the more trendy tomato. You wouldn't know by its low price, but it pulls off an amazing amount of antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, and more in just 100 grams. It seems so common, but just sampling the variety of cabbages can take you places. Take a spin down the market aisle or savor the heirloom delights at the farmer's market, the varieties of cabbage are in abundance this summer. Here are four varieties worth further examination.  

Green. Compact, hearty, and long lasting, this is the cabbage of our childhood. Rub two heads together. If they squeak, they are fresh. Although it has less antioxidants than the varieties listed below, it's still good for you. 

Red. It looks more purple to me, but whatever. According to Jo Robinson's Eating on the Wild Side, red cabbage is rich in anthocyacins and antioxidants and is one of the most nutritious (and often least expensive) vegetables in the store. It has six times more antioxidants than green cabbage. 

Napa. Napa cabbage isn't really from Napa, but served up right, it might pair well with a Napa valley wine. It's actually Chinese in origin. Long and leafy, with pale white veins, it's full of antioxidants, folates, and a decent dose of Vitamin C (45% of daily allowance in 100 grams). 

Savoy. Deeply netted, flexible and often used as a wrap, it has three times more antioxidants than the green cabbage variety.  The design work is amazing and there's texture to boot. Lots of folates found within the folds of this cabbage, too. 

Now that you know the capabilities and finer qualities of this Brassica bombshell called cabbage, it's time to bring it into the kitchen. After all, summer is here and sides must served at the endless parade of bbqs, pool parties, picnics and more. Don't get caught empty-handed. Supply the masses with cabbage served up in the shape of coleslaw.  In our next 4 blog articles we'll show you how.