Every September, I step up onto my soapbox to report for my self-appointed duty — one part desperate, one part cantankerous — to remind us that summer isn’t over yet. I beg us to put away the decorative gourds and pumpkin spice for just a tiny bit longer. It’s a slippery slope from “hooray, scarves!” and “look at that perfect rainbow of a tree!” to a very long winter where I forget what warmth feels like on my skin and I am beseeching us not to wish it away. Or, I struggle with change? Hm, it’s hard to tell!
These cabbage and halloumi skewers, like me, have their feet in both seasons: a heartier, warming vegetable but with flavors that still taste like weather warm enough to eat outside. If you haven’t grilled cabbage before, you’re in for a treat. Even on the most pathetic gas grill (i.e. mine), the thick leaves get a little sweet, a little smoky, and — as we’ve learned via this charred salt and vinegar cabbage, this roasted cabbage with walnuts and parmesan, and this crispy cabbage and cauliflower salad — the more char, the better. Thin slices of salty halloumi are threaded between the chunks of cabbage and they, too, taste astoundingly good grilled. The cheese was, in fact, designed for it. Finally, we make an herby, punchy mixture with garlic, lemon, capers, and red pepper and brush it all over and then my husband and I stand in the kitchen and wolf it all down and forget why we’d want to eat anything else for dinner.
The Smitten Kitchen now has two newsletters! The Smitten Kitchen Digest, my many years running Monday newsletter, is for catching up on all things SK: what’s new, announcements, fun things to read, and seasonal menu suggestions. The Weekly Yap, my new Friday newsletter, is all about everything off-the-menu and not always about cooking, like what I’m up to, into, great meals out, books, travel, and more. Sign up for both (free!) right here. If you’re already a Monday newsletter subscriber, you can add the Friday newsletter via your Substack settings > Subscriptions > The Smitten Kitchen Digest > Slide the toggle next to Off-The-Menu to receive the emails.
Big braiser news! In the 18 months since we launched the Staub x Smitten Kitchen Braiser, nothing has made me happier than seeing how many of you are cooking in it. It remains my forever, perfect pan — just the right size for weeknights, the right shape for sautéing, and the right depth for baking, roasting, and braising. Your number one request? More colors! And it’s finally happening. The Staub x Smitten Kitchen Braiser is now sold exclusively through Williams-Sonoma, which means that in addition to the original black, it comes in six! new! colors: Cranberry (bright red), Grenadine (deep red), Sage (light green), Basil (dark green), La Mer (dark blue-green), and Sapphire (dark blue). If you’re looking for inspiration for what to cook in your braiser, start here!
