Cabbage Tops

While hardly a catchy or romantic name, "cabbage tops" seems to be the best descriptor of this leafy green vegetable that I can find. "Cabbage tops" is what the farmer was marketing them as, but I have since also seen them referred to as "cabbage rapini". The problem is that I can't find any reference to any form of this usage of the cabbage plant. Rapini is usually associated with broccoli, and broccoli raab/rabe/rapini are known for having tall, slender stalks with dark leaves and scattered clusters of tiny buds or flowers. The entire plant--stems, leaves, and flowers--can be eaten. My "cabbage tops" looked very similar to broccoli rapini. It turns out that cabbage and broccoli are both members of the Brassica oleracea family, so the similarity would make sense. I am still confused, however, about whether these "cabbage tops" are really tops of a cabbage plant or a separate thing altogether, as the broccoli rapini plant is. I guess I have something to talk to the farmer about next week!

Just like broccoli rapini, the farmer told me to eat every part of the plant, stems, flowers, and all. The particular bunch I bought was from a red cabbage variety, thus their beautiful dark purple hue. After washing them thoroughly, I trimmed the stems and chopped up the whole bunch to put into an Asian noodle dish, along with some red bell peppers and mushrooms. The flavor of the cabbage tops was obscured somewhat by the intensity of the soy sauce and other sauce ingredients, but I could detect a slight bitterness that helped to add depth to the noodles. The texture also was very appealing, with the crispness of the stems contrasting nicely with the leafy greens. Turns out that the mysterious "cabbage tops" are worth looking into!

Cabbage-Top Noodles

In a small bowl, combine together 1/4 cup rice vinegar, 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce, 1 tsp. sugar, 2 Tbsp. lime juice, 2 Tbsp. nam pla, 1 clove minced garlic, and as many minced thai chilies as you can handle (we recommend 4)!

Cook your choice of Asian noodles according to package directions (I used Marco Polo Chinese Style Noodles, a wheat noodle variety).

Heat a large skillet over medium high heat and add 2 Tbsp. of peanut oil. When hot, add 1 bunch of green onions, white parts only (finely chop some of the green tops for garnish). Saute until soft and beginning to brown, then add 2 thinly sliced portabella tops (or other mushrooms of your choosing). Once mushrooms begin to brown and have lost most of their moisture, add chopped cabbage tops and one thinly sliced red bell pepper. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add 1/4 cup rice wine to the pan, then quickly cover with a lid. Allow to steam for about 5 minutes or until vegetables are cooked thoroughly.

Toss cooked noodles together with the sauce and the vegetables. Garnish with green onions.