Somehow, she could make something out of nothing, my Grandma. She wasn't a fancy cook. She never had fancy ingredients. In fact, fresh garlic might have been as gourmet as she got. And I don't remember there being processed or refined food in her kitchen (except for the past-date Hostess goodies that were given to my grandparents by their friends, the Lees, who were the local Hostess distributors. Oh, yes, and the commodity cheese. Never one to waste what was given to her, Grandma did use her commodity cheese.) Her food was fresh in season, or home-canned out of season. But mostly, it was pure food, simple food, basic.
Like her Hamburger Cabbage Soup. I wish I knew what else to call it, because that name doesn't seem all too inspiring, but that's how we've always known it, so I'm at a loss for something else. My memory of eating this soup for the first time is safely couched in that place in my mind reserved for pleasant, comforting thoughts. Worn and weary from over 2,000 miles of travel one day, I arrived to my grandma's warm hug and a bowl of this warm soup. It was fresh. It was basic. It was simple.
It was delicious.
I've found that it fits neatly into a growing repertoire of food that I've been cooking these last few months, which I fondly refer to as Peasant Food. Peasant Food is simple. Peasant Food is fresh in summer, and canned goods and root-crops in winter. Peasant Food is less at the grocery and more in the pot.
Peasant Food is this soup. And I can't wait any longer to share it with you.
Grandma's Hamburger Cabbage Soup
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 large cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
1-1/2 lbs. ground beef, browned and drained
4-5 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
1/2 head green cabbage, chopped
1-2 15 oz. cans diced tomatoes
4-6 quarts of water or stock
1-2 teaspoons salt and pepper to taste
In an 8 qt. stockpot, warmed to medium-high heat, brown ground beef. Season with salt and pepper. Remove beef from pot and drain. Return pot to stove, reduce heat to medium-low, add olive oil, then garlic and onion. Saute until translucent, 5-10 minutes. Add ground beef back to pot along with potatoes and cabbage. Fill pot with water or stock until level reaches about an inch above the other ingredients. Increase heat to high and cover with lid until it comes to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and slow-simmer until potatoes and cabbage are near tender, about 1 hour. Add tomatoes, and adjust seasonings. Simmer until potatoes and cabbage are tender, tomatoes are warmed through, and the flavors have melded, 10-15 minutes more.
Serve with warm, fresh bread.
Oh, yes, and this soup? It's one of those that's good the first day, but even better the second!
Peasant Food!
Enjoy!
