"Antarctica holds the majority of the world's ice and fresh water - it is critically important to the planet and is a mirror reflecting what we humans mean for the earth. Nature's laboratory in the south reveals things like a record of the earth's climate held in its 420,000-year-old ice core...The Antarctic Peninsula and the surrounding oceans have warmed faster than anywhere else in the Southern Hemisphere. It is evident in the first moments one spends here, that the continent bears devastating marks of human activity."
- Carol Devine
Today, we're welcoming you into our kitchen as we make a delicious Antarctic cabbage pie recipe. With the perfect buttery, flaky crust and a tasty filling to match, this cabbage pie is as enjoyable to eat as it is to make.
As a matter of fact, we like it so much that we've made a free printable recipe with pictures for you to try at home. You can find it down at the bottom.
Want to learn more about this unique cabbage pie?
Okay, then. Let's dive in.
Learn more about cooking with kids.
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The Antarctic Cookbook
This Antarctic cabbage pie recipe is from The Antarctic Book of Cooking and Cleaning: A Polar Journey by Wendy Trusler and Carol Devine. This unique cookbook documents the story of an austral summer in 1996 when volunteers from five countries picked up 28 years of trash in Antarctica. It's also so much more.
Through this scrapbook-style work, past and present are woven together as readers explore journals, provision lists, menus, and fascinating photos of Antarctic expeditions and landscapes. It also provides a glimpse of the creativity harnessed in order to cook in an unforgiving climate.
I was immediately fond of this unconventional cookbook, history book, journal, travelogue, and coffee table book all rolled into one. The volunteers' experiences during this collaborative environmental cleanup project will draw you into the story and enhance your appreciation for this peaceful continent, known for scientific research and cooperation among nations.
Our kids enjoyed learning how to make this savory pie and I'm glad we're able to share this recipe with you today.
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What is Antarctic Cabbage Pie?
Good question. This Antarctic cabbage recipe from The Antarctic Book of Cooking and Cleaning: A Polar Journey is a family recipe from Lena Nikolaeva, the liaison officer between Russian Antarctic Expedition (RAE) members and the Project Antarctica II expedition members they hosted in Bellingshausen Russian research station during the cleanup efforts.
Lena and Wendy Trusler made this pie together and Lena lovingly refers to it as her family's pie. Having enjoyed this pie so much and its creative use of cabbage, we now think of it as our family's pie too.
Wondering What to Serve With Cabbage Pie?
As Wendy Trusler states, "served with a light salad, a good sharp cheese, dried sausage, pickled onions, cornichons and grainy mustard it makes an impressive lunch."
On this particular day, our kids ate their pie right out of the oven. That's actually pretty typical for their cooking experiences. However, I enjoyed some sharp cheddar and mustard with our meal.
Do Children Like Cabbage Pie?
Our kids think this cabbage pie is delicious. Having made it themselves, it's easy to see why they're eager to enjoy it afterward. If you're looking to encourage healthy eating habits in children, invitations to cook alongside you or independently are quite helpful.
Antarctic Cabbage Pie
This cabbage pie recipe is healthy, it's an excellent use of cabbage, and it's a great opportunity to strengthen hand muscles as kids work with dough. Our 3, 5, and 6 y.o.'s all enjoy participating in various parts of the process as you'll see below.
If your kids like working with dough, don't miss Antarctic bannocks, thumbprint cookies, Ukrainian bread, and Argentine pizza.
You can also learn more about how to cook with kids.
Ingredients
- Eggs
- Milk
- Active Dry Yeast
- Stevia
- All-Purpose Einkorn Flour
- Salt
- Butter
- Onion
- Garlic
- Cabbage
- Bay Leaves
- Olive Oil
- Pepper
- Water
We omitted basil from the original recipe because we were out. If you have some in your garden or pantry, go for it.
1. Make 4 Hard-Boiled Eggs
Before getting started, always wash your hands with soap and water. We keep hard-boiled eggs on hand as part of our weekly meal prep. However, you can also hard-boil the eggs to start this cabbage pie recipe.
To hard-boil the eggs, put them in a pot of cold water. Cover the pot and turn the stove on high. When the pot boils, turn the stove off and let the pot sit for 20 minutes. Drain the pot and replace with cold water. When the eggs are cool to the touch, you can peel them and set them in the fridge for later.
2. Combine ½ of the Stevia and the Milk
The recipe calls for warm milk. As an alternative to heating the milk, we like to let it sit on the counter for about 15-20 minutes until it's room temperature while we explore the cookbook and gather ingredients for the next steps.
3. Add Yeast to the Bowl
Give it a whisk and let it sit for 10 minutes or until frothy.
4. Add 1 Raw Egg and Salt
Wash your hands before returning back to the recipe.
5. Gradually Add Flour
Flour is most accurately measured by weight using a kitchen scale. However, our youngest daughter is working with the measuring cup right now and it's much simpler for her to measure by volume, focusing on the lines on the cup rather than on the values on a digital scale. She really enjoys transferring work and activities that involve food so she takes a lot of interest in this type of work.
Gradually add the four while mixing the ingredients together to form the cabbage pie dough.
6. Knead the Cabbage Pie Dough
Apply some flour to your hands and the baking mat. Gather the dough into a ball and transfer it to the mat. Knead the dough for about 10 minutes. It should be smooth and elastic when finished.
You can see our kids split the dough and they each worked with their own dough ball.
Do your kids like working with dough? These Peruvian donuts explore dough made with butternut squash and sweet potato.
7. Let the Dough Rise
Place the dough back in the bowl and cover it with a kitchen towel. Put the bowl in a warm location of your kitchen and let the dough rise for about 1 ¼ hours. Wash your hands.
8. Chop the Cabbage, Onion, and Garlic
While the dough is doing its thing, chop the garlic, onion, and cabbage.
9. Cook the Garlic and Onions in a Pan
Turn the stove on medium-low and heat up a pan. When the pan is hot, add the oil. Add the garlic and onions. Cook until soft. Add the other half of the stevia and the basil to the pan. Give it a stir.
10. Add the Cabbage and Bay Leaves
Cover the pan and sauté until tender, about 10 minutes. Make sure to stir the ingredients frequently so that the cabbage does not brown.
11. Add Salt & Pepper
12. Remove the Bay Leaves and Set Aside
Set aside the pan for now. We'll come back to it shortly. Don't forget to turn off the stove.
When the size of the dough has doubled, you're ready for the next step.
13. Roll Out the Dough to Make Cabbage Pie
Place the dough on the floured baking mat and let it sit for a few minutes. Roll it out into approx. 9x18 inch rectangle. It should be about ¼ inch thick.
14. Add Butter to ⅔ of the Dough & Fold the Rest Down
Spread ⅓ of the room temperature butter or ⅓ cup onto the dough's surface. You can start from the bottom and work your way up, leaving ⅓ of the dough free of butter. Then, fold the top portion without the butter down to the center.
15. Fold the Bottom of the Dough Up
Fold the bottom portion up to the center. It should look as you see pictured above. You will have three layers of dough.
We tucked the sides in a bit to make a nice rectangle shape.
16. Wrap the Cabbage Pie Dough in Plastic & Refrigerate
Refrigerate for 45 minutes or you can freeze for 20 minutes. Wash your hands.
Repeat steps 13-16 twice more until you've used up all your butter. So that's a total of 3 trips to the fridge or freezer.
17. Cut the Dough in Half and Shape Them into Discs
Wrap the discs in plastic and place them in the fridge for 20 minutes. Afterward, roll one of the discs into a circle and put it in a pie dish. Roll out the remaining disc and leave it on the baking mat.
This is also a great time to chop the hard-boiled eggs into pieces.
18. Add Hard-Boiled Eggs & Cabbage Mixture to the Pie Dish
Add the egg pieces to the pie shell first, followed by the cabbage mixture on top.
19. Put the Remaining Dough on Top of the Cabbage Pie Filling
You may need to trim the dough if it extends too far over the dish. With that done, it's time to seal the crust with a fork. You can also flute the edge as an alternative.
20. Cut Vents into the Cabbage Pie Dough
Use a knife, fork, or a darning needle to create the vents.
21. Apply the Egg Wash
Combine the last egg and cold water in a bowl and whisk. Next, use a basting brush to apply the egg wash evenly to the pie crust. Wash your hands.
22. Bake the Cabbage Pie
Bake in the bottom third of the oven at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 minutes. Afterward, turn the heat down to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and bake for 20-25 minutes or until the crust is a golden-brown color.
When finished, remove the cabbage pie from the oven. Don't forget to turn off the oven.
Conclusion for Antarctic Cabbage Pie Recipe
This Antarctic cabbage pie is one of many recipes found in The Antarctic Book of Cooking and Cleaning that are sure to get kids excited about their food, time spent in the kitchen, and exploring more of Antarctica.
This tasty survival food allows kids to practice many important kitchen skills while offering an example of a savory pie they can enjoy at home.
Free Recipe for Pre-Readers and Up
Grab your free printable recipe cards above. Kids can gather ingredients using the ingredient list, gather their equipment with the tools list, and prepare the meal using the step-by-step recipe cards, with assistance as needed.
The cards are easy to use, include pictures, and encourage confidence and independence in the kitchen. They also make an excellent addition to your Montessori continent box for Antarctica.
Montessori Continent Boxes
Explore every continent with these solid maple hardwood boxes.
More in the Kitchen
- Ethiopian Sambusas
- West African Jollof
- Bahian Chicken Stew
- Native American Chocolate Bison Chili
- Native American Three Sisters Bean Stew
- Australian Barbecue Prawns
Antarctic Cabbage Pie
Equipment
- Apron
- Small Pot
- Whisk
- Plastic Wrap
- Silicone Spatula
Ingredients
- 6 eggs
- 1 cup milk warm
- 1 tablespoon yeast
- 2 tablespoon stevia
- 3 cups all-purpose einkorn flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup butter room temperature
- 1 onion
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 cabbage medium
- 3 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon basil
- 4 tablespoon olive oil
- pepper to taste
- 1 teaspoon water
Instructions
- Wash your hands with soap and water. Make 4 hard-boiled eggs: put the eggs in a pot of cold water. Cover the pot and turn the stove on high. When the pot boils, turn the stove off and let the pot sit for 20 minutes. Drain the pot and replace with cold water. When the eggs are cool to the touch, you can peel them and set them in the fridge for later.
- Combine half of the stevia and the milk. Warm the milk or let it sit for about 15-20 minutes until it's room temperature while you explore the cookbook and grab additional ingredients.
- Add yeast to the bowl. Give it a whisk and let it sit for 10 minutes or until frothy.
- Crack 1 raw egg into the bowl and add the salt. Whisk the ingredients. Wash your hands.
- Measure out the flour using a kitchen scale or children may use a measuring cup as an alternative. Gradually add the flour to the bowl while mixing to form the cabbage pie dough.
- Apply some flour to your hands and the baking mat. Gather the dough into a ball and transfer it to the mat. Knead the dough for about 10 minutes. It should be smooth and elastic when finished.
- Place the dough back in the bowl and cover it with a kitchen towel. Put the bowl in a warm location of your kitchen and let the dough rise for about 1 ¼ hours. Wash your hands.
- While the dough is doing its thing, chop the garlic, onion, and cabbage.
- Turn the stove on medium-low and heat up a pan. When the pan is hot, add the oil. Add the garlic and onions. Cook until soft. Add the other half of the stevia and the basil to the pan. Give it a stir.
- Add the cabbage and bay leaves to the pan. Cover the pan and sauté until tender, about 10 minutes. Make sure to stir the ingredients frequently so that the cabbage does not brown.
- Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Remove the bay leaves and set the pan aside. Don't forget to turn off the stove. When the size of the dough has doubled, you're ready for the next step.
- Place the dough on the floured baking mat and let it sit for a few minutes. Roll it out into approx. 9x18 inch rectangle. It should be about ¼ inch thick.
- Spread ⅓ of the room temperature butter or ⅓ cup onto the dough's surface. You can start from the bottom and work your way up, leaving ⅓ of the dough free of butter. Then, fold the top portion without the butter down to the center.
- Fold the bottom portion up to the center. It should look as you see pictured above. You will have three layers of dough.
- Wrap the cabbage pie dough in plastic and refrigerate for 45 minutes. Alternatively, you can also freeze the dough for 20 minutes. Wash your hands. Repeat steps 13-16 twice more until you've used up all your butter. So that's a total of 3 trips to the fridge or freezer.
- Cut the dough in half and shape each half into a disc. Wrap the discs in plastic and place them in the fridge for 20 minutes. Afterward, roll one of the discs into a circle and put it in a pie dish. Roll out the remaining disc and leave it on the baking mat. This is also a great time to chop the hard-boiled eggs.
- Add the egg pieces to the pie shell first, followed by the cabbage mixture on top.
- Place the remaining dough on top of the cabbage pie filling. You may need to trim the dough if it extends too far over the dish. With that done, it's time to seal the crust with a fork. You can also flute the edge as an alternative.
- Use a knife, fork, or a darning needle to create vents in the crust.
- Combine the last egg and cold water in a bowl and whisk. Next, use a basting brush to apply the egg wash evenly to the pie crust. Wash your hands.
- Bake the cabbage pie: Bake in the bottom third of the oven at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 minutes. Afterward, turn the heat down to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and bake for 20-25 minutes or until the crust is a golden-brown color. When finished, remove the cabbage pie from the oven. Don't forget to turn off the oven.
Notes
- The same amount of sugar or other sweeteners can be substituted for stevia.
- Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
- Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
- See more guidelines at USDA.gov.
- Full Recipe Info and Pictures at: https://happyhomeschooladventures.com/cabbage-pie
Nutrition
Estimated nutrition information is provided as a courtesy and is not guaranteed.
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