Caramelised red cabbage and an ape

Ape first.

It's the OUSA's Art Week and there are installations dotted around the campus. This one is particularly striking, as it's right on State Highway 1 - the main road that stretches the length of New Zealand.


Here's a closeup of the ape:


He appears to have been made from the interior parts of the car on which he sits! I rather like him, and hope he finds a permanent home somewhere on campus.

My bridge partner and I went out for dinner before bridge a couple of weeks ago - his wife was away and he couldn't be bothered cooking for himself; typical male. Anyway, we went to a wee café called Café Rue and had a lovely meal. With my starter paté there was a delicious caramellised red cabbage, and the chef was kind enough to give us the recipe when we asked what was in it.

I made a batch at the weekend - it's great stuff, it keeps pretty much forever.

Into a pot went half a red cabbage and an onion (supposed to be red but I only had yellow), a teaspoon of chopped garlic, half a teaspoon of chopped chili, 1/3 cup of cider vinegar, 1/3 cup raw sugar, 1/3 cup ginger wine, and a bit of salt.


I cooked it for a while, cursing myself for not using a bigger pot. Then I put it in my wok and finished cooking it.


I stirred in a 1/2 cup of apple and murtilla jelly (supposed to be redcurrant) and cooked it down until it was toffee-ish.


That's it - it's now in a container in the fridge, and a bit is making its way into my bento box and onto my plate with some regularity.

Caramelised red cabbage and onion

Ingredients
1/2 red cabbage, sliced finely
1 red onion, sliced finely
1 tsp garlic, chopped finely
1/2 tsp fresh chili, chopped finely
1/3 cup raw sugar
1/3 cup cider (or red wine) vinegar
1/3 cup ginger wine
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup redcurrant jelly

Method
Put first eight ingredients into a big pot and cook for 20 mins or so, stirring often.
Add the redcurrant jelly and continue to cook until all the liquid has reduced to a toffee-ish consistency.
Store in fridge. You can use it cold or heat it up. Use it as a condiment or garnish rather than as a vegetable.

It's good with these little things:


Which are somewhere between a meatloaf and a meat patty. In my bentos I slice them and call them loaf.

Tamarillos are ripening in the glasshouse!


And sheep are ripening in the paddock over the back fence:


They were shorn on Saturday, which means lambing is imminent.