three green things

Here are three green things I've made lately, all of which I liked well enough to note down here so that I won't forget about them in the future. Maybe one of them will even interest some of my readers!

First, roasted cabbage. An easy and tasty way to fix cabbage if you've already got your oven going for something else. That stuff that looks like cat food is walnut-miso sauce.

Cut your cabbage into eight to twelve wedges, depending on its size--cut out some of the core if it seems too thick--and arrange them on a silpat-or-tin-foil-lined cookie sheet. Brush the cut surfaces with your choice of oil, then turn them over and grease the other side. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake in a hottish oven (400-475°F, depending on the requirements of whatever else you're cooking) for 10-15 minutes per side (it will vary according to the heat of the oven and the size of the cabbage wedges). Meanwhile, make your sauce: in either a suribachi or a small food processor, crush a large handful of walnuts, then mix in about a tablespoon of miso (I used brown rice miso) and a little less of rice vinegar.

This was a Paula Wolfert recipe from the Chronicle. I had all the ingredients on hand except the parsley and I thought it would be a good use for my young kale, red dandelion leaves, and baby bok choy. I didn't make it exactly as directed--I cut my leaves up more coarsely, didn't add enough olive oil to make the dish the consistency of creamed spinach, and substituted extra cilantro for the missing parsley--but it still turned out very well. Even with the preponderance of dandelion, the lemoniness ensured that it was not too bitter.

Finally, I made fir and cedar vodkas. They're only a day old, so it'll be a week or so before I can try them out in a drink. Firtinis or cedarlets? The fir vodka--on the left--is certainly less pretty than the cedar vodka, isn't it?

If you should want to try this out for yourself, know that yews are the only toxic gymnosperms. Some taste nicer than others, of course, so that would be your main criterion. Spruce or juniper might be nice, and you could throw in a little rosemary even though it's actually a mint.