Recipe - Cabbage Sofrito

A better description for this dish would be cabbage spread or cabbage dip - not exactly a concept that would get most people excited.  But the transformation of the humble cabbage into this tangy and spicy creation was worth a little name manipulation, so I opted to keep the original name, Cabbage sofrito, which comes from the dishes conception story.  A few weeks ago, I was driving home from running some errands listening to The Splendid Table on NPR when a caller asked what they should do with some leftover vegetable platters.  Lynne Rossetto Kasper, the host of The Splendid Table, suggested that she make a sofrito out of the vegetables to use as a base for soups.  I was not familiar with the term sofrito, which was used to describe a mixture of sauteed finely chopped vegetables and spices.  If it could work for leftover vegetable platters, I reasoned it could work for the abundance of cabbage that was growing in our refrigerator.  The results were surprisingly tasty.  Put on toasted bread w/ parsley spread over top or use as a dip for chips.

Cabbage Sofrito on Toast w/ Parsley

INGREDIENTS:

1 Head Cabbage
8 Carrots
1 Large Onion
4 Garlic Cloves
1/4 c. Olive Oil
1/4 c. Rice Wine Vinegar
1/2 tsp. Chipotle Chili Powder
1/8 tsp. Cardamum
1/2 tsp. Sumac
1/2 tsp. Cumin
1/2 tsp. Turmeric
1/8 c. Brown Sugar, Loose
Salt
Pepper

INSTRUCTIONS:

(1) Blend, food process, or finely chop the cabbage, carrots, and onion.  Simmer over low heat, occasionally stirring until virtually all of the liquid has evaporated, leaving a thickened paste.  Remove from heat and set aside.

(2) Finely chop garlic.  Add oil to large pan and heat on medium/medium high.  Add the garlic and stir around 10 to 15 seconds.  Do not let garlic burn.  Add the thickened cabbage, carrot, and onion paste, and stir to incorporate.  Add vinegar and spices and cook for five minutes.  Remove from heat.  Serve on toast drizzled with olive oil and parsley (and diced heirloom tomatoes if you want some additional freshness).