For some, it may be the end of the summer but for me, it’s harvest time. With so many wonderful fruits and vegetables at their peak, it’s a wonderful time to be hungry. 

Cabbage is a particular favorite. My dad used to grow it in our backyard garden and I vividly recall its juicy, fresh-picked crunch and peppery taste.

In Stop & Shop recently, I came upon a big box of cabbages labeled only “Local.” That was good enough for me, so I bought one, took it home and looked for inspiration.

I dug through my pile of yet-to-be filed recipes and came across a spread from The New York Times Magazine by Mark Bittman titled “Slawless: A dozen ways to make cabbage, and not a coleslaw in the bunch.” Eureka!

Bittman often focuses on a single ingredient and starts with one, very brief base recipe followed by a series of photos and paragraphs on how to modify the first recipe to create the others. The format is very, very attractive in print. But as a cook, it doesn’t work for me. I find myself looking back and forth, trying to figure out how much of one ingredient I need or whether I even need it for the recipe that interests me. (The online presentation for these spreads is much more cook friendly).

Scanning the page, I found a cabbage recipe that called for ingredients I already had on hand — Cabbage Curry, an Indian-style stew of cabbage, onions and chicken. Then I wrote down the recipe in a format I could use while cooking.

That first time, I used chicken breasts though it called for thighs. I had a fresh chile, a long green one, so I used that. And used some vegetable stock made from a frozen bullion that I keep in my refrigerator. The end result was delicious, except there was no heat.

The chile I used was sort of twisted and bumpy. I had selected it from a big, unlabeled box of various hot peppers in the grocery store. I admit, I have absolutely no idea what I’m doing when it comes to fresh chiles. I can identify a jalapeno and a Fresno, but I get frustrated with them because their heat is inconsistent. I know what Scotch bonnets look like but they scare me so I’ve never used one. I can pick a serrano out of a lineup and I like them, but I just don’t see them in the store very often.

So I made a decision. Until I know what I’m doing — and I know I will someday — I’m going to stick with the heat I understand: cayenne, harissa, sriracha, hot sauce and crushed red pepper. That’s it.

The second time I made this Cabbage Curry, I used sriracha and voila! I got the heat that I expected. I used 1 tablespoon, but if you are timid about heat, you can leave it out entirely or start with just a teaspoon, tasting and adding more until you get it just right.

I also added some butter to the oil for sauteing, bought some chicken thighs, used golden raisins instead of regular (because I love them), and increased the amount of stock so there would be plenty of that beautiful, spicy coconut broth.

This one’s a keeper. Enjoy!

Cabbage Curry

1 tablespoon vegetable or peanut oil

1 tablespoon butter

1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs or breasts, cut into chunks

1 medium to large onion, chopped

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 tablespoon sriracha

1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger

¼ cup raisins, regular or golden

1 tablespoon curry powder

Salt and pepper to taste

Half a head of green cabbage, chopped (4-5 cups)

15-ounce can coconut milk (light or full fat will work)

¾ cup chicken or vegetable stock

Cilantro and lime wedges for garnish (optional)

Heat the oil and butter in a large skillet. Saute the chicken with the onion, garlic, ginger and sriracha until the chicken and onions are browned.

Add the chopped cabbage, raisins, curry powder, and salt and pepper. Cook until cabbage wilts. Add the coconut milk and stock and simmer, partly covered, until the cabbage is tender and the sauce is thickened.

Serve over rice with some lime wedges and garnish with chopped cilantro.

Original recipe from Mark Bittman, The New York Times magazine.

Jill Blanchette is the multiplatform production manager at The Day. Share comments and recipes with her at j.blanchette@theday.com