Red Cabbage? Daikon? Help

We're eating the winter vegetables from Cresset Farm, including red cabbage and daikon. These are unfamiliar items in many kitchens, so I've rounded up a few recipes to help.

Red cabbage is a very determined vegetable. You can add some thin shreds to a cole slaw made up of green cabbage and/or Napa, but a straight red cabbage slaw would be somewhat intimidating. Generally, red cabbage is braised with various seasoning, until it becomes tender and flavorful.

Red Cabbage and Chestnuts (adapted from Joy of Cooking)

Chestnuts are optional, but add a lot to the dish. Have your chestnuts peeled and simmered until tender.

1 cup cooked chestnuts
1 small head red cabbage, shredded fine
1/4 cup dry white wine or vinegar
2 1/2 tablespoons bacon drippings or butter
salt and pepper
1 peeled, thinly sliced apple
1/4 cup raisins

Place cabbage in a bowl and pour boiling water over it. Let it sit for 15 minutes, then drain. Heat drippings or butter in skillet, add cabbage and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer covered 10 minutes. Add white wine or vinegar, raisins, apple, and chestnuts. Simmer together another 10 minutes and serve.

Spiced Red Cabbage

3 tablespoons butter
1 head red cabbage, sliced thin
1 diced apple
salt to taste
3 tablespoons vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
dash nutmeg

Heat butter and add cabbage. Cook, stirring, until cabbage wilts (probably 15-20 minutes). Add remaining ingredients and cook another 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Daikon is a very large, mild-flavored radish which is very popular in Asian cooking. Here are a few more ways to fix it.

Red and White Radish Salad

1 pound sliced radishes--use a mixture of daikon peeled, quartered and sliced, and red radishes, sliced
1/4 cup vinegar
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons salt
freshly ground pepper to taste
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley, if available

Mix vinegar, oil, salt and pepper. Let stand 30 minutes. Add radishes, toss well. Let stand another 30 minutes to soak up dressing. Garnish with parsley. A very colorful dish for midwinter.

Stir-Fried Daikon

2 tablespoons oil
1/4 cup diced scallions or finely sliced leeks
1 medium daikon, peeled, quartered, and sliced thin (about 3 cups)
2-3 teaspoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon sugar or honey
1/4 teaspoon hot chili oil or Thai curry paste

Heat oil in skillet, add scallions and stir-fry for a minute. Add daikon, stir-fry for a minute. Add 2 tablespoons water and continue to stir-fry until water is gone. Now add soy sauce, sugar, and chili paste or oil, stirring for another minute or so, until tender-crisp but not mushy. Serve.

Daikon Clear Soup

A traditional Japanese dish, warming in cold weather.

1 strip kombu (kelp) 6-8 inches long
2 cups sliced peeled daikon
1 sheet nori, toasted and cut into small squares
tamari to taste
sliced scallions for garnish

Place strip of kombu in 4 cups water, simmer 10 minutes. Remove kombu. Add daikon, simmer 5 minutes. Season soup with tamari, pour into bowls and garnish with a few slices of scallion and a few squares of nori. The kombu can be used in another dish, cutting it into small dice, or some can be added back to the soup.

Braised Beef and Radish

1 tablespoon cooking oil
1 pound stewing beef, cut into medium chunks
1 pound daikon, peeled and cut into medium chunks
1-2 teaspoons Chinese five-spice seasoning

In skillet, brown meat cubes in oil. Add daikon, spice, and water to cover by 1 inch. Simmer until meat is tender. You can add salt or tamari to taste.