By March 2030. The seventh traditional foods workshop. Art was less involved this year—his back had required a procedure in February and he was recovering carefully. He attended the workshop but mostly observed, which was its own kind of passing of the baton. Madison and I ran it together, with two additional instructors we'd trained over the past year. Forty-five participants. The workshop had a waitlist now, which I hadn't anticipated when we started.
The seventh workshop differed from the earlier ones in a way I noticed halfway through the morning: the participants arrived knowing more than they had in the first years. People were coming in with questions that presupposed existing knowledge. They'd been cooking from what the earlier workshops had taught them and had come back with specific questions that came from actual practice. That's how it's supposed to work. You teach someone the foundation and they come back asking about what they built on it.
At lunch I talked to Art about whether he was going to formally transfer the Cherokee Nation event contracts to me. He said he'd been ready to do it for a year. He said he'd thought I would ask sooner. I said I'd been waiting until he was ready to let go. He said that was considerate and also somewhat annoying. I said I thought he'd be ready after the workshop. He said he was. We finished the conversation at lunch and by the end of the day there was an agreement that the transition would complete by summer. Eleven years of relationship building with the Cherokee Nation events, coming to me. I intended to deserve it.
After lunch with Art and the weight of that conversation — eleven years of relationship-building being handed to me before the day was out — I wanted to cook something that felt like it understood what tradition means. Red Cabbage with Apples is exactly that kind of dish: it’s been made across generations, it rewards patience, and it tastes better when you already know what you’re doing with it. That felt right. This is the recipe I came home to that evening.
Red Cabbage with Apples
Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 40 minutes | Total Time: 55 minutes | Servings: 6
Ingredients
- 1 medium head red cabbage (about 2 lbs), cored and thinly sliced
- 2 medium apples, peeled, cored, and chopped
- 1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons butter or neutral oil
- 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 cup water or vegetable broth
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Sauté the aromatics. In a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven, melt butter over medium heat. Add the sliced onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5–7 minutes until softened and beginning to turn golden.
- Add the cabbage and apples. Add the sliced red cabbage and chopped apples to the pot. Stir to combine with the onion.
- Season and deglaze. Pour in the apple cider vinegar and water or broth. Add the brown sugar, cloves, cinnamon, and a generous pinch of salt and black pepper. Stir well to distribute the spices.
- Braise low and slow. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer, then reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and cook for 30–35 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes, until the cabbage is very tender and the apples have melted into the dish.
- Adjust and serve. Taste and adjust seasoning — add more vinegar for brightness or a pinch more sugar for balance. Serve warm as a side dish alongside roasted meats, sausages, or as part of a traditional spread.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 110 | Protein: 2g | Fat: 4g | Carbs: 18g | Fiber: 4g | Sodium: 95mg