This is the story of a recipe that begins with the simplest, most humble of vegetables, a single whole cabbage. Cabbages tend to be underrated when in fact they are quite remarkable. They remind me of chameleons, with the ability to camouflage themselves in all kinds of surroundings. Fermented pickled sauerkraut, sweet acidic cole slaw, toothy grilled cabbage “steaks,” comforting colcannon (potatoes & cabbage), fried with eggs, braised, roasted. I think I’ll stop here.

I was sitting on the porch the morning of Labor Day, thinking about cooking something for dinner, and the bones of this recipe popped into my head. A perfect plan for the cabbage sitting in the refrigerator.

I collected all the ingredients, prepped the cabbage and popped it into the oven. Then I sent the new recipe to two friends, one of whom absolutely loves to cook, and the other of whom loves my longstanding love of real food. They both wanted to make it, one with cabbage, but the other with a whole cauliflower. Very nice. I wasn’t sure how long it would need to cook, so I told them I’d get back to them on that. This recipe takes just a few minutes to toss together, and can easily be made early in the day for an evening meal. I would also not hesitate to make it for a potluck. The house smells pretty good as I write this. I hope you like it.       

1 whole cabbage, cored
2 tsp. sweet paprika
1/2 tsp. chili powder (I used a full tsp. of Serrano chili powder, but I love heat)
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. garam masala
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. black pepper
2 tsp. Kosher salt
2 Tbsp. tomato paste
1/4 cup olive oil
1 Tbsp. honey

Heat oven to 350F. Place cabbage in Dutch oven, cored area facing upward.

Measure the spices, honey, tomato paste, and olive oil into a 2-cup measuring container, and mix together with a fork. Pour the entire mixture over and around the cabbage. Use your hands to spread it out so it is mostly coated.

Add 3/4 cup hot water to the empty measuring cup, and stir to loosen the bits stuck to the walls of the measuring cup. Pour into the base of the Dutch oven and cover. Place in the oven for 1 hour at 350F. Then turn down the heat to 300F, and continue to cook for 2 hours more until caramelized. After the second hour (of three hours total) of cooking, begin to check every half-hour or so to make sure it isn’t beginning to burn.

Remove cover and allow to rest for 10-15 minutes. Remove to a platter and slice into wedges. Serve warm or at room temp, alongside a mound of quinoa sprinkled with fresh basil or tahini. Serves 6-8.