By Alyssa
I LOVE napa cabbage. If I could always have a head of napa in my house, I’d be a happy camper. It’s great in stir fries and soups, it makes a mean slaw, and it lasts forever in the fridge. And right now, I’m in luck: We are currently harvesting the one of the best plantings of napa cabbage I’ve seen in my five years at Open Field!
It’s big, beautiful, and luscious! Look at her!
If you don’t want to use the whole head at once, you can carefully remove leaves one-by-one and leave the rest of the head intact. you can also halve it, and wrap the other half tightly before storing it back in the fridge.
Upcoming Event: Farm Potluck Friday September 11th at 6 pm - Date Change!
CSA Barn Hours:
Summer hours: 2:30-6:30 pm
Pick List:
Eggs
Canada Gold Potatoes
Yaya Carrots
Merlin Beets
Pink Beauty Radishes
Ailsa Craig Sweet and Red Long Onions
Sweet Peppers (Limited amounts to start)
Annina, Diamond, and Shinkansen Eggplant
Cocozelle and Dark Star Summer Squash
Silver Slicer, Poinsett 76, and Salt & Pepper Cucumbers
Emiko Napa Cabbage
Farao and Caraflex Green Cabbage
Song Cauliflower (Limited amounts to start)
Lettuce
Poblano Peppers
Tomatillos
Regiment Spinach
Rhubarb Chard
Madeley and Dazzling Blue Kale
Cilantro, Dill, Parsley, and Basil
Corn
Hot Peppers
Tomatoes
Strawberries
Melons and Watermelons
Whole Dried Hot Peppers
Herbal Teas
Pick Your Own Flowers, Herbs, Padron and Shishito Peppers, Green Beans, Blackberries and Raspberries
Beef Bone Broth (Made by Olla Products)
Apollo Olive Oil
Revolution Bread available
Open Field Farm Swag!
Here are a few of my favorite, easy ways to enjoy napa:
Miso soup with napa cabbage and soft tofu
If you want to try making your own dashi, try out the recipes on Just One Cookbook. https://www.justonecookbook.com/homemade-miso-soup/
4 cups dashi (use dashi powder, or make your own with kombu and bonito flakes/katsuobushi)
4 Tbsp miso (1 Tbsp for every cup of soup)
A handful of napa cabbage leaves, sliced thinly
1 package soft or silken tofu, cubed
1 scallion, thinly sliced
1 Tbsp dried wakame (optional)
Heat up dashi. Add the cubed tofu and napa cabbage leaves, and cook until tofu is heated through and napa has softened a little. Dissolve the miso paste into the soup — I usually whisk into into a bowl with a ladle or two of broth, then add it back to the pot. Be careful not to boil the soup once the miso paste has been added. Add the scallion and wakame, and take off the heat.
Napa cabbage slaw with cucumber, red onion, and mint
1/2 large head of napa cabbage
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
1 cucumber (use one of the slicers like poinsett, silver slicer, or green finger); halved and thinly sliced in half moons.
6 sprigs spearmint, chiffonaded
Other herbs, if desired2 scallions or a handful of chives, thinly sliced
Rice vinegar
Honey
Olive oil
Salt and pepper (use white pepper if you have it)
Toasted sesame oil
Add the red onion to the bottom of a large bowl. Add vinegar, honey, olive oil, salt and pepper to taste. Add just a little toasted sesame oil — a little goes a long way.This will be your dressing — I usually eyeball it in the bowl, but you can mix it separately first if you prefer.
Quarter the napa cabbage and trim out the core. Thinly shred the quartered cabbage, and place in the large bowl with the red onion and dressing.
Add cucumber, mint, scallions, and any other desired herbs.
Toss to serve.
Spicy napa cabbage and tofu stir fry
1/2 large head of napa cabbage, quartered, cored, and chopped roughly
1 block extra firm tofu, drained and cut into large cubes
2 cloves garlic, minced or grated
1/2” piece of ginger, minced or grated
2 scallions, thinly sliced, white and green parts separated
1 spoonful of doubanjiang (Chinese fermented chili and broad bean paste)
1 spoonful of chili oil
Soy sauce
Shaoxing wine (optional)
salt and white pepper to taste
toasted sesame oil
Heat a wok or other large pan on high heat. Once hot, add 1 tablespoon or so of cooking oil. Sear the tofu, adding a little more oil if needed.
Add ginger, garlic, and white parts of scallions to the pan, and cook for no more than 1 minute, tossing constantly.
Add cabbage and a little salt, and cook for a couple minutes. Napa cooks quickly, so if you like it a little crisper, keep an eye on it!
While the cabbage is cooking, add doubanjiang, chili oil, and a drizzle of soy sauce; toss to combine. If things start to stick, deglaze with a little shaoxing wine, or a little rice vinegar. Add the green parts of the scallions, and take off the heat. Season with white pepper and a little drizzle of sesame oil. Add salt, soy sauce , or more chili oil to taste.
Noodles with napa cabbage, beef, and scallions
I like to use a fresh, wheat based noodle that my partner and I get from Berkeley Bowl because it lasts for ages in the fridge. You can use any noodle you’d like that you can get your hands on; just cook them a little less than the package says because they will cook a little in the pan, kind of like pasta. Wheat based noodles will be chewier, rice based noodles will be softer. Personally, I prefer a wider noodle when I make this kind of dish.
Noodles, your choice
1/2 large head of napa cabbage, quartered, cored, and shredded
1 package carne asada steak
3 scallions, thinly sliced (whites and greens separated)
1” chunk of ginger, minced or grated
2-3 cloves garlic, minced or grated
2-3 dry chilies (optional), deseeded and chopped
Soy sauce
Chinese black vinegar or rice vinegar
Shaoxing wine if you have it; otherwise, just use a bit of water
1 lemon
Salt and white pepper to taste
Marinate the steak at least 30 minutes before cooking. I put it in a bowl, squeeze a lemon over it, sprinkle with salt, add a tablespoon or so of soy sauce, and toss it all around. Refrigerate.
Grill the steak or cook it on the stove. Let it rest for 10 min or so, then slice thinly. You can do this the day before, if you prefer.
Heat a large pot of water to cook the noodles. Prep veggies and aromatics. Cook the noodles until al dente, then drain, rinse with cool water, and set aside.
Heat a large pan on the stove (I use a wok, but a large cast iron or big saute pan can work as well). Once it is hot, add a tablespoon or so of cooking oil. Add the garlic, ginger, white parts of scallions, and chilies to the pan. Cook for no more than 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add the cabbage and cook for a couple minutes, tossing constantly. Salt the cabbage lightly. If things start to stick deglaze with a little shaoxing wine. Add the steak and the noodles, and toss to combine. Add soy sauce and vinegar — start with a couple teaspoons of each, and adjust to your taste. Add the green parts of the scallions, and take off the heat. Adjust seasoning with a little salt and white pepper if needed.
Napa cabbage salad
based off a Bon Appetit recipe. I also think this basic idea would be really lovely with fennel, citrus, or apple, perhaps without the cheese.
https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/napa-cabbage-salad-with-parmesan-and-pistachios
28 oz of napa cabbage, leaves halved and torn into 3"–4" pieces
1½ tsp salt, plus more to taste
½ cup coarsely chopped raw pistachios or other nut
2 Tbsp olive oil, plus more to serve
freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 sprig thyme
½ tsp orange or lemon zest
½ tsp sugar
2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar or rice vinegar
2 tsp. honey
1 cup parsley leaves
1 Tbsp chives, thinly sliced
3 oz. Parmesan, shaved, plus more for serving
Place torn cabbage in a large bowl and sprinkle with 1 1/2 tsp salt. Toss and massage; set aside.
Toast pistachios or other nut on the stove or in the oven for about 5 min, until they smell toasty. Transfer to a small bowl. Add thyme, orange or lemon zest, and 1/2 tsp sugar; toss to combine. Discard thyme sprig once cool.
Whisk vinegar and honey together in a small bowl (or shake in a jar); season to taste with salt and pepper. Drizzle over cabbage. Add parsley, chives, parmesan, half the pistachios, and 2 Tbsp olive oil. Toss to combine, then adjust seasoning and dressing as desired.
Top with more parmesan and the remaining nuts. Season with pepper and drizzle with a little more oil.