What do I do with swede and cabbage?

[wigwam33]

OK so we've recently decided to have another go at an organic veg box with seasonal vegetables. This week - swede and cabbage. Not my favourite things but I'm willing to have a go.

I'm wondering about soup - but how to make it tasty and not just a generic 'blergh bland winter veg' taste?

Anyone got any tried and tested recipes - soup or otherwise?

Cabbage = Bubble n squeek instead of mash

Just chop the swede up and boil it then mash it with loads of butter and black pepper - delicious!

Carrot and swede mash is very yummy!! Lots of butter and pepper too.

Bbc good food have got an article on swede this month, there is a recipe for honey roasted swede with chilli and cumin and one for a kind of swede dauphinoise called swede temptation

Swede - home made Cornish pasties
Cabbage - bubble & squeak, cooked with juniper, cooked with bacon

Swede makes a great curry with prawns - chop an onion, fry and add a tsp of turmeric and salt then add a handful of prawns. Add chopped swede and cook til tender, adding water of necessary. Delicious and simple.

Cabbage can also be cooked in the same way, or we sometimes add it to a lamb curry which makes it much tastier.

wonkylegs do you have a link to a good Cornish pasty recipe please?

You could also finely shred the cabbage and stir fry it..... delicious! Even the kids say so.....

The Telegraph mag had a few cabbage recipes a couple of weeks ago.

Cabbage is good mixed in with mashed potato and served with sausages.

Carrot and Swede soup is really nice and I'd add some pasta shapes to this recipe. Mashes swede is glorious with lashings of butter and a dollop of sour creme or yoghurt and a dash of lime juice.

Swede also makes a nice pastie.

Sorry I don't really have a recipe written down I just chuck everything like my gran/dad taught me. (Cornish granny)
If I get a chance I'll see if I can write something down for you.

Boil and mash with carrots, or mash by itself.
Mash the swede with potato and use to top shepherds/cottage pie.

This roasted swede with parmesan looks tasty.

DS is in bed, just got the chance to come back on MN. Thank you all for the ideas! I love MN. Mashed swede and potatoes/ carrots - of course. TotemPole, I love the idea of using it on top of a pie too.

erowid, wonkeylegs- bubble and squeak is such an obvious one and I remember really liking this as a child (can't have realised it had cabbage in!). Good idea. I love the cornish pasty idea too as I'm a pastry addict, though would have to replace meat with something else as I don't eat meat.

GoldenSunny - good tip. I'll have a look at their site now.

SilverSixpence - never had swede or prawns in a curry but I'm up for anything once so I'll have to give it a go!

JamNan - thanks for the links. Will definitely give the soup a try as I LOVE soup when it's cold.

I mean when the weather is cold not the soup.

Yuk. Cold soup.

I haven't had swede in a curry, but I'd like to try it now. I imagine the sweetness would go well with spices.

I wonder if a variation on sag aloo would work, using the swede instead of potato and the cabbage instead of spinach.

We're currently overdosing on an awesome HFW recipe for swede.

500g swede, cubed
1 onion
sage leaves

Sweat swede, onion, half sage, salt & pepper in 50g butter, then cover and cook on low for 45 mins. Add remaining sage leaves. Devour.

We swap some of the swede for carrots, depending what's in the veg box.

Couple of cabbage faves.

? Cabbage with peanut butter: shred and boil cabbage. Reserve some of the cooking water, stir in lashings of peanut butter, recombine with cabbage.

? Cabbage & sausage casserole. I've put in the full recipe in case you have a favourite sausage-substitute, but actually this would taste good without. The cabbage becomes sweet and succulent.

sausages
1 large cabbage
1 onion
2 tablespoons wine vinegar (or whatever you have)

Brown sausages - under grill, or remove from casserole when nicely coloured.
Soften onions in butter or olive oil, add cabbage and turn over in casserole to coat with oil. Add salt, pepper, wine vinegar. Place sausages on top. Cover tightly and cook on low for 1 hr, adding water if in danger of sticking.

Ooo lovely. Both of those recipes sound really good. Thanks

I made the roasted Savoy hearts with breadcrumbs and cheese sauce made with Parmesan and added some walnuts. It was delish.