Potato & Cabbage Mash

Nothing says home cookin' like mashed potatoes.   For a "new" spin try the classic rustic Italian recipe of Potato & Cabbage Mash (Lesso di Patae e Cavolo Verza) by adding cabbage to boost the flavor. You can't get any more simplistic - a perfect example of cucina povera or peasant cooking. This dish goes great with stews, roasts and chicken.

We grow kilos & kilos of potatoes and rows of cabbages so we eat this all winter long!

pounds of freshly dug-up potatoes from the garden

Potato & Cabbage Mash

Lesso di patate e cavolo

Serves 4

1 head of savoy cabbage or cavolo verza, rinsed, cored & chopped
3 medium potatoes, (I grow & use yellow potatoes but use what you like)
2-3 glugs of olive oil
2-3 cloves of garlic
salt & pepper


Bring a large pot of water up to a boil with a healthy pinch of salt. Toss in your potatoes with the skins-on. Cook until a knife slides into the potato easily (just like you would for mashed tatters), remove from boiling water & allow to cool slightly. Then peel potatoes once you can handle them.

In the same pot bring new water back to a boil with a pinch of salt.
Place cabbage in boiling water 8-10 minutes until soft. Remove cabbage from water & set in colander, draining excess water.

In a large frying pan (don't use Teflon pans for this!) on med-low heat slowly heat oil, rough chop your garlic & add it to the pan. Gently sweat for moment or two without burning or becoming brown. Then begin adding your potatoes to the pan, smashing them with a fork, incorporating the garlic & oil.

Give your cabbage a squeeze to remove some of the excess water, add the cabbage to the pan & continue smashing the cabbage with the back of the fork until the two are incorporated.

Taste. Season with salt & pepper, add another drizzle of olive oil if it seems dry.
Serve.

cavolo verza from our garden