As autumn descends and the weather turns cooler, the neighborhood feral cats make their perennial pilgrimage to my front doorstep. They know we’ll feed them. We always do. We like to give names to our repeat customers. There’s Big Red, Big Mamma, Scraggle, and Smokey Joe – just to name a few. They come to put on a few pounds… bulk up a little before the winter ice and snow arrives. They’re proudly stoic, with the wise old eyes of a hobo who’s seen a thing or two. We have a tacit bargain, the cats and I. I agree to feed them and they agree to come back for more the next evening. I would gladly take them in. But other than food service, they seem to want nothing else to do with me. These cats are real Americans. Regardless of cost, they cherish their freedom above all else.
I, however, do not need to bulk up for the winter. In fact, just the opposite I’m sorry to say. But like my wild feline compatriots, I begin to gravitate toward comfort foods about the time October rolls around. I wonder if we humans are still inhabited with some ancient memory that, despite all our advances, still calls us to connect with the changing seasons.
Oye.. I’m rambling again aren’t I. Let’s cook something!
Garlic & Cabbage Soup
I extolled the virtues of cabbage in an earlier post (see Caramelized Cabbage with Marinara) and have not changed my mind. Cabbage is incredibly versatile and budget friendly and an excellent go-to soup when the cool fall temperatures arrive.
Unlike most traditional cabbage soup recipes ours has no use for tomatoes. Why put all that acid in there? But the real star of this show is garlic which makes an appearance at first bite and never exits the stage. If you love garlic you owe it to yourself to make this recipe
What You’ll Need
1 large head of cabbage
10 garlic cloves – peeled
11/4 cups of uncooked rice
2 large carrots – diced
1 stalk of celery – diced
1 – 48 ounce can of chicken broth
2 cups of water
1 loaf of Italian or french bread
4 large eggs
What to Do
Cook the rice according to the package instructions until done.
Put the flat side of a large knife over a garlic clove (sharp edge facing away from you) and press down slightly until you hear a little pop (don’t demolish it). Do seven more garlic cloves just like that.
Chop the cabbage head up into quarters. Cut out the solid white core on the bottom of the quarters then chop the cabbage up lengthwise into ribbons.
Put a couple of glugs of olive oil into a large sauce pot. Add the 8 bruised garlic cloves and put a medium heat under it. Fry the garlic in the oil until it just starts to turn golden. Add the chopped carrots and celery and sweat the veg for about 3 minutes – then throw in the chopped cabbage.
Cook the cabbage on medium heat stirring frequently until it wilts to about half its original volume and starts to get shiny with oil – about 8 minutes. Add the can of chicken broth and stir it all up nice. Raise the heat to high and bring the cabbage broth just to a soft boil, then reduce the heat to low. Add the cooked rice and the two cups of water. Cover and simmer on low, stirring occasionally.
Crack the 4 eggs into a bowl and whisk until thoroughly mixed. Using a fork, stir the cabbage soup clockwise until you get a good swirl going. Slowly add in the beaten egg to the spinning cabbage galaxy until all the egg is in. Continue simmering on low (covered) until you are ready to serve.
When you are ready to serve, cut 1 inch thick slices of bread and toast them over a low open flame on a range burner. Use tongs to turn them until they are toasted crisp on both sides* – don’t worry if they char a little. Grab the remaining garlic cloves and rub both sides of the toasted bread slices with them – as if the bread was a cheese grater.
Drop the garlic-rubbed bread into the bottom of soup bowls and ladle them over with the cabbage soup. Serve hot.
Serves at least 6. My cost Approx. $ 6.50 total – around $ 1.10 per serving.
* If you do not have a gas range, try toasting the bread in the oven – or carefully in a broiler. GMN
Big Red Big Mamma