Cabbage loaf
Adapted from Marion Morash’s The Victory Garden Cookbook by Stephanie, Yorkville CSA Marion Morash is a James Beard Award winning chef, author, restauranteur, and TV personality who discovered her love of cooking through a unique connection to Julia Child. When her husband, who worked in public television, became a producer for The French Chef, he brought home half-prepared dishes that were used as “swap-outs” on the show, along with instructions from Julia on how to finish the dishes. Soon enough, Marion was serving as the on-air chef and sometime host for James Underwood Crockett’s show The Victory Garden. Her work on the show, and her love of cooking and gardening—after a few years on air, the show moved from the studio to Marion’s own garden—inspired her bestselling The Victory Garden Cookbook.
Ingredients
- 4 TBS butter divided
- 1 TBS oil plus more for pan
- 2 ½ lb green cabbage shredded
- 1 cup milk
- 2 TBS flour
- ½ cup grated Swiss cheese
- 3 eggs
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
- ¼ tsp total nutmeg, crushed caraway seeds, thyme, summer savory, or any combination of your favorite herbs and spices (can double amount of herbs if desired for flavor)
- ¼ cup breadcrumbs
Instructions
- Heat the butter and oil in a large skillet until the butter is melted; stir to mix the oil and butter. Add the cabbage and stir until it is coated. Cover, turn heat to low, and simmer until the cabbage is soft, about 8-10 minutes. Remove the cover, turn up the heat, and stir for 2-3 minutes until most of the liquid in the pan has evaporated.
- Heat the milk until scalding (a microwave will do this in about 2 minutes). Melt the remaining butter in a small saucepan. Add the flour and whisk for 1-2 minutes until a paste forms. Pour in the hot milk, turn down the heat, and continue whisking until you have a thin sauce. Add the cheese and stir until it is melted.
- Beat the eggs in a small bowl. Add 1 tablespoon of the white sauce and mix. Then add the eggs to the rest of the sauce. If you are using herbs or spices, mix them in now.
- Grease a 9×12 inch loaf pan. Preheat oven to 375 F.
- Fold the cabbage mixture into the sauce and mix well. Transfer this mixture to greased loaf pan. Sprinkle the breadcrumbs on top. Bake in the preheated oven for 35-45 minutes, until the edges of the cabbage begin to brown.
- Allow to cool for 10-15 minutes, then slice and serve warm.