Cabbages

Folks in Florida have been harvesting cabbages for a month now. I recently sent my husband to the farmer's market to pick up a head of cabbage to make stuffed cabbage. He mis-understood and brought home 4 huge heads of cabbage, needless to say we've been cooking cabbage in all sorts of ways.

Below are some 19th Century Recipes for various cabbage dishes.
CABBAGE.
Boiled Cabbage.— Carefully clean a nice head of cabbage, divide into halves, and with a sharp knife slice very thin, cutting from the center of the head outward. Put into boiling water, cover closely, and cook rapidly until tender; then turn into a colander and drain, pressing gently with the back of a plate. Return to the kettle, add salt to taste, and sufficient sweet cream to moisten well; heat through if at all cooled ; dish, and serve at once. If preferred, the cream may be omitted, and the cabbage served with tomato sauce or lemon juice as a dressing.

Cabbage and Tomatoes.— Boil finely chopped cabbage in as little water as possible. When tender, add half the quantity of hot stewed tomatoes, boil together for a few minutes, being careful to avoid burning; season with salt if desired, and serve. If preferred, a little sweet cream may be added just before servingCabbage Celery.— A firm, crisp head of cabbage cut in slices half an inch or an inch thick, and then again into pieces four or five inches long and two or three inches wide, makes quite an appetizing substitute for celery.

Cabbage Hash.— Chop fine, equal parts of cold boiled potatoes and boiled cabbage, and season with salt. To each quart of the mixture add one half or three fourths of a cup of thin cream; mix well and boil till well heated.

Chopped Cabbage, or Cabbage Salad.— Take one pint of finely chopped raw cabbage; pour over it a dressing made of three tablespoonfuls of lemon juice, two tablespoonfuls of sugar, and a half cup of whipped cream, thoroughly beaten together in the order named; or serve with sugar and diluted lemon juice. Strained tomatoes with a tablespoonful of lemon juice to the pint also makes a nice dressing.

Mashed Cabbage.— Out a fine head of cabbage into quarters, and cook until tender. A half hour before it is done, drop in three good-sized potatoes. When done, take all up in a colander together, press out the water, and mash very fine. Season with cream, and salt if desired.

Stewed Cabbage.— Chop nice cabbage quite fine, and put it into boiling water, letting it boil twenty minutes. Turn into a colander and drain thoroughly; return to the kettle, cover with milk, and boil till perfectly tender; season with salt and cream to taste. The beaten yolk of an egg, stirred in with the cream, is considered an improvement by some.
Source: Every-day Dishes and Every-day work ©1897

Stuffed cabbage.
Choose a large white, close cabbage, take off all the hard green outside leaves, and blanch it; cut out the heart and press between two plates to squeeze out all water. Make a stuffing with finely-minced sausage-meat, four yolks of egg and marrow, mix well together and spread a teaspoonful between each leaf, tie up the cabbage to its original shape—be careful not to cut the leaves with the string—simmer over a slow fire in stock, season with a bouquet of herbs, onions, a saveloy, carrots, a pinch of grated nutmeg, salt, and black pepper, cover the whole with slices of bacon ; shake the stew-pan occasionally so that the cabbage may not stick to the bottom and get burnt. Dish up the cabbage after cutting off the string. Pass the sauce through a tammy, clear of all grease, stir in a little thin browning, and pour over the cabbage.
Source 366 menus and 1200 recipes ©1882

CABBAGE
Mrs. E. F. Spence. One cabbage; boiling salted water; 1/8 teaspoon soda. The cabbage should be fine and of medium size. Wash, quarter, and put it in a kettle of boiling salted water to which the soda has been added. Boil twenty minutes. Serve hot.
LADIES CABBAGE
C. S.
Cabbage; 4 tablespoons cream; I tablespoon butter; 1 egg; pepper; salt.
Select medium sized heads that feel firm and heavy. Shave the cabbage very fine, and let it lie in cold salted water one hour. Drain and place in plenty of boiling water. Cook rapidly for ten minutes, then drain; add butter, pepper, salt and cream. Simmer until it is nearly dry. Just before serving, beat the egg to a cream; stir quickly into the cabbage; boil up once and serve.
HOT CABBAGE SLAW
Mrs. H. L. Parlee.
One cabbage; I teacup milk; 1/2 teacup vinegar; butter the size of a walnut, pepper; salt.
Slice the cabbage fine; put it in a sauce pan with the milk, butter, salt and pepper. When it boils, add the vinegar; cover closely and cook slowly until done. Less vinegar may be used or none at all. If cream is used instead of milk, less butter is required.
STUFFED CABBAGE
Mrs. M. J. Danison.
One head cabbage; some cooked veal or chicken; 1 egg, (yolk); salt; pepper.
Choose a large fresh cabbage and cut out the heart; fill with the veal, or chicken chopped very fine, highly seasoned, and rolled into balls with yolk of egg. Then tie the cabbage firmly together, (some tie a cloth around it, ) and boil in a covered kettle two hours.
Source: How We Cook in Los Angeles ©1894