This is a cabbage with attitude. The huge, funky heads of spitzkohl are drawn up to sharp points, making them look like huge teardrops, commas or coneheads.

This unusual German heirloom is just making its way into American gardens. In fact, this is the first year I’ve seen it highlighted on home and garden sites and in magazines where its being promoted as a decorative cabbage (for outdoor use please, nobody wants their home smelling like old cabbage). Looks aside, spitzkohl also has excellent flavor.

Spitzkohl can take a long time to grow and develop, 100 to 160 days depending on the cultivar and growing environment (dwarf selections are faster), so it's typically a fall crop. Fall is the best time of year to eat cabbage anyway. Once the first light frost hits, the heads develop a pleasant sweetness and milder flavor.

The chief attribute of this cabbage is that it’s very delicious to eat. The leaves are mild, super crisp and sweet. Cabbage this good deserves to be made into slaw, but it’s also great for sauerkraut, cabbage rolls or soup.

The large heads are easier to work with if cut in half

One of my favorite basic slaw recipes is slightly sweet, a little vinegary and not too creamy, ideal for this tasty cabbage.

Salad:

• 1 medium spitzkohl head cored and shredded (~6 to 7 cups)

• 1 tablespoon grated sweet onion

• 1 to 2 carrots peeled and grated

 Dressing:

• 1/3 cup white vinegar

• 1 heaping teaspoon spicy German mustard (Lowensenf is best)

• 2 tablespoons good mayonnaise

• 1/4 cup sugar

• 1/3 cup canola oil

• Salt and Pepper to taste

• I dislike celery seed, but it can be added to taste.

Mix veggies and dressing, and allow the salad to chill in the fridge overnight. It tends to taste better the next day.

Spitzkohl slaw pairs well with this delicate fried golden redfish

There are lots of American seed vendors that carry spitzkohl seed. The dwarf spitzkohl cultivar, 'Caraflex', is being sold at Johnny's Seeds (www.johnnyseeds.com/catalog/product.aspx...) and the standard size is being sold by Territorial Seed Company (www.territorialseed.com/product/8780/318) and Cherry Gal (www.cherrygal.com/cabbagespitzkohlheirlo...).