THE ORIGINAL ‘RECEIPT’

GERMAN CABBAGE.

Slice red cabbage and soak in cold water.  Put one quart in stew-pan with two tablespoons of butter, one-half teaspoon of salt, one tablespoon finely chopped onion, few gratings of nutmeg and a few grains of cayenne;  cover and cook until cabbage is tender.  Add two tablespoons of vinegar, and one-half tablespoon of sugar and cook five minutes.

~Ransom’s Family Receipt Book. Toronto: Francis U. Kahle, 1898.

THE UPDATED RECIPE

• 4 c. red cabbage
• 2 Tb. butter
• ½ tsp. salt
• 1 Tb. finely chopped cooking onion
• ¼ tsp. grated nutmeg
• dash of cayenne pepper
• 2 Tb. cider vinegar
• 1 ½ tsp. granulated sugar.

Finely slice four cups of red cabbage and soak it in cold water for about 15 minutes.

Drain the cabbage well, and combine it in a large saucepan with the butter, salt, chopped onion, nutmeg and cayenne pepper.

Cover with a lid, and cook over medium heat for about 20 minutes, or until tender, stirring occasionally.

Add the cider vinegar and sugar, and cook an additional 5 minutes over low heat, stirring frequently.

Yield: 4 servings.

Serve this red cabbage piping hot, as an accompaniment to sausages, or with roast goose, beef or pork;  it has a tangy flavour.

A note from Patricia: In an effort to inject my body with more healthy vegetables, I thought I would try this German Cabbage recipe next, as it features red cabbage, a vegetable that is high in fibre (prebiotic fibre), good for bones, high in vitamin C, rich in antioxidants, and boosts our immune systems. It also looked alot like the Braised Red Cabbage recipe that my aunt used to bring to Christmas dinner, which was a favourite of mine. I whipped up this simple and colourful side-dish recipe, and loved every bite. It definitely had tanginess and a hint of heat from the cayenne, and it had a buttery edge. I ate it with some chicken sausage and it made the perfect weeknight meal.

To STEW RED CABBAGE.  ….. Fried sausages are served on this preparation;  ….

~A Lady. The New London Cookery, and Complete Domestic Guide. London: G. Virtue, 1827.

All vegetables of the cabbage kind should be carefully washed, and examined in case of insects lurking among the leaves.

~Leslie, Eliza. Miss Leslie’s Complete Cookery. Philadelphia: Henry Carey Baird, 1861.