HOW TO COOK NAPA (aka - Chinese Cabbage)
1."Napa or Napa cabbage is a type of Chinese cabbage originating near the Beijing region of China. In much of the world, this is the vegetable referred to as "Chinese cabbage, " and here at Tomazin Farms, we grow big beautiful Napa cabbage for our community.
You can pick up some beautiful Napa at Tomazin Farms, The Barefoot Farmers Market this weekend from 8 a.m. - 12 noon.
Below are some of Missy's favorite ways to serve Napa!
BOILING
Add the cabbage, quartered or sliced, to a large pot of boiling water. Cover the pot and gently boil until tender. This will take about 7 minutes for slices and 15 minutes for quarters. The cabbage should still be a little crisp. Drain, toss with butter, and season with salt and pepper.
STEAMING
Heat about a half-inch of water in a pan to boiling. add the cabbage in quarters or thinly sliced, cover, and steam over low heat until tender. Shake the pan or stir every once in a while. Steaming cabbage preserves the texture and more of the vitamins than boiling does.
BRAISING
Melt butter or bacon fat (about 6 tablespoons for two pounds of Napa) in a large skillet. Add finely sliced cabbage and stir to coat. Cover the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, over low heat until tender, about 4 to 5 minutes. Season with salt and paper. Sprinkle thyme and soy sauce.
STIR FRY
Trim the leaves from the stalks; cut the stalks into bite-size pieces and the leaves into 2-inch strips. Heat a tablespoon or two of peanut oil in a wok or heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add the Napa stalks and stir fry until they just start to soften. Add a little liquid broth mixed with a little soy sauce is great - and stir fry a couple of more minutes. add the leaves and stir-fry until tender. 1 to 2 minutes. Serve hot!
FRESHLY SHREDDED
There's nothing like fresh shredded Napa. Add it to noodle dishes, in salads, and let the natural favors mix into your dishes.
SEASON TO TASTE
Enhance the flavor of cabbage with any of the following:
Basil, Black Paper, Butter, Caraway Seed, Cayenne Pepper, Chile, Dill, Fennel Seed, Ginger, Marjoram, Nutmeg, Onion, Sage, Savory, Sesame Oil, Soy Sauce, Vinegar, or Wine.
Quote 1. Wikipedia - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Napa_cabbage