Recipe: Wilted Red Cabbage with Mint and Goat Feta or Tahini-Yogurt Sauce

WILTED RED CABBAGE WITH MINT AND GOAT FETA

"I prefer a lightly wilted, warm red cabbage salad to the same vegetable uncooked for its lush color and more tender texture. The thinner you slice the cabbage, the more tender it will be. A mandoline is a good tool to use here, or a very sharp knife."



"I don't think I've made this the same way ever. Cabbage is so compatible with herbs and seeds of all kinds, from fennel greens, to fragrant dill to caraway seeds, lovage to marjoram, olive to sesame. Here's one version to start with, and another to follow."

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium red onion, quartered through the stem end and
thinly sliced crosswise
1 garlic clove, finely minced
4 cups packed very finely sliced red cabbage (a scant pound)
Sea salt
Juice of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons chopped mint
2 tablespoons chopped dill
2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
Freshly ground pepper
Crumbled goat feta plus whole mint leaves, to finish

Heat the oil in a large skillet or wok. When hot, add the onion, turn to coat it with the oil, and cook for a minute to sear and soften. Add the garlic, then the cabbage, and season with 1 teaspoon salt. Immediately begin turning it in the pan to wilt it evenly. You don't want to fully cook it, just wilt it; two minutes should be enough time.

Remove the pan from the heat, toss the cabbage with 2 tablespoons of the lemon juice, then taste and add more if sharpness is desired. Toss with the herbs. Season with more salt, if needed, and plenty of pepper.

Transfer the cabbage to a platter, mounding it in a heap, then shower with the crumbled goat feta. Finish with the extra mint leaves and serve.

VARIATION:

WILTED RED CABBAGE WITH TAHINI-YOGURT SAUCE:
Make the salad as above, minus the goat feta, but use plenty of dill. Make the Tahini-Yogurt Sauce below and spoon it over the cabbage, or serve it on the side. Optional, but good if you wish to emphasize the sesame element, finish with toasted sesame seeds and a few drops roasted sesame oil. Dukkah is another crunchy, compatible option.

TAHINI-YOGURT SAUCE
Makes a scant 3/4 cup

1 clove garlic
Sea salt
1/2 cup yogurt
3 tablespoons tahini

Pound the garlic in a mortar with 1/4 teaspoon salt until smooth. Stir the garlic mixture into the yogurt, then stir in the tahini, mixing well. Taste for salt.

Makes 2-4 servings
Used by permission to Recipelink.com from Ten Speed Press
Adapted from source: Vegetable Literacy by Deborah Madison