Here I am, back with more winter recipes. I’ve been waiting for quite a while to purchase savoy cabbage and last week I was finally lucky enough to get it. Savoy cabbage is a member of brassica oleracea family (in case this name doesn’t ring the bell, let me name some other members of that same family: cauliflower, broccoli, brussels sprouts…), it prefers to grow in cooler climates, it’s not picky about the soil as it tolerates most of them and another thing, supposedly it rarely suffers from diseases of other members of the same family. (If I knew that a year ago, I would have planted savoy cabbage instead of common cabbage. Namely, quite some of our cabbages got mysteriously eaten up and we’d never found the real culprit. Hmm.)

Savoy cabbage is a highly nutritious vegetable and it’s packed with antioxidants. While it’s a bit too hard to be eaten raw -at least regarding the external leaves- you can make it more palatable by cooking it in (salty) water for a few minutes. I was trying to be a bit creative and I prepared 3 dishes for you to see, what you can do with this vegetable (besides eating it in soups or stews).

WHOLE WHEAT SPAGHETTI WITH SAVOY CABBAGE, CHORIZO, RED ONION AND PINE NUTS
(serves 2)

200g whole wheat spaghetti
1 middle-sized red onion
cca. 7cm long chorizo
3-5 leaves of savoy cabbage, depending on their size
a fistful pine nuts
olive oil
sea salt
freshly ground pepper
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 bay leaf

1. For spaghetti: bring to boil a lot of water in a big pot, together with a slice of onion and bay leaf (this way your spaghetti will be more aromatic!). Once boiling, add salt and spaghetti and cook according to the instructions on the packet.
2. Wash the leaves of savoy cabbage, pat them dry and chop thinly. Blanch them in boiling salted water, aromatized with cumin, for not more than 10 minutes. Immediately drain and keep warm.
3. Chop the onion and chorizo and sautée gently in a frying pan with some olive oil. In another pan, dry-toast the pine nuts. Keep.
4. Mix savoy cabbage with onion and chorizo, add salt if necessary, then mix with spaghetti. Sprinkle with pine nuts and serve immediately. I really liked the outcome: the sweetness of savoy cabbage and onion, combined with the spiciness of chorizo and with the crunchiness of pine nuts.

SAVOY CABBAGE PESTO
(serves 2)

3 leaves of savoy cabbage
6-8 leaves of celery (leaves of stalk)
1 small onion
50g grated Parmigiano Reggiano
extra virgin olive oil
sea salt
freshly ground pepper

1. Wash the leaves of savoy cabbage and dry them well. Chop them coarsely and blanch in boiling water for a few minutes, then rinse under cold water so that it keeps its beautiful green color.
2. Chop the onion and celery leaves and sautée for a few minutes with some olive oil. Let cool a bit, then add to the savoy cabbage along with grated parmesan, ground pepper and enough olive oil for a consistence of pesto.
3. Mix the ingredients using a blender, then taste a bit and add some salt if necessary. Serve with pasta and if you like, top with some fried pancetta, like I did – it was delicious and as tasty as a genuine pesto genovese. The celery and savoy cabbage combo is simply awesome.

MARINATED SAVOY CABBAGE WITH RED PEPPER, CARROT AND ZUCCHINI
(serves 2)

3-5 leaves of savoy cabbage
1 big carrot, grated
1 medium zucchino, grated or sliced
1 medium red bell pepper, sliced

Marinade/dressing:
lemon juice
apple vinegar (or try tarragon infused vinegar, if you happen to have it)
1 tsp mustard (or Dijon mustard, if you prefer)
extra virgin olive oil
sea salt
ground pepper
finely chopped celery leaves
a couple of tbsp water (depending on the acidity of the marinade)

1. Combine all the vegetable ingredients in a bowl and mix with the prepared marinade; stir well, cover the bowl and place in the fridge overnight (or for a few hours at least).
2. Serve with a main dish or on its own. It makes a refreshing alternative to salad.