The savoy cabbage stands out among its smooth-skinned green and red cabbage cousins. You can’t miss the fantastically crinkled leaves surrounding a pale green heart. Its name comes from the word “savoyed,” meaning “curled and wrinkled.”
It might be worth bringing home just for those outer leaves that look almost like creased and wrinkled silk, but Mecca Lowe of Jackson Lowe Vegetable Farm in Rockmart says it’s the tender, sweet flavor that makes it deserving of a place at your dinner table.
“Savoy cabbage is really very delicious,” Lowe said. “It doesn’t hold up well in transit, so it’s great to buy straight from the farmer.”
Adam and Mecca Lowe will be selling their savoy cabbage and other spring vegetables at the Sunday morning Grant Park Farmers Market, the Saturday morning Marietta Square Farmers Market and in mid-May at the Thursday afternoon Rockmart Farmers Market in downtown Rockmart. This is the Lowes’ fifth year growing savoy cabbage for market, and this year they’re experimenting with a purple variety.
“Another thing to know is that savoy cabbage doesn’t keep as long as storage cabbages,” Mecca Lowe said. “I find I can use it in all the same ways I do storage cabbage except that the curly leaves don’t work well for stuffed cabbage. But for slaw, or sauteed like kale, it’s great.”
The rules for buying a savoy cabbage are the same as with most cabbages. Choose one that feels relatively solid and heavy for its size. It won’t be as compact as storage cabbage because all those wrinkles mean there’s a little more space between the leaves.
Your fresh savoy cabbage should hold up well for about a week, maybe a little longer. When ready to use, discard the hard core and serve the raw leaves shredded into a salad or slaw. Or steam, boil or braise it. If you’re up for a little experimentation, try the leaves in any oven-baked kale chip recipe.
A medium head should yield about 9 cups of shredded cabbage.
At local farmers markets
Farmers market openings:
4-8 p.m. Thursday, April 18. East Atlanta Village Farmers Market, Atlanta. www.farmeav.com
8 a.m.-noon Saturday, April 20. Cotton Mill Farmers Market, Carrollton. www.cottonmillfarmersmarket.org
9:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Sunday, April 21. Grant Park Farmers Market, Atlanta. www.grantparkmarket.org
Cooking demos:
9 a.m. Saturday, April 20. Chef Marc Sommers, Parsley’s Custom Catering, working with beets. Morningside Farmers Market, Atlanta. www.morningsidemarket.com
10 a.m. Saturday, April 20. Chef Thomas McKeown, Grand Hyatt. Peachtree Road Farmers Market, Atlanta. www.peachtreeroadfarmersmarket.com
For sale
Vegetables and fruit: arugula, Asian greens, beets, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, celery, chard, collards, dandelion, endive, English peas, fennel, frisee, green garlic, herbs, kale, kohlrabi, leeks, lettuce, mache, mushrooms, mustard greens, onions, radishes, rutabaga, sorrel, spinach, spring onions, strawberries, sweet potatoes, turnips
From local reports
Spaghetti with Savoy Cabbage
Hands on: 25 minutes
Total time: 25 minutes
Serves: 6
1 (13.25-ounce) package whole-grain spaghetti
1 slice whole-wheat bread
1 clove garlic
5 tablespoons olive oil, divided
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons roughly chopped fresh parsley
1 small head savoy cabbage (about 1 pound), finely shredded
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and keep warm.
While pasta is cooking: In the bowl of a food processor, process bread and garlic until finely chopped. In a large skillet, heat 3 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat. Saute bread crumbs and garlic until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Do not wipe out processor bowl. Remove bread crumbs from heat. Season to taste. Set aside. Do not wipe out skillet.
In bowl of food processor, process parsley until finely chopped, about 30 seconds, and stir chopped parsley into browned bread crumbs. Set aside.
In same skillet, heat remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add cabbage and saute 4 minutes or until cabbage just begins to wilt.
Toss spaghetti with cabbage and arrange on serving platter. Sprinkle with browned bread crumbs and Parmesan and serve hot, warm or at room temperature.
Per serving: 366 calories (percent of calories from fat, 31), 13 grams protein, 54 grams carbohydrates, 8 grams fiber, 13 grams fat (2 grams saturated), 3 milligrams cholesterol, 114 milligrams sodium.
