[sunrico90]

See the recipe:

SWAMP CABBAGE STEW

1 med. swamp cabbage
3 pieces fatback
2 cans of tomato
Pinch of thyme
2 lg. onions, chopped
1 tsp. white sugar
1 pod of hot green pepper, chopped up

Fry fatback, onions, and chopped swamp cabbage until starting to brown. Add tomatoes, sugar, pepper, and thyme. Simmer until it thickens and tomatoes cook down. Add another pinch of thyme 10 minutes before it's done. Serve on rice. If you don't live along the Carolina, Georgia, North Florida coast, Hearts of Palm in a can will work. But don't cook them too long.

[pslOldTimer]

Swamp cabbage is made from the heart of a cabbage palm tree. Unfortunately, it kills the tree. Hogtown is indeed Gainesville. Tampa, Orlando and Okeechobee have been described as cow towns, but only Kissimmee IS Cowtown.

The City of Okeechobee was once described as the "Chicago of the South", the county is still the largest cattle industry county in Florida.

{EDIT} I started to write this about 1/2 hour ago, before all those other excellent replies, then I got sidetracked in Google, so by the time I came back to the present, I was too late with my response!

[ssg II]

I'm a beach baby, but had the privilidge of the friendship of real crackers; friends who could live off the land; and my mom, a student & custodian of the ecology of Florida.

Recipe # 1

Go find a cabbage palm. Harvest it. Save the hearts. Chop them and saute with the bacon you have cured from the last hog you slaughtered.

Recipe # 2

Go to Publix. Buy a can of "Hearts of Palm."

[firemed]

Originally Posted by sunshinegirl

Gainesville is Hogtown, but Orlando is NOT Cowtown.
What do the "gourmets" call swamp cabbage? And where you from boy? It's not a cabbage at all!

Im from Fort Myers ,The cabbage palm is actually the Sabal Palm, and the hart of palm is what you eat, You have me on the cowtown, Orlando area or kissimmee area is what I was thinking. Where is it ?

[ssg II]

Ocala was "Cowtown." Go figure, since it's horsies now.

[tallrick]

I thought the swamp cabbage festival was this weekend? It's held annually in labelle.

[firemed]

Originally Posted by sunshinegirl

Ocala was "Cowtown." Go figure, since it's horsies now.

I did not know that, I have been there alot over the years, The Fire college is there off gainesville rd. But I remember as a kid cowtown was Kissimmee or someplace in that area,

[ssg II]

Any of you all read Carl Hiaasen?

[firemed]

He writes some funny stuff, I think he did the movie Strip Tease, About big sugar with Burt Reynolds and Demi Moore, I think Burt was supposed to be Lawten Chiles in the movie, Funny Stuff

[BlueWillowPlate]

Originally Posted by sunshinegirl

Any of you all read Carl Hiaasen?

My favorite Hiaasen is his anti-Disney stuff.
Don't want to step on anyone's toes, but I just can't stand Disney.
And Hiaasen has written a lot of stuff deploring the development of Florida (though I'd be surprised if he himself doesn't own a nice waterfront home.)
I do think Hiassen does a good job of illustrating Florida in all its wackiness.