Mr. Cantankerous Cabbage

Mr. Cantankerous Cabbage


It seemed as if the cabbage glared at me reproachfully from the middle of the table. I glowered right back at it. What was I to do about this cabbage?

It was a magnificent specimen,firm and dense with shiny, crisp, dark green leaves, and could have easily taken first prize at the County Fair, but sitting on my table it just looked menacing.

Because I'm not a big meat eater, I had been advised to add more vegetables to my diet. That is easier said than done given the high cost of fresh produce in the stores.

A kind neighbour had given me this cabbage setting it proudly on my table. But what was I to do with it? My first thought was, of course, coleslaw, but how much coleslaw can one person eat? Boiled cabbage didn't appeal to me and so the cabbage and I were feeling out of sorts with each other.

With a sigh I went in search of recipes. It had to be something easy but tasty. After what seemed like hours, with the cabbage giving me withering looks, I found it. Baked Cabbage Steaks, perfect!

I picked up Mr. Cantankerous Cabbage, amazed at how much he weighed and transported him to the kitchen sink. As I settled him into the sink and turned on the water, I could have sworn he sighed contentedly.

I preheated the oven to 400 degrees, then removed the cabbage's outer leaves and trimmed the stem. I turned him on his side and cut 1 1/2 inch slices, brushed both sides with olive oil, garlic salt, and pepper then baked them for forty minutes.

The cabbage steaks came out of the oven with lightly browned edges and were a delight to eat, I even had seconds.

Problem solved and goodbye to Mr. Cantankerous Cabbage. This recipe is a keeper.