Using Cabbage Leaves for Making Rolls

Remove the bruised or discolored outer leaves of cabbage. Heat a large pot of water to boiling. While the water is heating, place the cabbage on the cutting board with the root end up. With a very sharp knife remove the core. The piece you remove should be in the shape of a cone about three inches from base to tip.

Add a tablespoon of salt to the boiling water. Plunge the cabbage into the boiling water and move in around slowly and carefully with a pair of tongs. As soon as the outer leaves begin to loosen, carefully remove these leaves and lay them on a towel to drain. Continue removing the leaves as they release from the head of cabbage. When the head of cabbage has been reduced to a large ball, remove it from the water and set aside for another use.

Fillings for Cabbage Rolls (You will need about two tablespoons of stuffing for each leaf.)

Rice and Pork

1 cup cooked rice
2 TBS oil or butter
2 cups ground pork, saut�ed before mixing with other ingredients
1 cup minced onion, saut�ed with the pork
1 TBS minced flat leaf parsley
1 tsp dried thyme
salt and pepper
(substitute hard cooked eggs for pork to make a meatless dish)

Remove the onions and pork from the heat and allow to cool completely. Mix all the ingredients, including the fat from the saut� pan, in a bowl. Season well with salt and pepper.

Lay cabbage leaves on the cutting board and remove the thick central rib. Place a portion of the rice and meat stuffing on each leaf and roll the leaves into packages, tucking in the edges.

Add stock to nearly cover the rolls. Cover the baking dish with foil and bake at 325 for about 45 minutes.

Serve with a thin tomato sauce seasoned with thyme rather than basil or oregano or a basic white sauce.

Bechamel Sauce
2 TBS butter
2 TBS flour
3 TBS minced onion
� tsp dried thyme
2 cups milk or 1 cup of milk and 1 cup of the cooking liquid from the cabbage rolls.

Melt the butter in a small heavy bottom pan. Add the onion and flour and cook over medium-low heat for 3-4 minutes. Stir continually with a whisk.

Add the milk or milk and liquid from the braising pan. Raise the heat to high and continue whisking. When the sauce thickens, lower the heat to medium-low and continue cooking for another 4-5 minutes.

Season the sauce with salt and pepper. And strain through a screen. Arrange the cabbage rolls on a platter and pour the sauce over them. Sprinkle minced flat leaf parsley over the dish.

Almost Stuffed Cabbage

For a less arduous preparation but equally good dish do a layered casserole of cabbage and filling.

Butter an 8 x 11 casserole and add 2-3 TBS spoons of water from the pan in which you boiling the cabbage to separate the leaves. Place an over-lapping layer of cabbage leaves in the dish. It is not necessary to remove the thick ribs from the leaves.

Place a layer of stuffing on the leaves. Add another layer of leaves and stuffing. Finish with cabbage leaves as the last layer. Brush the top layer with melted butter and add enough water to nearly cover the cabbage and meat layers. Cover with foil and bake for about 45 minutes at 300 degrees.

Cut the cabbage layers as you would lasagna to serve. Serve with Bechamel Sauce or thyme flavored tomato sauce.

Other Fillings for Cabbage Leaves

A mixture of sauerkraut and cabbage shredded from the small ball that remains after the large leaves have been removed from the head.

2 TBS butter, lard or oil
2-3 cups of sauerkraut
� cup saut�ed diced onion
2 cups shredded cabbage, saut�ed with the onion
Salt and pepper

Another stuffing could be diced blanched broccoli and/or cauliflower mixed with bread crumbs and melted butter, seasoned with thyme and salt and pepper. Use for a vegetarian presentation.

Your favorite bread stuffing is another alternative.

Serve this alongside saut�ed mushrooms topped with green onions and your favorite hot sauce.

Ingredients

• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 bunch of red chard, rough stems removed, chopped
• 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
• 1 pound extra firm tofu, drained
• 1 tablespoons tamari or soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
• 1/3 cup nutritional yeast flakes
• salt and fresh black pepper to taste

  Baked until golden brown

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 F.
2. Add some water and the garlic and cook for about 3 minutes over medium low,
3. Add the chard, Italian seasoning and turn the heat up to medium high. Saut� for about 5 minutes, until chard is completely wilted.
4. Crumble the tofu and squeeze it in a large mixing bowl. Add the mustard, tamari, turmeric, nutritional yeast, salt and pepper to the tofu and mix well. Then mix in the chard.
5. Press your frittata mixture into a greased 8 or 9 inch pie dish. Bake for 20 minutes, until firm lightly browned on top.

4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 white onion, sliced
8 to 9 large cloves garlic, sliced thinly 
4 medium zucchini, about 1 1/2 pounds
4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1/2 teaspoon powdered ginger

Salt and pepper

Melt the butter in a heavy 4-quart pot over medium heat. When it foams, add the sliced garlic and onions and cook on medium-low heat for about 10 minutes, or until the onion is soft and translucent. Keep the heat low enough that the garlic doesn't brown; you want everything to sweat.

When the onions are soft, add the zucchini and cook until soft. Add the broth and bring to a simmer. Simmer at a low heat for about 45 minutes.

Let cool slightly, then blend with an immersion blender until creamy, or transfer to a standing blender to puree. Be very careful if you use the latter; only fill the blender half full with each batch, and hold the lid down tightly with a towel.

Taste and season with ginger, salt and pepper. Like most soups, this is significantly better after a night in the refrigerator to let the flavors meld.