Purple and Green Cabbage Potato cakes

Cabbage is a member of the Cruciferae family. It is related to broccoli, Brussels sprouts, collards and kale.

There are three major types of cabbage: green, red and Savoy. The colour of green cabbage ranges from pale yellow to dark green, while red cabbage has leaves that are either crimson or purple with white veins running through it. Both cabbages are beautifully packed with layers of tight leaves - natures natural wrapping, protecting each from the sunlight.

These individual potato cakes are essentially individual bubble and squeak cakes. The only difference is I have made these with both Minicole, a green cabbage and Marner Early, a red cabbage which to my eyes is more purple than red, even more so when prepared like this. If you want a really vibrant purple potato cake, make these potato cakes in advance and let them sit in the fridge for two days, the colour of the red cabbage will drain and have been absorbed by the potatoes. So when you cut into it you will have a purple potato cake. I know this because I made enough potato cakes to last us a few days, and when it came to consuming the final lot, they were beautifully purple. The taste remained the same.

I think this is my favourite way to eat red cabbage, maybe…just maybe it will become yours too.

Cabbage Potato Cakes
Makes about 8
Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil and extra for shallow frying
2 small cabbages, one red and one green, cut into quarters, then sliced thinly.
700g potatoes, peeled. cooked and mashed and allowed to cool down and divided into two bowls.
2 small onions, finely sliced

Salt and pepper to taste

Method
In two separate pans, heat a tablespoon of olive oil and soften in each onions and cabbages, until translucent and cooked through. Turn off heat and allow to cool. When cool, add the cooked cabbages to each potato bowl, combine well and season to taste. Then shape into individual round cakes. Cover and chill for an hour or more. When ready to eat, heat a few tablespoons of oil in a large frying pan. Add the cakes and fry over medium high heat for about 5 minutes on each side until crisp and golden brown.

The sunflowers and marigolds came and went

Look at this weekends harvest
We pulled out some carrots, some of which have signs of carrot fly, two cabbages, some PSB, sprouting broccoli, runner and climbing green beans, chard, about 100g of raspberries, herbs and some more lavender. I am leaving the rest for the birds.

It was a very short visit to the allotment yesterday due to the weather. For those of you living in the U.K will have heard that there were floods in some parts of Scotland.
The strong sideways wind have knocked all my dwarf sunflowers to the ground and the marigolds dead-headed not too long ago have all turned to mush due to the battering and downpour of rain.

Before leaving, I scanned over the plot, there is so much still to do. As a weekend allotment grower I can only hope we get a dry day next weekend.

We have ten beds, the two by the entrance are flower, herb and perennial beds. Two others have already been cleared, dug over and covered. Two have fenugreek and strawberries (which needs tidying). Meaning I have four beds to clear. These are the Legume bed 2 which I think may have given us our last runner and climbing beans. The other three are a bit of a mish mash, meaning half of each are cleared the other half still have vegetables growing it them. For example, leeks, parsnips, beetroot and chard. As much as I am loving my chard, I have planted them here, there and everywhere, so some of them will have to be dug out, dug over and covered for the winter. The sunflowers and marigolds will all have to be pulled out too. There time has come and gone.

The hut was also letting in water somewhere, so that will need to be seen to as well.

The good thing is we still have so much growing. There are leeks, parsnips, beetroot, various red and green cabbages, Brussels sprouts, curly kale, PSB, white broccoli and sprouting broccoli, Purple queen cauliflower (if they flourish), carrots in a plastic tub, Jerusalem artichokes, lettuces, fenugreek and various hardy herbs. So it's not all bad.

Golden Autumnal days are gone...

For Sunday brunch I made some waffles using some of my 'golden apple' squash. Sorry no picture of them, they were eaten greedily on this wintery autumnal day before we braved the wind and rain for a quick visit to the allotment plot.

Golden Apple Squash waffles with pecan nuts
Serves 4
Ingredients
3 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 cups milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup of squash (or pumpkin) puree
1/2 cup of pecan nuts, chopped
2 cups plain flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
Method
In a bowl, mix the wet ingredients together. In another bowl, stir together the dry ingredients. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and combine well. Add more milk if necessary. Cook according to your waffle maker instructions. Recipes adapted from Deborah Madisons Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone