Swamp Cabbage Food

Provided by Food Network

Categories     side-dish

Time 25m

Yield 8 to 10 side servings

Number Of Ingredients 5

• Ingredients

Swamp cabbage is an old-time Florida cracker favorite vegetable obtained from the heart of the cabbage palm, which is the official state tree of Florida. . The cabbage palm grows wild throughout Florida and is also known as palmetto palm, sabal palm, and swamp cabbage tree. The swamp cabbage is taken from the center of the tree. But once the heart is taken, the tree dies. Although the swamp cabbage grows wild, it is protected from indiscriminate cutting by its designation as Florida's state tree. If you pull up a chair up at a gourmet restaurant, you order hearts of palm. If you pull up a chair up in a Florida Cracker kitchen, you order swamp cabbage. Hearts of palm is served in good restaurants all over the country, but finding Florida swamp cabbage is a little more difficult. Ask most folks who have been around Florida for a lifetime what swamp cabbage tastes like and you get smiles. They open their mouths, in all sincerity to tell you all about how yummy it is. Then they close their mouths and get a curious look on their faces. ''Uhhh . . . you just have to try it,'' they say. ''There's nothing else like it.''

Provided by Douglas Poe

Categories     Greens

Time 20m

Yield 4 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 7

• Ingredients

Nutrition Facts : Calories 112.3, Fat 7.7, SaturatedFat 4.8, Cholesterol 19, Sodium 567.5, Carbohydrate 4.9, Fiber 1.8, Sugar 1.3, Protein 7.1