Cruciferous Recommends Vol. 2

A few things I'm loving right now

I love getting recommendations from creators I trust, so every 5 Cruciferous newsletters, I share my own recs of the moment with you.

Check out a farmers’ market find, a supermarket pick, a handy tool to cut waste, a new Philadelphia favorite, and a warning against a fancy appliance brand. 

A cruciferous vegetable: Caraflex cabbage

Also known as pointed sweetheart, conehead, or arrowhead, this variety of green cabbage has been popping up at farmers’ markets over the past few weeks. It’s a sweet, tender cabbage with thin leaves, which makes it ideal for shredding into salads and slaws. They typically weigh between 2 and 4 pounds; I think the smaller ones are sweeter. If you see them at your market, don’t pass them up. 

A product (and a recipe): vegan sausage

“Meats” made from vital wheat gluten, aka seitan, are not everyone’s favorite, but I like them. They deliver a lot of protein and are usually low in saturated fat (especially if you make them yourself). 

I usually adapt one of The Hidden Veggie’s sausage recipes when I want to make my own. I especially enjoy the Italian version. But more often, I reach for a package of Field Roast. Most often I brown the Italian one in a skillet to add to my pasta dishes, but I also love the smoked apple and sage flavor with potato salad or, in the winter, braised cabbage and potatoes. 

A kitchen tool: Pantry Elements silicone baking cups

We really make an effort to eliminate disposables of all kinds in favor of things you can reuse. I initially bought these silicone baking cups to use in place of paper cupcake liners for baking. The truth is they don’t actually work that well for that purpose, but I use them constantly in a different way. 

These little silicone cups are ideal for portioning and freezing things like tomato paste, apple butter, and pesto. I prefer buying a large can of tomato paste instead of the tube to reduce packaging. But of course, most recipes call for only a couple of tablespoons. So I portion 2 tablespoons into small silicone baking molds and freeze them, ready to defrost in a flash when I need it. I do the same with apple butter, portioning and freezing the exact amount we use in our go-to oatmeal cookies. It’s one of my favorite ways to reduce packaging and waste.  

A local treat: Lil’ Yenta’s 

One of my favorite baked goods is babka, traditionally chock full of milk, butter, and eggs. When I heard Lil’ Yenta’s would be creating 100% vegan versions of the full assortment of traditional Jewish baked goods, I couldn’t wait to taste the first babka I’ve had in, oh, 6 years. And Lil’ Yenta did not disappoint. In addition to world-class chocolate babka, I’ve also loved the black and white cookies, rugelach, and mandel bread. If you find yourself in Philadelphia, it’s well worth a stop.

Cruciferous does not recommend: Miele appliances

I have long advocated for induction cooktops for environmental, health, and safety reasons. When we upgraded to an expensive Miele induction cooktop several years ago, it felt like a big splurge, but one I thought would be worth it based on Miele’s marketing around reliability. They claim their appliances are tested for up to 20 years of use. 

So imagine my dismay as my cooktop started smoking a few weeks ago and then promptly died. Miele sent a repairman out (at a cost of $150), followed by a repair estimate whose cost exceeded the price of a brand-new cooktop. 

I still fully endorse induction cooktops (I hope to have a new one, from Bosch, in a few weeks) but steer clear of Miele when you outfit your kitchen if you like appliances that last!

If you have any recommendations to share, please tell me here in the comments!