A New Year's Feast

For as long as I can remember, New Year's dinner has always consisted of cabbage and potatoes, slow cooked with ham.  My mom cooked it, my father's mother cooked it, so. . . I cook it.  

Eating cabbage on New Year's Day ensures that a person will have money throughout the year, my parents told me as a little girl, when I turned up my nose at the dish.  And I turned up my nose with quite good reason.  The smell of the cooked cabbage permeated every nook and cranny of the house.  And, it wasn't an all-together pleasant smell.  I thought it was just plain awful.  Yet, here I am, year after year, cooking up the very same tradition on the North Forty. 

Thought I might share my recipe for cooked cabbage and potatoes, along with a few suggestions for ways to deal with the cooked cabbage smell. 

First things first - the smell.  While sauteeing the cabbage, use the exhaust fan and crack a window to allow fresh air to enter.  Adding a couple teaspoons of vinegar to the cooking cabbage also seems to cut the smell.  When all else fails, chalk it up to tradition.  Be happy to have them to celebrate and pass on.

 

Better Half, a stickler for heat conservation,

actually suggested opening the window to bring in a dose of fresh air.

 

The ingredients for cabbage and potatoes are simple and straightforward. 

 



 

 Roughly chop a whole head of cabbage and one large onion into bite sized pieces. 

In a large pot, bring to a simmer 4 cans of chicken broth and two cups of water. 

 For my purposes, I used a low-sodium broth.

Add a ham bone (and leftover scraps of ham, if you have them).

Simmer the broth and ham while you finish preparing the cabbage and onions.

 

 

In a large skillet, melt one tablespoon butter and add one tablespoon olive oil.

Add the chopped cabbage and onion to the skillet, a couple of hands full at a time.

Saute the cabbage and onions until wilted and translucent,

about 10 minuutes or so at medium heat.

 

 

 

The cabbage and onion mixture will wilt considerably as it cooks

(and begin to give off the distinctive aroma.  Prepare yourself.)

This is the way the cabbage and onion will look like after it has been sauteed.

 

Meanwhile, peel and cut into large chunks, 6 or so, medium red skinned potatoes.

 

Add the cabbage-onion mixture and the chunked potatoes to the

 simmering chicken broth.

Salt and pepper to taste.

Continue simmering for 20 to 30 minutes until the potatoes are fork tender. 

Enjoy.

 

This recipe makes more than enough for a large family to enjoy prosperity for the entire year. 

You may adjust quantities to suit the size of your family

and your wishes for prosperity in the new year.

 

I wish each of you a year filled with joy, peace, satisfaction, good health and . . . prosperity.