Ingredients:

                         Directions:

This is not fast, but it is dog-gone gooooooood……..

Family Recipe from Harmony Price

Stuffed Cabbage Rolls

**This is how I remember helping my Grandmother make these when she would make them for me. It was always a very special treat, and I made it for the first time on my own this Christmas.

This recipe makes a lot of rolls, great for a gathering.  You can easily cut recipe in 1/2. These also freeze really well!

Ingredients:

2-3 heads of “as large as you can get them” cabbage
1 1/2 lb of ground chuck
1 1/2 lb of ground pork
1 egg
1 1/2 C of rice
1-2 sweet onions (Vidalia)–depending on how big/small they are and how much you like onions
1 additional large sweet onion
1t of thyme
1t of rye seeds (optional)
s&p
2 cans of crushed tomatoes
1 64-oz bottle of V8 – original is best, but if you are watching salt content, they do have low sodium. ***this was Grandma’s “secret ingredient”!
2-3 cups chicken stock

Preheat oven to 350*

First start with cutting around the core at the bottom of the cabbage-careful not to go too deep, then start separating your leaves from your head of cabbage.  I found this to be somewhat difficult without tearing the leaves, and the goal is to have whole leaves. I then stuck the whole head of cabbage into the microwave for a min or two, on high, and I was then able to remove the leaves with great ease, not tearing any, and they were soft enough to not need blanching before stuffing.

If needed after you separate all your leaves, blanch them in small batches in a large stock pot of boiling water for just a couple mins. However, putting them back in the microwave worked better, and I did not have the extra, unneeded moisture on the leaves.

At the bottom of each leave, cut out the large vein. This will insure easier rolling later.

Set leaves aside.

Combine ground pork and ground beef. Chop 1-2 sweet onions, add to meat mixture, along with 1 egg, thyme and s&p. **I also added a splash of chicken stock** Mix well and set aside.

In the roasting pan layer your small and torn cabbage leaves along with the sliced additional large onion until the bottom of pan is sufficiently covered.

In front of you, lay out 1 large leaf.  Using a 1/4 cup measuring cup, scoop out meat mixture and gently pat together in hand to make almost like a football. Place onto cabbage leaf towards bottom center.  Roll over just enough for meat to be covered, then turn in sides of leaf, then continue rolling the rest of the leaf—not too tight.

Place each roll seam side down, and tightly together to ensure they do not come undone during baking.  Some people use toothpicks to help keep rolls together—personally, I’m not a fan.

**NOTE, As your leafs get smaller, you will need to use 2,3 or 4 leaves together to make one “sheet”.  This is why I used more heads of cabbages, to be able to use only the larges of leaves.

Once the pan is full of rolls, pour over both cans of crushed tomatoes, 2 cups of chicken stock, and start with 1/2 of the V8.

Cover with remaining leaves, then place lid onto roasting pan, and bake in oven (middle rack) for 2 house on 350*.

As you periodically check on your rolls, you may need to add more moisture, continue to add the V8 as needed. I did use use up all of the V8 as well as the additional cup of chicken stock.

**Also, be sure to have a drip pan at the bottom of your oven to catch any boil over!!!**

Enjoy!!!!

There are a few variations of this recipe, my mom’s side of the family for instance, would add bread crumbs to the meat and vinegar to the sauce.

Thank you Harmony………………

Jicamas are underused in cooking..a real shame, since they’re such wonderful root vegetable with crunchy,crispy texture. This salad (which is more akin to a slaw) highlights the best of the Jicama’s characteristics and makes a nice side for any fajita or grilled meat.

Makes 6 to 8 appetizer servings

1 large jicama (about 1 1/2 pounds) peeled and coaresly shredded
2 large carrots, coarsely shredded
1 large red onion, thinly sliced
1 red or yellow bell pepper, julienned
1 lime zested
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lime juice ( about 3 limes)
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon ground pure ancho chile
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
salt and freshly grounded pepper

In a medium bowl, combine the jicama,carrots,onion, and bell pepper.

In a smaller bowl, whisk together the lime zest, olive oil, honey, and ancho. Pour over the vegetables and toss.

Add the cilantro and season with salt and pepper. Refrigerate for about 30 minutes before serving.

Variations: If you want to go with more fun and varied texture, add a chopped avocado, cut slices of an orange, or even a couple chopped tomatoes just before serving.

Thank you Louise……

It is presently April 11th, almost a year since the day my carpet arrived. I have been called home to Long Island due to the ill health of my only sister. Right now, I’m wrapped in a blue blanket, sitting on my couch, watching the rain. It is the first rain that I have seen since January. My thoughts have turned to my languished commitment. So with your forgiveness for my tardiness, I will continue. The laptop on my legs is warming them as I resume my narrative…

The Land of Maybe

Tap. Tap. Tap. Yes! I eagerly opened the wooden door. Finally, but what a small package it was. 2ft. x 3ft. I gave the man a worried look as he took out a large knife to cut the masking tape and brown wrappings. He unfolded it and spread it across the floor. Beautiful! Just like I had envisioned it all those months ago. Just a few wrinkles that would surely flatten out. As I paid the man his tip, I heard the sound of a large truck dropping its tailgate. I raced to the balcony and sure enough, my appliances had arrived! Wow! Things were really moving now!

Two men of average height and build emerged from the truck and checked my bill of sale. On board were two queen sized mattresses with box springs, a stove, and a refrigerator. The bedding came up first. That was four trips up and down the three flights of steps. One of the gentleman was copiously mopping his forehead with a large red bandana. I really felt badly, but I didn’t even have water to offer him.

In the midst of all this, the water Brigade arrived. Three men in gray uniforms sidled up the steps as my delivery men went walking down to get the next bed-spring. The water connection to my apartment is located to the left of my front door. Try as they might, because there was no handle, the Brigade could not get the bolt to budge. A lot of discussion took place, and then one of them went down the stairs and returned with what looked like a three foot long wrench. By now the delivery men from TeleBodega were ready to haul the stove up the stairs. As they began their climb, the Brigade took turns beating the wrench upon the offending bolt.

I was standing in the doorway admiring my carpet, listening to the banging and watching the head of the first delivery man, the one with the bandanna, rise into view when the dam broke. A two and a half inch pipe was now gushing forth across the landing and down the stairs! Gallons of water poured across the shoes of the delivery guys. I saw them struggle against the flood. Heroically, or maybe just because they had no other choice, they fought their way up the remaining stairs and to my doorway. And what was the Brigade doing? Laughing their asses off!

I raced to rescue my new carpet from offending wet feet and a dripping stove. The men placed it in the appropriate spot, but were adamant about the fact that it was up to me to hook it up. Then followed a pantomime that in effect meant, “Oh, and Lady, there is another small problem. We can’t get your refrigerator through the front gate. What do you want us to do.”

WHAT!! I swam through the flood and cascading waterfall to the tailgate of the truck. There was my refrigerator, still in its cardboard box. They offered to return it to the store, at a slight charge, but I told them to wait. Like a spawning salmon I made my way back up the stairs to get my tape measure. By the time I had located it, the Brigade had finished repairing whatever it was they needed to repair, and thank God, the water works were over. Except for the lake in front of my door. Sign this, sign that, and off they went.

By this time the condo’s manager, Don Jose, had appeared along with two security men and one forlorn little lady with a bucket and a mop. (Do I tip her, too?) Don Jose speaks some English and was able to explain that I felt that the refrigerator would fit through the gate if they took it out of its box. We measured, they hemmed and hawed in Spanish, and finally agreed to try. I think they just wanted to be done with this mess, and I couldn’t blame them. Through the gate we went. (It fit, of course. You can’t argue with a tape measure.) Things were going well until we hit the doorway to the dining room. And I do mean hit. They knocked a chunk out of the wall. Not to be deterred at this point, I had them lift the appliance through the large opening next to the doorway. They countered by dropping it on the edge of the bricks and taking out another little piece of my home. But it made it through at last.

End of story? Not quite. They slid my carefully measured refrigerator into place and I cheerfully opened the door… uh, that is tried to open the door. With all our careful measuring, Carmen and I had forgotten to allow for the floor molding. The men looked at me, and I looked at them, and we all burst out laughing.

Well that is the end of my tale. The delivery guys got a really good tip. And even now that refrigerator is pulled out about 6 inches from the back wall. I can open the door almost all the way. Maybe one day I’ll get the wall shaved down and it will fit.
Maybe.

Thanks Wendy……we miss you guys