Brrrr… We are a lucky farm family when we can continue to eat such wonderful and local produce despite sub zero temperatures out there. Thank you, Springdell!
A few days ago, I wrote of my adventure with Nana as we had a blast making cabbage rolls together. I did not want to forget to write of what became of the rest of the cabbage, as I believe firmly in the goal of this blog – let no Springdell veggie go unloved in 2015!
Galuska was one of my favorite dishes when I was a little girl. How does one get a young child to appreciate cabbage? For me, the secret formula was to sauté it in butter and salt, mix it with egg noodles, and give it a name that was fun to say. Ga-LOOOOS-ka!
Let’s get to it.
So in Nan’s original galuska recipe, the cabbage usually starts raw, cored and shredded (not too thin, see the pic). As today we are starting with the center leaves of the cabbage that have already been boiled some, we need only reduce our cabbage’s cooking time a bit. This works ok as I have never been able to nail Nan down on an exact cooking time, it just takes some cooking and stirring “until soft and tender”. Usually if I start the cabbage, and then start to cook and drain the egg noodles, things are ready to be combined when the noodles are done.
If you are not fans of cabbage, might I recommend also adding a little butter when the recipe calls for adding extra water. It’s ok if the butter reduces with the water, and it really makes the cabbage tasty against the noodles. A pinch of salt is also key in bringing out the flavors of the cabbage. We are going for “soft and tender”, but watch the flame and liquid level to ensure we are not browning the cabbage along the way.
Once your cabbage is tender and the liquid is reduced, add more butter (yup) and a pinch of salt (yes, I know…) along with the egg noodles. Stir until the butter is melted and combined and you are good to go! The sweet and buttery cabbage against the egg noodles is pretty yummy, but that’s just my opinion. I’d love to hear what you think!
My two year old is already a fan, but he has no idea what cabbage is yet. As far as he is concerned, there is no cabbage, there is only Ga-LOOS-ka!!!
- 1 package wide egg noodles (with a pinch of salt)
- 1 small head of cabbage, cored and shredded
- margarine
- salt and pepper
- Boil egg noodles, drain, don't rinse. Put cabbage in a skillet with about 1/2 inch of water. Once frying, cook until soft and tender, adding water a necessary. When cabbage is done, add margarine and noodles. Add a pinch of salt and pepper, and voila!
- Nan was in a margarine phase when this book was written, but butter, preferably Amish Roll Butter, is definitely our preference. Feel free to add butter/salt along with water while simmering the cabbage. Watch the flame and water level so as not to brown the cabbage. Enjoy!