Cabbage Salsa

I haven't done a food post in a long time. Not really to sure why. But, with the coming of summer, and the warm weather, and the glorious sunshine, and the farmer's markets, and our favorite fruit stand, First Fruits getting ready to open, I am craving fresh fruits and vegetables. I LOVE fruits and vegetables, I can't really think of one that I don't like. My kids, however, do not feel quite the same way. Frank eats them cheerfully, but the girls are a constant challenge. I am sure I will prevail, and they will grow up loving them, but sometimes it is emotionally taxing to serve veggies night after night, and deal with the dinner table drama that comes with. So, when I find a recipe that they love, I make it. And, we ALL love this one.

Dinner is usually a lighter affair for us. I don't make a huge meal every night, because no one enjoys it, after about 2 nights of big meals. We are a family of snackers. So, the following recipe is something that we usually end up eating as a light dinner.

It is Cabbage Salsa, and it is delicious.

Here's the inventory. I'm so proud, I didn't forget anything. Other than the salt and pepper.

As with everything I make, start by chopping your fresh garlic, and shallots. You could use onion, if you wanted. I like shallots better, so that's what I use.

Chop and de-seed-ify your jalapenos. I use a spoon to get out the spicy insides. Sometimes, to amuse myself, I leave a seed or two in there, and wait for the reaction. I have to get my kicks somewhere. Usually when I make a blended salsa, or chili, I will use the whole jalapeno, or whatever pepper, and just drop them in the blender. That way I can use all the seeds and end up spicier. Since this is more of a chunky salsa, I take them out, cuz while my children do very well with spicy food, getting 4 or 5 jalapeno pepper seeds in their mouth at once would probably not make them happy.

Now, stick your peppers, shallots, and garlic in a skillet, with a few tablespoons olive oil. Saute for just a few minutes. This step is optional, but I really think it blends the flavors better, and will probably ease any indigestion your eaters might get from raw garlic, pepper, or shallots. It will also infuse the flavors into the olive oil, which will be spread throughout the salsa.

And, if you're seasoning a lovely antique Griswold cast iron skillet for your sister's upcoming wedding gift, it will also help with that...

Meanwhile in a colander far far away, rinse your cabbage.

Chop your cabbage. This is Napa Cabbage and, obviously, purple cabbage. If you want your salsa to hold up in the fridge a little longer, you could use regular cabbage instead of Napa. And, you don't have to use the purple, I just use it because it's pretty.

Start piling it all in your bowl... make sure to get all the infused olive oil out of the skillet, and into the bowl.

I think every recipe I've ever put on here has bell peppers in it. Yum.

Cilantro. How I love thee.

Tomatoes. There just aren't words for how glorious thou art.

Ain't it purdy?! (Like how I can go from Shakespearean English to hillbilly in one sentence? Yeah, me too.)

Squeeze in el-lime-ohs. (And a little non-spanish for ya. We provide all sorts of services around here.)

Gorgeous. Grab a handful of tortilla chips, and eat guilt-free deliciousness.

Yum!

Here's the ingredient list:

Naomi's Cabbage Salsa

1/2 medium Napa Cabbage

1/4 small purple cabbage

5 cloves garlic

1 medium shallot

2 jalapeno peppers, or to taste

approx 2 TBSP extra virgin olive oil

2 bell peppers or to taste

3 small tomatoes

1 handful cilantro

juice of 2 limes

sea or kosher Salt, and fresh ground pepper

Chop all veggies. Saute Garlic, Shallots, and Jalapenos in olive oil. Combine in a bowl. Squeeze the juice of 2 limes over the top, salt and pepper to taste. Gather your family, a bag of tortilla chips, and sit on the front porch with your iced tea. Enjoy!