The heatwaves we get here in Southern California in the end of winter sends a lot of the winter greens to start bolting (starting the flowering process). When this happens, it’s ideal to harvest as soon as possible because the plant will soon go bitter. That is, if you want the greens to eat.
On the other hand, you can certainly let the plant go to flower which are perfect for the pollinators, and then the flowers will eventually turn into seeds. It’s not a bad thing. You just need to know what you want in the end, flowers/seeds or leafy greens to eat.
I want all the cabbage my garden can offer so harvesting it to eat was the main priority. This quick stir fry came out surprisingly delicious and will be in the rotation as long as I have cabbage to cook up. This is one reason why I will be growing more cabbage next year.
This recipe is spicy with the added thai chilis I’ve added to the recipe. You can easily adjust to your preference of spiciness.
This recipe is adapted from here.
Ingredients
- 6 cups green cabbage, thinly sliced (~1 medium cabbage)
- 1 cup carrots, shredded
- 1 cup turnip, matchstick
- 1 bunch of green onions, cut into 1” pieces
- 2 Tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
- 1 Tablespoon garlic, minced
- 1 Tablespoon neutral oil (I used avocado oil)
- 1 pound ground turkey
- S & P to taste
Sauce
- 4 Tablespoons Tamari (or Coconut Aminos)
- 2 Tablespoons toasted sesame oil
- 2 Tablespoons garlic, mined
- 2 Thai Chilis, minced
- 1 Tablespoon brown sugar
Instructions
Heat large skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the oil, ground turkey, garlic and ginger. Cook until the ground turkey is cooked through, about 5-7 minutes breaking it up as you cook. Remove any excessive amounts of liquid.
Prepare the sauce by mixing the soy sauce, sesame oil, chili, and brown sugar. Set aside.
Add the cabbage and carrots to the skillet with the ground turkey and continue to stir and cook until the cabbage is wilted, about 2-4 minutes. Add in the green onions, carrots, turnips and the sauce. Stir for another 1-2 minutes and then remove from heat. Garnish dish with additional sliced green onions as desired.
Here’s a quick video of me cooking up this simple, filling, and delicious meal.
