Thinking Outside the Jar: Rosemary Apple Cider Sauteed Cabbage

I know proteins tend to be the star of the show, but we’ve been blessed with a fantastic CSA and the bounty of vegetables is always inspiring. I love nothing better than having vegetable sides that are as delicious as the meat and cause you to take notice. Tonight’s cabbage side stole the show:

It was served alongside other local delights, including an apple cider vinegar, butter, rosemary glazed pork chop and boiled new potatoes with pan gravy and chopped fresh garden herbs.

Here’s the lowdown on the cabbage. It’s extremely versatile and I kept it on the milder side to appeal to a toddler, so please adjust as you see fit.

1 small cabbage, shredded

3 slices of freshly smoked bacon, chopped (we get ours locally and it’s a very meat, thick cut)

1/2 apple, chopped

1 clove new garlic, chopped

1 tbsp uncanny Rosemary Apple Cider Jelly

1 tbsp sherry vinegar

1/2 tsp carraway seeds

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. In a large frying pan over medium heat, fry up chopped bacon and reserve until end. Reserve rendered fat.

2. Add in sliced cabbage, stirring frequently until cabbage has wilted. Add in apple and lower heat to low-medium. Cover until cabbage has cooked to your liking.

3. Remove cover, add in vinegar, jelly, spice and seasonings and before serving, return pieces of bacon to mixture and serve hot.

Garden Fresh Potatoes

The new red potatoes were simply boiled with some of the pan drippings poured over and a sprinkling of garden fresh herbs (oregano, thyme, lemon thyme and dill) and some green onions. Deliciously simple.

Rosemary Cider Chops

This one is compliments of my husband, Jeff. He was kind enough to butcher a roast for me and turn it into chops (I had left the whole dinner thing way too late for a roast!) and he pan seared them before glazing them with an apple cider vinegar, butter, fresh rosemary glaze. I’m not sure exactly how much of everthing he used, but it was substantial enough to coat the chops and provide enough drippings for two servings of potatoes.