Tips and Recipes
for Brookfield Farm Crops

Chinese Cabbage (Brassica rapa var. pekinensis)

Also called Napa cabbage, hakusai and pe-tsai, Chinese cabbage is among the first transplants of spring. This vegetable has been cultivated throughout Asia since 500 AD In Korea, it is pickled to make kimchee, and it is important in Japanese cuisine as well.

The name "Napa" comes from Napa Valley, California, where the cabbage was first cultivated in the US. It is high in folic acid, potassium, and fiber.

Recipes:

Spicy and Sweet Chinese Cabbage

1 cabbage, sliced
2 tsp ginger root, grated
1/4 c raisins, soaked in warm water, then drained
1 tbsp honey
1 tbsp cider vinegar
1/2 tsp salt
hot pepper flakes, crushed
1 tbsp peanut oil

Heat oil in deep skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add Chinese cabbage, ginger, and hot pepper flakes. Stir-fry for 2 min, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to medium. Mix sweetener and vinegar. Pour over cabbage mixture. Toss in raisins, season with salt. Cook for approx. 3 min, stirring often. Cabbage should be wilted but still slightly crunchy. Serve immediately. Serves 4.

Potato and Cabbage dish
1 medium head of Chinese cabbage
3 leeks
garlic, mashed
3 potatoes (steamed and peeled)
2 tsp shoyu
1 tsp cider vinegar

Cut cabbage into strips, quarter leeks and potatoes and slice in 1/2-inch pieces. In a wok or a heavy skillet stir-fry cabbage and leeks over med. heat for 3-4 minutes. Add garlic; reduce heat and cook covered 5 minutes. Add potato and cook a few more minutes. Sprinkle with shoyu and vinegar.

Clear Soup with Chinese Cabbage
4 cups of vegetable stock
1/4 tsp salt
2 cups of cabbage cut into strips
1 lb. bean curd cut into cubes

Heat stock in a pot over medium, Add salt and cabbage, cover and simmer for 3 minutes. Uncover and add bean curd. Cook, uncovered, another few minutes.

Kim Chi

2 lbs of Chinese Cabbage

salt

6 scallions, white and green parts thinly sliced

4 garlic cloves, crushed and finely chopped

2 tbsp finely chopped fresh ginger

1 tbsp Korean chili powder, or cayenne pepper mixed with paprika

1 tsp sugar

1. Quarter the cabbage lengthways, then cut each quarter widthways into approximately 2-inch pieces.

2. Pour 6 1/4 cups water into a large bowl and stir in 3 tbsp salt until dissolved. Add the cabbage and weight down with a plate to keep the pieces submerged.

3. Cover and leave for 12 hours, stirring the cabbage occasionally. Using a slotted spoon, remove the cabbage from the bowl, and reserve the salted water.

4. Mix the cabbage with the remaining ingredients and 1 tsp salt. Pack into clean, dry 2-quart jars. Pour in enough of the reserved salted water to cover the cabbage. Leave a space of 1 inch at the top of the jar. Cover the jar loosely with a non-metallic lid and leave for 3-6 days until the pickle has become sour enough for your taste. Cover tightly and keep in a cold, dark place. Iot will keep in these conditions for up to 1 year.

Storage Tips: