Savoy Cabbage with White Beans and Mushroom Butter

I think that plain cabbage with lashings of butter and freshly ground Malabar black pepper is sublime by itself as a first course, but it is also one of the best vegetable garnishes in anyone’s repertoire. I use Savoy cabbage because it’s my favorite for both appearance and flavor.

In this recipe, I use fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum), which is one of the most characteristic aromas in curry powder. It smells a bit like spicy celery, and it flavors this dish superbly.