“The old Romans having expelled physicians out of their commonwealth, did for many years maintain their health by the use of cabbages, taking them for every disease.”  16th century historian

Welcome to my 3  5 9 day post.  Yep, it took 9 days for me to get this written and posted.  Why??  I have no idea!!  No good reason though, that’s for sure.

I worked late last night {Monday}, so took the opportunity to sleep in a little later than usual, which was nice.  It was a breezy “2 blanket night,” the first one for quite a while.  This morning has been one of those putz around the house mornings where I suddenly realized that my walk would have been significantly cooler had I left earlier.  Podcast selected, I popped in my ear buds, put on my hat, sunglasses and shoes, ready to go.  Open door. . .it’s raining!  You might wonder how I could not have known that.  Weather-wise, we live in a very interesting place.  Dark gray clouds may gloomily loom out one window, with a gleaming blue sky out another window, just 20 feet away.  So often, the gray clouds that hang around our house do not drop rain; I would certainly like a bit more rain, as would our plants.  Funny thing to say, from someone who lived in the Pacific Northwest for over 20 years!  The clouds are splashing rain this morning, and I am enjoying every minute of it.

I’ve had half a cup of green tea, and now it looks like a good time to walk.  Be back soon.

I’m back!  More sprinkles soon after I returned, so I guess my timing was pretty good.  Actually, my walk was timed perfectly, as was my choice of routes.  I found a fallen Meyer lemon {I LOVE Meyer lemons!}, which is a cross between a regular lemon and a Mandarin orange.  Meyer lemons have not been available in the United States until fairly recently, and may not be found everywhere.  If you are a lemon lover, and you see Meyer lemons, buy some; they are so delicious.  I come from a long line of lemon eaters, and I can tell you that my mouth is watering right now.  I love lemons sprinkled with salt-so good {not great for the enamel on your teeth, but so tasty}.  Meyer lemons have a floral quality to them, in their flavor and their aroma.  They are thin-skinned, so you can eat the entire lemon.

Click here to read a short article/hear a short interview about Meyer Lemons.  I also found a pommelo.  The owner of the pommelo tree told me a few weeks ago that I could pick what I could reach; score!.  I was thrilled to find one that had blown off in the wind, to my good fortune.  Pommelos are similar to grapefruit, but their fruit is not as soft as a grapefruit, and the flavor is a little different.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

To be continued, tomorrow!

Wednesday- No fallen fruit today, nor rain, just a beautiful blue sky & gentle breeze to keep us nice and cool.

Let’s talk about cabbage.  I love cabbage!  By all accounts, my mom makes fantastic coleslaw.  Even though I like all of the ingredients in her coleslaw, I never cared for it as a kid.  She always gave me a bowl of cabbage with nothing on it, before she mixed in the dressing.  My dad loved her coleslaw because it doesn’t have a sweet dressing.  Here is her recipe.

Mom’s Coleslaw

4 cups finely shredded cabbage
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp grated onion
Salt and pepper to taste
Celery seed to taste {my mom says that it is important to use celery seed for best flavor}

My mom always grates her cabbage in a blender, with water, which makes a very fine shred; she said that her mom liked it that way.  After processing in the blender she drains the cabbage well, so the dressing will not be watery.  You can shred your cabbage however you prefer.  Mix the remaining ingredients and mix with the cabbage.  Chill until ready to serve.

My preferred way of eating cabbage has always been cooked, as in corned beef and cabbage, minestrone soup, borscht, etc.  And then I discovered roasted cabbage.  OMG!  Roasting cabbage gives it a depth of flavor that raw cabbage cannot ever hope to achieve.  It is quite delicious, and I have to restrain myself from eating the entire head of cabbage after it emerges from the oven, roasty-toasty brown with soft centers and crispy edges.  Sprinkled with fresh lemon juice, roasted cabbage is delectable and just waiting to be eaten, leaf by leaf, standing up by the stove, where you have put it to cool.  If you manage to have any leftovers, I also find it delicious cold or at room temperature.

Roasted Cabbage with Olive Oil & Lemon
recipe adapted ever so slightly from eat.repeat

1 head of green cabbage
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt & pepper
Freshly squeezed lemon juice

Pull off the large outer cabbage leaves.   Wash the head of cabbage and dry well.  Cut the cabbage in half, and then cut the halves into fourths, leaving you with 8 wedges.  Try to keep a bit of the core on each wedge, so that the wedges have a better chance of staying together.  Put your cabbage wedges on a sheet pan lined with foil.  I like to line my sheet pan with foil to make clean up a little easier.  Brush the cabbage with olive oil and sprinkle with freshly ground salt and pepper.  Roast in a 400 degree oven for 30-40 minutes, flipping the wedges about halfway through.  Roast until the cabbage is browned, even to the point of the edges being crispy brown {much tastier this way!}.   Sprinkle cabbage with lemon juice & eat hot, warm, room temperature or cold.  Yum!

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Bon appetit!