San Francisco chef Ryan Scott thinks cabbage is way underrated. We agree.

Chef Scott – who’s worked alongside such culinary notables as Charlie Trotter, Gary Danko and Alan Wong – gives cabbage the treatment it deserves.

The San Francisco caterer and cooking instructor prepares a dish of caramelized cabbage with pancetta and apples. The pancetta is sautéed in extra virgin olive oil oil until crisp, and then set aside. Shredded cabbage, onions and apples are then sautéed until they’re golden brown. You want to keep scraping the caramel up from the bottom of the pot and incorporating it into the cabbage and onions.

Once the mixture is soft and golden, salt is added. You continue cooking until the cabbage, apples and onions turn a caramel color. You can sprinkle the cooked pancetta on top of the dish, or mix it in.

As a kid, the chef’s Christmas wish list included a food dehydrator, among other kitchen utensils. One of his first dishes, at age 9, was tuna quesadilla with canned chili over the top. He made it for his brother, who still cooks it to this day.

The Central Valley native favors local, seasonal ingredients.

“You should always decide what to cook by first figuring out which produce and vegetables are in season,” he told us. “From there, look for what will complement. Cabbage, leeks, oranges, Fuji apples . . . see what is in abundance, see what is bountiful. Then plan your meal around it.”

Bon appétit,

Claude S. Weiller
Vice President of Sales & Marketing
California Olive Ranch

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