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3. Lay a small sheet of aluminum foil (not heavy-duty) over the top of the bean pot, then press the lid into place. It’s important that the pot be completely sealed.

4. Bake the beans in the lower third of the oven for 4 to 5 hours or until tender. Note: Check the pot after 3 hours and if it seems to be cooking dry, add a little additional boiling water. Reseal the bean pot and continue baking.

5. Serve as an accompaniment to pulled pork, barbecued ribs, roast pork, pork chops, baked ham, grilled hot dogs, or chicken. Or make these beans the main course of a casual supper for family and friends.

SCALLOPED CABBAGE

MAKES 8 SERVINGS

Time and again, I find recipes for creamed or scalloped vegetables in early southern cookbooks. Running throughout the vegetable chapter of Sarah Rutledge’s Carolina Housewife (1847) is this directive: “Make a good sauce, with a pint of milk, butter, flour, and salt; put [the vegetable] in, let it have a boil up, and serve.” Elsewhere, creamed vegetables are taken a step further: They’re put into a casserole, topped with crumbs, and baked—an excellent way to cook cabbage. This recipe is especially good with baked ham (a buffet favorite) or roast pork, turkey, or chicken. Note: You can prepare Scalloped Cabbage ahead of time through Step 5; cover and refrigerate until about an hour before serving. When baking, increase the oven time by 10 to 15 minutes.

5 tablespoons butter

1 medium yellow onion, halved lengthwise and each half thinly sliced

1 large cabbage (about 3 pounds), trimmed, quartered, cored, and each quarter sliced ½ inch thick (remove overly coarse leaf veins)

1½ cups chicken broth

5 tablespoons all-purpose flour

¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1 cup half-and-half or milk

¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1 teaspoon salt, or to taste

¼ teaspoon black pepper, or to taste

2 cups soft white bread crumbs tossed with 2½ tablespoons butter, melted (topping)

1. Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large Dutch oven over moderate heat, add the onion, and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes or until limp and lightly browned.

2. Add the cabbage, turning until lightly glazed; pour in ½ cup of the chicken broth and adjust the heat so the mixture bubbles lightly.

3. Cover and cook the cabbage for about 40 minutes or until crisp-tender, stirring occasionally and bringing the bottom pieces up on top. Using tongs or a slotted spoon, transfer the cabbage to an ungreased 13 × 9 × 2-inch baking dish. Preheat the oven to 350° F.

4. With high heat under the Dutch oven, boil the cooking liquid for 2 minutes or until reduced by about half. Turn the heat to moderately low, add the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter, and when it melts, blend in the flour and nutmeg. Whisking constantly, add the remaining cup of broth and the half-and-half and cook for 3 to 5 minutes or until thickened. Note: At first the mixture will lump, but if you whisk hard, it will smooth out. Add the cheese, salt, and pepper, and whisk until the cheese melts. Taste for salt and pepper and adjust as needed.

5. Pour the hot sauce evenly over the cabbage in the baking dish, stir gently to incorporate, then scatter the topping evenly over all.

6. Slide onto the middle oven shelf and bake uncovered for 35 to 40 minutes or until bubbling and nicely browned.

7. Serve at once as an accompaniment to baked ham or roast pork, turkey, or chicken.

SKILLET CABBAGE WITH BACON

MAKES 4 TO 6 SERVINGS

Cabbage has always gotten a bad rap but it’s the cook, not the cabbage, that’s usually at fault. Too often cabbage is cooked to death, turning bitter and smelling up the house. This quick and easy recipe proves that cabbage can be delicious. It’s based on my memory of the skillet cabbage served in my grammar school cafeteria. This was pre prefab food; lunches were prepared fresh every day by good home cooks. Today’s schoolchildren should be so lucky.

6 slices hickory-smoked bacon, cut crosswise