King of Kraut: Bumper Cabbage Crop Fills Sauerkraut Jars

Rapid City Journal ^ | Wednesday, September 09, 2009 | Jomay Steen

[ApplegateRanch]

Y'all need to rumble her thumps!

Rumbledethumps is a traditional dish from the Scottish Borders. The main ingredients are potato, cabbage and onion. Similar to Irish colcannon, and English bubble and squeak, it is either served as an accompaniment to a main dish or as a main dish itself.

Cooked leftovers from a roast meal can be used. However, to make fresh rumbledethumps one needs to lightly sauté the shredded onion and cabbage in butter until the onion is transparent and the cabbage wilted, then add some potatoes mashed with butter, salt and pepper; after thoroughly mixing the ingredients, they are placed into an oven proof dish, and cheddar (or similar) cheese placed on top, if desired. This is then baked until golden brown on top.

An alternative from Aberdeenshire is called kailkenny which replaces the butter in the potatoes with cream.

We usually mix shredded cheese into it with the cabbage and onions; the "cheese placed on top if desired" is a must, too. A dash of nutmeg, and and a dose of granulated garlic mixed in with the S&P kicks it up a notch.

Finished product:

Chop an onion, and shred cabbage whiole boiling the spuds to mash, and the oven is heating to the 350-400F range. Saute them over low-med heat in enough butter to mash the potatoes, until the cabbage is limp & the onion is starting to turn translucent.

Drain & mash the potatoes, then add the onion & cabbage (and shredded cheese if using) & maybe sonme extra butter; don't forget the milk, half & half or ceream & the seasonings while mashing!

Put in an oven proof dish and spread it evenly and cover the top with cheese; garnish with (as in the pic) with red pepper rings, or other, as & if, desired. Bake until the cheeses is just starting to brown. (We use the same 8X13 deep loaf pan as for shepherd's pie.)

This is extremely forgiving, and can be varied almost endlessly.

Similar is Tatties & Neeps, in which mashed turnip is used in addition to, or instead of, onion--or even instead of the cabbage--your choice.

If my English to English translation is correct, it gets its name because you rumble (mix in) the cabbage & onion into the thumps (mashed potatoes, because you have to thump'm good to get'm mashed.

[Red_Devil 232]

OMG!

[Oberon]

Is somebody hungry?

[Red_Devil 232]

Hey thanks for the rumbled thumps! Looks and sounds like something my wife would love! Oh the history/language lesson is nice!

I am in Mississippi and if you tilt your chair back a little to far and fall you are said to have "tilted" over - just across the border in Alabama you "tumped" over! Neat stuff!

[Mrs. Don-o]

I'm bookmarkin' this --- later on I'll look up my recipe for colcannon (it's German style, actually, but I don't know what they call it..)

My father used to make sauerkraut. It had depth, complexity, a spicy and most satisfying aroma. Can't buy kraut like that at the store anymore...

[JustaDumbBlonde]

Here are the two recipes that I use for cole slaw. The first is my favorite, but my kids like the second better.

1 head green cabbage
1 peeled carrot (increase or reduce to taste)
3 Tbs sweet relish (increase or omit to taste)
1/2 cup Miracle Whip
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup vinegar
1/4 canola oil (or your favorite salad oil)

Grate cabbage and carrot into large bowl with sweet relish. Mix together dressing ingredients in a small saucepan. Bring to boil and cool. Pour over slaw.

This dressing also makes a super broccoli salad. Let me know if you would like the list of ingredients for that as well.

This recipe is a copycat of slaw at Kentucky Fried Chicken, which is probably why the kids have always favored it.

1 head of green cabbage finely chopped
1 carrot shredded
2 tablespoons dried minced onion (3 tablespoons if fresh is used)
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup buttermilk
1-1/2 tablespoons white vinegar
2-1/2 tablespoons lemon juice

Mix ingredients for dressing and allow and set aside for at least 2 hours to fully develop flavors. Pour over slaw.

Busy in the cookhouse today. There is a corned beef brisket braising in the oven for some glazed corned beef tonight. Also juicing the 20 gallons of muscadines that hubby and I picked yesterday. Taking 5 pounds of mule deer jerky out of the dehydrator. Hubby returned last week from hunting in Colorado (I didn't draw a tag unfortunately). Lots of good aromas floating around.

[OpusatFR]

I like to shred the cabbage, then add sugar, salt and pepper and celery seed, apple cider vinegar and then mayonnaise.

It’s good and very fresh and I have no idea about measurements. It’s all to taste.

[o_zarkman44]

I like to cut my cabbage heads into quarters or eighths, depending on size. I put two pats of butter on them, with garlic salt, wrap them in foil, and cook them on the grill for about an hour, or until tender. If grilling other items, be sure to start the cabbage well before any other food goes on to insure it’s all ready at the same time.

Unwrap and pour the cabbage/butter into a casserole dish and serve. Mmmm mmmmm

[JustaDumbBlonde]

Oh, I forgot to mention that how finely or coarsely you prepare your cabbage will effect on how your slaw will taste (oddly enough). I prefer very fine and, after cutting up the cabbage, I put it in the food processor and pulse it a few times. That gets it about the size required for the KFC copycat recipe.

[Red_Devil 232]

Oh you can bet I want all the list of ingredients for the broccoli salad!

[Red Badger]

I can see we’re really gonna have a problem with Global Warming NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!........................

[Red Badger]

Don’t knock all sauerkraut. The American version of sauerkraut isn’t the same as German sauerkraut that I ate while in Germany. I had your same aversion to the vinegary-pickly taste, until I had it the German way, and it was delicious.

The kraut that I had was rinsed thoroughly, then heated with bacon fat and bacon bits crumbled all throughout. It was delicious!.............

[dennisw]

I’m a peasant...
I like cabbage slaw
I like cooked cabbage, Brussels sprouts, kale, broccoli, cauliflower and collards. I like raw cauliflower and broccoli too
I like sauerkraut which is pickled cabbage
I make sauerkraut sometimes. It is ready in three weeks. ...I make saltless sauerkraut for its pro-biotic properties.
Meaning it gets good digestive bacteria going
Sauerkraut is great for digestion especially the raw uncooked. So is raw beer straight from the brewery like in a brew pub. Guinness on tap used to be unpasteurized. I heard that’s no so these days at least in America

Sauerkraut helps cut through fats...that’s why pork and sausage is often on the same dish with sauerkraut

The big home sauerkraut makers and eaters are those with German, Central European, Eat European backgrounds. Other Europeans yawn at it such as the French and Brits

[dennisw]

The apple crop in NYS is phenomenal this year.It’s one of the best in a long time. The trees are just loaded........

I have noticed low apple prices. I see produce price deflation and specials over the last year

[dennisw]

Don’t knock all sauerkraut. The American version of sauerkraut isn’t the same as German sauerkraut that I ate while in Germany. I had your same aversion to the vinegary-pickly taste, until I had it the German way, and it was delicious................

My guess is the Germans make it so that it ferments longer and at a lower temperature. Vinegary taste means quicker fermentation. Germans are doing it the traditional way

[Vinnie]

gotta ping this for my Polish wife. She cooks a lot w/ kraut.
I like it w/ caraway, believe that’s Bavarian style.

[JustaDumbBlonde]

Chopped brocolli florets and stems
Chopped cauliflower (can omit & double up on broccoli)
Chopped red onions
Chopped carrots
Crumbled bacon
Golden raisins
Roasted sunflower nuts

Pretty much anything else you want to try, but those are the basics!

[JustaDumbBlonde]

"I like it w/ caraway, believe that’s Bavarian style."

A big Boston butt pork roast (extremely cheap cut of meat) covered in bavarian style kraut and cooked in the crock pot all day is one of our favorite comfort foods. Serve with a warm piece of buttered homemade bread. (I always cook this, as well as corned beef & cabbage, by placing the crock pot in the garage or on the back porch ... those meals don't smell nearly as good as they taste!)

[Vinnie]

My wife does something similar, really good.

I like to make sweet & sour red cabbage w/ kielbasa. Yum

[mollynme]

That sounds wonderful. I eat a lot of stir fried cabbage (in olive oil) as a replacement for potatoes and rice. This is definitely going on my menu. Thanks!