Crispy Roasted Cabbage

 So a couple of weeks ago, when I made this recipe, I went to the farmer's market to buy cabbage. It was a cold day and I felt bad about just buying cabbage, but then again, the money in my wallet was just enough to buy two cabbage halves. "How are you going to prepare it?" the vendor asked me. "Hot or cold?"
"Oh, hot. Roasted in the oven with olive oil. It's perfect for this winter weather!"
"Yeah, Germans like their cabbage warm, don't they?" he winked at me. I had to giggle inwardly. My French does come with rather a German accent,  I must say. And the fact that have brought this vendor some rather German pastries probably sealed the deal.

 But I didn't make this cabbage to go with German food--that night, I was going farther East to Poland. My friend Gabrielle and her daughter Pauline came over and we celebrated winter with eggplant caviar over Vollkornbrot, meat-filled pierogi topped with butter and caramelized onions, and this cabbage. And salad and dessert. The pierogi--which I would characterize as Polish potstickers--were a project (both Claire and Gabrielle helped me crank them out), but they were totally worth it.

And how was the cabbage? It was sweet and nutty, with the more bitter roasted edges playing off against the softness of the less-exposed areas. It complemented the pierogi really well, but I can think of many other meals I could (and will!) serve it with. I imagine that it would go well with a fried egg and sriracha sauce, just like Molly's cabbage, also a favorite. Or Aleppo pepper. Julia just ate it for lunch with ramen. The possibilities are endless, which is good, since winter is long here and there will be a lot of this cabbage in my future.