Braised Red Cabbage

File this recipe for braised red cabbage under "food you hated as a kid but would probably really like now". I absolutely loathed this dish as a kid, probably because of the strong smell it gives off when cooking. Now I can totally appreciate the sweet, sour, and salty balance of flavors, not to mention the anti-cancer properties of the red cabbage. Try it, I think you will like it - just be sure to turn on your kitchen vent fan :)

Braised Red Cabbage
Serves 4-6 as a side dish

1 medium head of red cabbage
1 large onion, chopped
1 apple, peeled and chopped
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup of honey
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp salt (or more if your cabbage head is larger)
1/2 tsp black pepper

Shred the red cabbage by 1) removing the tough outer leaves, 2) cutting it into quarters, 3) cutting out and discarding the hard, white core, and 4) shredding the quarters by slicing them thinly with a sharp knife. Rinse well with cold water in a large colander. Add the olive oil to a large, deep skillet with a lid and turn the stove to medium heat. Add the onions and apples and saute until they begin to caramelize, about 8 minutes. Add the shredded cabbage, vinegar, honey, salt, and pepper to the apples and onions, stir well, and put the lid on the skillet. Turn the heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the cabbage is tender, about 45 minutes. Taste the cabbage and add more salt/pepper if needed.

Smoked Mozzarella and Apple Bites

One of my New Years resolutions for 2010 was to go to the farmers market more often. I love the idea of supporting local businesses and reducing my carbon footprint by not purchasing produce that was shipped from thousands of miles away. There is a great market less than a mile from my place so I really have no excuses not to go. Unfortunately, the DC region was bombarded by the worst winter weather in history, so the first two months of my resolution did not go so well. Now that glorious, beautiful Spring is here, I am a regular at my neighborhood market, where everything sold must be grown or made within 100 miles.

A few visits ago, I got a ball of smoked mozzarella from a cheese stand that had such a delicious, smoky flavor. It reminded me of a crisp, Fall day, which gave me the idea to put it on an apple slice (also from the market). I topped it with a bit of fig jam and sprinkle of sea salt and I just fell in love with the flavor combination. It's now my favorite post-farmers market shopping snack.

Smoked Mozzarella and Apple Bites

apples (use a crisp variety - I like Fuji's) - thinly sliced
smoked mozzarella, thinly sliced
fig jam (this is sometimes hard to find in the supermarket - try apricot jam if you can't find it)
sea salt

Put a slice of the mozzarella on an apple slice and top with a spoonful of the jam, and sprinkle the top with sea salt.