Recipe Archives->Vegetarian->Cabbage Grains

ROAST CABBAGE WITH GRAINS, CARAMELIZED ROOT VEGETABLES & VEGETABLE COULIS
Serves 6.
                                                                                 
1 large savoy cabbage (2 to 3 pounds)
                                                                                 
1 large leek, cleaned and chopped
2 yellow onions, cut into thick rings
1 celery stalk, chopped
3 carrots, diced
1 head of garlic, cloves left whole but peeled, 1 cup olive oil
1 bunch thyme
1 bay leaf
1/2 bunch sage
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
                                                                                 
1/2 cup millet, cooked in 1 cup boiling water until water has evaporated
1 cup bulgur wheat, cooked in 2 cups boiling water until water has evaporated
Kernels from 1 ear of fresh corn (about 1/2 cup)
3 tablespoons sherry vinegar
1/8 cup buckwheat groats, toasted in a 300 degree oven
1/8 cup pine nuts, toasted in a 300 degree oven
Salt and pepper to taste, 2 eggs
2 teaspoons chopped fresh sage, 3 tablespoons olive oil or melted butter
                                                                                 
2 large carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
2 celery stalks, cut into 1-inch lengths
1 rutabaga, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
1 yam, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
1 sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
1 red onion, quartered
1 turnip, peeled and cut into 1-inch chun ks
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup honey
5 star anise

Trim the cabbage, removing the tough outer leaves and stem. Boil 2
to 3 quarts of lightly salted water in a large pot. Plunge the
cabbage in, stem side down. Simmer 8 to 10 minutes (depending on
the size)) to blanch, not cook entirely.

Remove the pan from the heat, put the cabbage in a colander and run
cold water over it. Drain, stem side up.

Spread a kitchen towel on a work surface and place the cabbage on
it, stem down.  Gently fan out the leaves, being careful not to
detach them from the core. Using a sharp paring knife, remove the
heart or inner core. Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Toss the vegetables and garlic
with the oil in a medium roasting pan. Add in the herbs. Roast for
20 to 30 minutes, or until vegetables have turned a golden color.
Pour in 1 quart boiling water and return to the oven to simmer for
15 minutes.

Discard the herbs, then puree the in a blender or food processor.
Season with pepper. 

Transfer 1 cup of the coulis (save the remaining coulis for the
sauce) to a saute pan. Stir in the cooked millet and bulgur, and
the corn kernels until the mixture begins to bind. Add more coulis
if necessary. Add the vinegar; remove from the heat. Add the toasted
buckwheat, pine nuts, salt and pepper. Stir in the eggs and sage.

Form some of the mixture into a ball the size of the cabbage heart.

Place the prepared cabbage in an oven-to-table roasting pan. Place
the ball of grain in the center of the cabbage. Fold the inner
leaves over the stuffing to wrap the mixture tightly. Be firm but
gentle. Layer some of the grain mixture in between the leaves,
continuing to wrap the leaves to enclose the stuffing as much as
possible. When the cabbage is fully stuffed but not overflowing,
take wooden skewers and pierce outer leaves to the core where
necessary to hold cabbage together. Brush the outer leaves with
olive oil or melted butter.

If there is grain mixture leftover, put it in an oiled loaf pan and
bake it with the cabbage as a side dish. 

Toss all the vegetables with the oil. Transfer to a large skillet
and saute over medium heat, stirring, until they begin to brown.
Remove from heat and drizzle with honey. Stir in star anise. Spoon
the vegetables around the cabbage. Cover the baking pan with foil.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Bake the cabbage and vegetables
for about 30 minutes, then uncover and pour 2 cups of water around
the cabbage. Reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees and continue
baking, uncovered, for 30 to 40 minutes, basting occasionally with
the pan juices, until the cabbage is tender and the stuffing is
cooked.

Pour the remaining 2 to 3 cups coulis into a saucepan.  Add about
1/2 cup vegetable stock and heat through, adding more stock if
necessary until sauce is to your liking. Season with salt and freshly
ground pepper.

Serve the cabbage with the caramelized vegetables, any leftover
stuffing and the sauce.

Printable version: cabbage-grains.txt.