I planted cabbage for the first time in the late fall, unsure what those little dark-brown seeds would actually amount to anything. I usually skip cabbage in the grocery store, and I was thinking that maybe if I grew it at home I’d be more likely to eat it.

That turned out to be kinda true, but kinda not. The cabbage grew into a beautiful ornament, like a flower made out of leaves, and I just couldn’t bring myself to harvest such a pretty plant, despite The Hubster’s insistence that it was time. I finally gave in when I noticed that one savoy cabbage (savoy is just a fancy way to saying crinkly leaves) had begun to flower. Once a plant flowers and goes to seed, it’s less delicious. I knew I was about to run out of time. So here’s the first harvested savoy cabbage from my “beauty” garden:

Until today, I just snipped of the out leaves as I needed them to make a fruit smoothie, so it was fun actually planning an actual meal that I wasn’t going to drink with it.

Here’s what we made–a sirloin stir fry with cabbage, carrots, and peanut sauce.

I don’t usually eat peanuts as it’s not part of the paleo nutrition plan, but I figured a little deviation won’t hurt. By the way, it was soooo good and there were no leftovers. You can find the recipe here. I adjusted the recipe a bit by adding a teaspoon of salt and cooked with peanut oil.

Because I research every vegetable I’m growing, I was delighted that cabbage has some amazing benefits:

• High fiber content combined with low calories keeps you feeling full longer, so it’s good for weight management.
• It’s also high in sulfur, which helps manage acne and contributes to hair and nail growth.
• It’s an amazing detoxifier
• It helps control blood sugar and help to prevent some cancers and a recent study indicates that it can inhibit breast cancer cells.

Grow Organic Start to Finish!

Eating organic is essential consuming cabbage, but the residual pesticide chemicals enter into the plant system, and since you’re eating the leaves, you’d also be eating that junk.

Cabbage is so easy to grow, even in a pot. Just make sure it’s on the large side…10 gallons just to safe. The larger pots are on the expensive side, so you can cut costs growing in a Smart Pot. With these, you can use it and fold it away until you’re ready to use it again.

And finally, just say “No to GMO” (genetically modified frankenfood) and pick put a pack of cabbage seeds from a reputable source of organic, heirloom seeds. Here’s one to consider. This is a little on the pricey side, but I like that the proceeds go to the State Farmers Market Association.