Cabbage – an underrated vegetable (that is to say, I personally often forget about its existence, versatility and great taste). This salad is highly delicious and packed with vitamin C (vitamin Cabbage, as one might call it if one was a teeny bit silly), and I recommend you make it some time soon. It’s quick and simple to prepare and taste good on its own, as a side for a cookout, in an Abendbrot* or even on a dark bread. You can use pointed cabbage, which has softer and sweeter leaves, but a regular white cabbage will also do the job. Same holds true for the oil and vinegar: I’ve made it with both red and white wine vinegar, rapeseed and sunflower oil and they both work. If you’re only ever using one or don’t wanna buy another variety just for this salad, just use what you have in your kitchen cabinets. If you have both, play with them and find out which combination you like best.
*Typical German dinner consisting of brown bread, cheese, cold cuts, vegetables such as tomatoes, cucumbers, radishes or carrots, hard-boiled eggs, cream cheese with herbs or whatever else you want to put on the table. The absolute basic version as I know it would be bread, butter, cold cuts and cheese that are set out on the table. I had it pretty much every night growing up, since lunch was the main meal of the day. After a long period without it, we now do Abendbrot once or twice a week with a nice glass of wine. Of course you can live it up with Italian sausage, fancy cheeses, olives and the like, but it works great as is – as a simple weekday dinner.
for 4 as a side
1 small pointed cabbage
3.5 Tbsp rapeseed oil
3.5 Tbsp red wine vinegar
2 Tbsp honey
1-2 tsp caraway seed
1 small red onion
Salt & Pepper
Sugar
Cut out cabbage stem and slice the cabbage thinly. In a large bowl, mix cabbage with salt and sugar, maybe a generous teaspoon of each. Stir together vinegar, oil and honey. In a grease-free pan, roast caraway seed until the seeds begin to bounce, then, using mortar and pestle, grind them. Finely mince red onion, then add to vinaigrette together with the caraway. Stir and then pour over cabbage. Let sit for at least ten minutes before serving. Season to taste with salt and vinegar.
Half-Timbered House 