The Cabbage Patch Revolution

Never in a million years would anyone have guessed that I would become excited over cabbages.  I am not a coleslaw fan.  I am not of an ethnic background where cabbage was part of our diet. Sauerkraut as a child, was my first memory of this vegetable. I watched my mom make it in big crocks. Each day It just became smelly and sour.   

The closest thing to getting my taste buds excited over this vegetable is a good egg roll.  Now, with this use of cabbage you have my attention!  However, egg rolls are an unknown entity in Mongu and will probably remain so for a long time.

This awesome Treadle Pump was secured by a loan.  Allowing this young mom to pull water from her well to water her garden. She step pumps while another person waters the gardens.

 

On my trips to Mongu, cabbages of all things brought tears to my eyes!  Not because of the aroma created when cabbage is cooked, or the fact that it was a meal staple each day, but because the miracle that these cabbages could grow in this sandy barren land. 

We go off road for miles and head to a village.  Suddenly we come upon rows and rows of big, beautiful green heads of cabbage!  These oasis gardens, loaded with this vegetable, represent a new hope for adequate food to eat, for income and a better life.  The cabbages that are being grown in the gardens helped by Hands of Hope have become the cabbages of choice when brought to market!  They are big and beautiful.  Cabbages are sold per head not weight, so the choice of the buyer is always going to go for size and for freshness. 

The sandy soil is well suited for this veggie. Just add water.   Wells determine how big and vibrant a garden can be.  Instead of pouring water on the plants bucket by bucket as too many village gardeners do, treadle pumps with hoses attached, keep the vegetables watered well.  A brilliant and simple way to water a garden.  A small simple loan changes how these women live!  Hands of Hope has committed to work in this very remote area where these wonderful people have been over looked for centuries. I could have never imagined what a world of difference cabbage patches would make in a life.

I am also learning that God, the Creator of life provided healthy food in the midst of what seems like desolate and barren lands. His cabbages 'like' this soil and cabbages are very healthy veggies!  Go figure!

Nutrients in
Cabbage
1.00 cup raw (70.00 grams)

Nutrient%Daily Value

 vitamin K66.5%

 vitamin C42.7%

 folate7.5%

 fiber7%

 manganese5.5%

 molybdenum4.6%

 vitamin B64.5%

 potassium3.4%

 tryptophan3.1%

 calcium2.8%

 vitamin B12.6%

Calories (17)0%

Added to this list of nutrients, cabbage lowers cholesterol and helps with digestion.   I have a ways to go to love all of the cabbage recipe options.   Mongu has a ways to go before Egg Rolls will be offered for dinner.  So I will share with you a quick and simple egg roll recipe while I work at adding cabbage recipes into my meal plans.  

Egg Roll - 1 lb  (small) shrimp, pork or chicken, 1 tsp ground ginger, 1 tsp garlic powder,  1 tbsp creamy peanut butter lightly saute in skillet with small amount peanut oil, drain.  Two cups shredded cabbage, 2 ounces of shredded carrots, mix into meat toss lightly and allow to drain.   I place this mixture in a colander and push liquid out.  On square egg roll skin, place about 1/3 cup of mixture in middle.  Directions on how to fold the Egg Roll are on each pkg.   Fry until golden brown, place on paper towel, drain, serve warm with Sweet Sour Sauce. Makes about 8 rolls. (Test one Egg Roll to determine best cooking time.)

This young mother waters her beautiful cabbage garden.

These simple garden tools help to turn the soil and weed the gardens.

I am helping to water this garden.  The step pump is easy to use.  Stair master with a purpose.

In the night the cabbages catch at the moon, the leaves drip silver, the rows of cabbages are a series of little silver waterfalls in the moon.
-  Carl Sandburg