When we used to get most of our veg from a delivered veg box, often the main meal of the day would be based around the need to use something up, from the box. It’s the same now, only we grow our own veg.
Yesterday we cut seven more heads of calabrese (great veg, easy and freezable) and the first of our cabbages. It’s a big one, and the time had come. We had some steamed with roast mutton. Lovely. But unfortunately, we only needed a quarter of it. So today, I needed to think of something to cook that could use up the cabbage. Coleslaw… but we have lots of spuds coming on too, I needed a potato based meal that could be served with coleslaw. Homity pie.
I have the cranks cookbook, and they should be the people to turn to for homity pie.. but they ‘updated’ it. it no longer comes in a pastry case.. and uses mashed potato. sorry, but that’s not homity pie.. that’s mashed potato with stuff thrown in. Besides, we have new potatoes. So I came up with my own recipe, which went down well with the family, served with homemade coleslaw and beetroot (last year’s from the freezer). perfect. Apart from that only used another quarter.. Will have to think of more meals involving cabbage for the other half!
The pie sounds good. You could make some of the cabbage into sauerkraut (it’s very good with pork chops). This is the simplest method, you can put other flavourings in if you like.
cabbage
salt
white vinegar
bottling jars
sterile lids and rings
boiling water
Chop cabbage and fill the jars. Pour the boiling water in jars until full. Put 1 tsp. of salt and 1 tbsp. of vinegar in each jar. Seal the jar with the lid rim. Keep for 6 weeks before eating.
oh thats a thought.. thanks!
although i might save it until we can’t stand cabbage – we have lots more coming. meantime its so sweet and crunchy.. think we shall manage to eat it up.
I found this link when our cabbages started to come in thick and fast which you might find useful:
http://www.cookitsimply.com/category-0020-01j54.html
Also for cabbage just as a side veg I cook it quickly in just a couple of tablespoons of water and a knob of butter – simple and delicious.
Your recipe sounds delicious. I’ve already printed it off and will definitely be using it some time soon
Sharon J
thanks Sharon
So THAT’S what homity pie is. I kept meaning to look it up every time I heard about it but never remembered when I had the WWW in front of me.
Don’t suppose you know what “grits” are do you?
as far as I know, grits is a porridge made from coursely ground sweetcorn. But I have never tried it.
I also have the original Cranks book, and use their original Homity pie recipe, the only difference I make one large pie rather than the smaller ones they recommend.
It tastes really yummy cold, but now the boys are growing up (as are their appetities) we rarely have any homity left overs.
When my eldest son was younger he thought it was called ‘Vomity pie’ and refused point blank to even try it!
Fortunately he has got over that mistaken identity
that’s funny.
I have the new cranks book (well its probably been updated several times since) – and would rather have the old one.. had to make up the recipe from memory of having eaten nice homity pie. seems to work.
don’t think I’ll mention the ‘vomity’ name to my son though…
Raw cabbage is deliciously peppery sweet. yum. But I do microwave it with a bit of butter and make a meal with just cornbread, hot and crusty (no flour, no sugar, just yellow cornmeal, egg, salt, buttermilk, baking soda). I also include cabbage in a couple of rice combinations.
One is called Hoppin’ John (reason unknown to me): sauteed onion and bell pepper with cooked black-eyed peas (canned is good), with chopped cabbage steamed on top of the simmering peas; the whole mixed with cooked rice.
Another is cabbage rolls without the rolling: loosely fried ground chuck with onion and bell pepper, canned diced and seasoned tomatoes (italian seasoning), chopped cabbage (again steamed on simmering meat and tomatoes with liquid), the whole mixed with cooked rice. I often now add chopped eggplant, and skip the beef, also can use bulk sausage.
I was googling homity pie because it is mentioned in a Stephen Booth mystery I am reading, Scared to Live, set in Derbyshire (?), Bonsall Hollow, Peak District, Matlock Bath, Via Gellia, tufa cottage (also googled). Love being able to find out all these British oddities mentioned in the books I’m reading.
from south Louisiana, USA
It’s nice when you make sense of these ‘oddities’ from books etc – Try the homity pie, it is good!
Derbyshire is not that close to us, although himself used to work there – nice area.
Thanks for the cabbage suggestions – we still have lots of cabbage coming in, but luckily are still enjoying it!
Sweat a peeled and sliced onion in butter in a large pan. When the onion is translucent, stir in slices of apple (a tart green one works well), a couple of good pinches of caraway seed, and about half a shredded cabbage. Stir well, turn the heat down really low, pop the lid on the pan and leave for 20-30 minutes. Shake from time to time to prevent the cabbage sticking (don’t remove the lid and stir or you lose valuable steam). Serve with pork (chops, sausages, roasts etc) and mashed potatoes.
This was our dinner tonight, with pork chops. Mmmmm…