The Head Hunter

In archaic times headhunting was the act of seeking out human heads as trophies. The modern term “Head Hunter” refers to a person who identifies and approaches suitable candidates employed elsewhere to fill business positions in a different company. In our garden however, head hunting is much more utilitarian in nature, referring to the gathering of cruciferous plants such as cabbage and broccoli heads.

Cruciferous vegetables are from the family Brassicaceae and are sometimes called Cruciferae. The Cruciferae name comes from Neo-Latin roots meaning “cross bearing” as the shape of their flower petals resemble a cross. This type of vegetable comes in many well know forms such as cauliflower, kale, cabbage, broccoli, and brussels sprouts, serving as one of the dominant food crops worldwide. They are high in vitamin C and are a great source of soluble fiber.

Utilizing raised beds in our garden, we were able to intensively grow nine plants in each 4 x 4 box for a total of 28 cabbage heads and 18 broccoli florets. Each Stonehead cabbage plant averaged about six pounds, yielding around 168 pounds of the tasty vegetable! Much of the plant was shredded and made into sauerkraut, with the remaining shreds being put in bags and stored in the freezer. 

Shredded cabbage freezes well for use in many recipes including kai si ming, fried rice, and even coleslaw. The broccoli heads were also cleaned, separated, and frozen for later use. Unlike cabbage plants which are finished after the removal of the head, broccoli continues to send up side-shoots for a continued smaller harvest.

With the cabbage and broccoli harvest now complete, head hunting in our vegetable patch has come to a close, but we do still have much to harvest. Ears from corn, tomatoes, okra fingers, and leggy green beans to name a few. The hard work now is always rewarding during the cold winter, bringing good reminders of the past summer, and giving us hope for the coming spring.

~Mark