Today’s cabbage soup recipe was inspired by the a mystery box delivery from Mariquita Farm in Watsonville, Ca. I show up to a designated pick-up spot, pay $25 and in turn get what feels like twenty pounds of beautiful produce direct from the farm. This time of year I might see the eyes of impossibly petite potatoes peering back at me, they could be nestled alongside a kaleidoscope of vibrantly colored carrots, or shouldered up against a of pile of parsnips.

Cabbage Soup Ingredients

Taking inspiration from a beautiful moon-shaped cabbage and potatoes in the mystery box, I sliced a the cabbage into thin ribbons and cooked it down in a simple pot of sautéed potatoes, beans, onions, garlic and flavorful broth. Each bowl was finished with a generous drizzle of great olive oil, a couple dabs of sour cream and a jolt of something spicy – in this case a bit of Calabrian chile paste. Couldn’t be more simple.

But before I get too far ahead of myself on the soup front, let me tell you a bit more about Mariquita Farm and what Andy and Julia are doing. There’s a bit of back story. I used to buy produce from Mariquita at the farmers market on Saturdays. After many years they decided not to do the market anymore. Mariquita sells my favorite rainbow carrots, and I was convinced I was going to have to find a new source. Not the case, Julia emailed some of her regulars last summer mentioning that she would be making the occasional delivery to San Francisco…“would we be interested in doing a pick-up?” She also mentioned the option of buying one of Andy’s specially curated mystery boxes – which have since become very popular.

This isn’t a CSA, it’s more guerilla than that. As it stands now, every other week(ish) Julia and Andy pack a huge delivery truck with many, many mystery boxes. Julia then climbs into the big truck and navigates her way over the Santa Cruz mountains down into Silicon Valley and then north toward San Francisco. She parks the truck in front of a previously designated neighborhood restaurant and people come from all over the city to trade cash for mystery crops. It’s great. I end up trying all manner of ingredients I might not buy otherwise. The crops are beautiful and bright because Andy takes such care in growing and handling them.

With out sounding too mushy, this is just one more reason I love living in San Francisco. On a good night, not only do I go home with the box (er, bag – the boxes get reused), but sometimes I even get to sit down for a drink or slice of pizza and catch up with Julia. It’s a real treat.

A few related links:

• Mariquita Farm (website)
• The Ladybug Letter (Letters from Andy)
• Julia’s blog

Cabbage Soup Variations

Back to the soup – there are a bunch of variations I’ve made over the years cooking this. Here are a few stand-outs.

• Parmesan Cabbage Soup: There are nights when I keep this super simple, finishing things off with a generous dusting of Parmesan cheese and a few chopped herbs.
• Curried Cabbage Soup: Add a scant tablespoon of curry powder to the pot prior to stirring in the broth.
• Lemony Cabbage Soup: Make the soup as written but serve each bowl topped with freshly grated lemon zest and a generous drizzle of lemon olive oil.

Cabbage Soup Leftovers

This is a great next-day soup. So keep that in mind. And, generally speaking, there are a couple ways to deal with leftovers (like, if you make a double pot). Cabbage soup freezes well, so eat your fill of the soup for a day or two, then freeze the remaining. You’ll want to make sure it is room-temperature or cold prior to freezing. Allow to thaw before reheating.

I suspect many of you have all the ingredients needed to cook this on hand – aside from the cabbage. I’m going to encourage you to give this a try! It’s a great staple recipe to have in your back pocket. This recipe was originally posted in early 2008, and I’ve cooked it many times in the years since. Enjoy! -h

More Soup Recipes

A little side note, if you enjoy making soups as much as I do, you’ll want to start making your own homemade bouillon powder. So easy, and nice to keep on hand!

• Tortellini Soup
• Wild Rice Soup
• Roasted Tomato Soup
• Lively Up Lentil Soup
• Split Pea Soup
• Miso Soup
• Ribollita
• All soup recipes

Continue reading Rustic Cabbage Soup on 101 Cookbooks

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The Well at Jordan’s Farm is a farm-to-table eatery in Cape Elizabeth, Maine with a daily tasting menu that incorporates seasonal ingredients supplied by local farmers and fishermen. The restaurant is situated on (you guessed it) Jordan’s Farm: a 122-acre, family-owned produce farm that specializes in sustainable agriculture. 

Before opening The Well in 2010, chef Jason Williams—formerly a chef at the iconic Portland, Maine restaurant The Back Bay Grill—regularly sourced ingredients from Jordan’s Farm and developed a close relationship with the family. So when Williams was eventually ready to open his own restaurant, the Jordans granted him their blessing to do so on the property. In The Well’s early stages, Williams wrote each day’s menu on a chalkboard outside the restaurant and asked patrons to settle their tabs by dropping cash in a suggested donation box. The Well has since moved to more conventional table service, but the restaurant still changes up its tasting menu on a daily basis using fresh and seasonal ingredients from Jordan’s Farm to make each dish special. 

The restaurant’s kitchen was built off of a flatbed trailer and is fully road-ready. Crammed into the trailer is a three-bay sink, pasta machines, circulators, and even a backroom with wine storage. It’s a scrappy but functional arrangement that has served Williams well, even as the restaurant’s clientele has expanded. To get the day’s fresh produce, he simply grabs tote bags, walks to the farm stand, hand-selects his items, and brings them back to the kitchen. Williams says his aim is not to dazzle guests with odd ingredients and combinations but, rather, focus purely on quality cooking that relies on the fundamentals of flavor. 

Seating at The Well ranges from the Chef’s Porch table (seating for one to four guests) to private small gazebos (three to six guests) and large gazebos (six to 12 guests). Large gazebo guests can choose between the tasting menu or the “family style” format menu, which includes a five-course meal on large, shareable platters.

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