57-59 Club Garden Rd, Sheffield, S11 8BU

Spring cabbages are here!

Season: SpringWinter

This week we have beautiful Spring cabbages from the wonderful people and plants at Wortley Hall Walled Garden. These brassica leaves are so tender and sweet that I’ll be reserving half my cabbage to enjoy minimally adorned as a side-dish – lightly cooked and tossed with some oil or butter and a bit of garlic. The rest of the cabbage can glide into a comforting, multi-textured, veggie noodle stir-fry. I am quite addicted to fish sauce (Nam Pla) – any excuse for a big splash – but yesterday was pleased to find a vegetarian seaweed-based version (Nam Pla Jey). For the veg mound, feel free to substitute other greens but ideally include a brassica sibling like broccoli – keeping it super nutritious.

Ingredients

Egg or rice noodles – two portions

Sunflower oil and sesame oil for stir frying

Spring cabbage, shredded – about a third of a head

Carrot, one small/medium - finely julienned

White or brown onion, one small, finely sliced

Ginger, small thumb sized, finely chopped

Garlic, three cloves, finely chopped

Firm tofu, about 140g

Cashews, a good handful (about 80g) coarsely broken up and toasted

For the sauce - increase volumes if you prefer very saucy noodles:

Fish sauce or vegetarian fish sauce - 1 tbsp

Rice vinegar - 1 tbsp

Soy sauce - 2 tbsp

Sriracha chilli sauce - 1 tsp

Sesame oil - 1 tsp

Good squeeze of lime juice

Method

Cook your noodles and have them ready. If you like your noodles crispy, you’ll need to fry them separately before adding to the veg.

Mix all the sauce ingredients and have them ready by the hob.

Prepare the tofu: cut into short flat-ish little strips and fry in some sesame oil, turning them, until they’re golden. Set aside.

Cook the veg: heat 2 tbsp of sunflower oil and 1 tbsp sesame oil in a wok until very hot. Add the onion, carrot, garlic and ginger and stir fry on high heat for a couple of minutes. Then pile in the shredded cabbage and stir fry vigorously on high heat until wilting and just tender; hopefully the c

Add the cooked tofu and toasted cashews, mix to distribute evenly. Then add the noodles and the sauce, toss well so everything is combined. Pile into bowls, adding more soy sauce to taste.

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