Stuffed Cabbage Leaves

Oh my.  I disappeared for a bit. Sorry about that!  But spring and its wonderful mass of produce is here.  I am feeling inspired again, over my winter root vegetable rut.  The farmer's market in town just opened, my CSA will begin next month and just moments ago my girlfriend and I lapped up a fabulous lunch of roasted mushrooms, from enoki to hen of the woods.

I have been cooking in my absense, and one particularly enjoyable meal was Elissa Altman's stuffed cabbage leaves from her new book, Poor Man's Feast.  I omit the sugar in her recipe and skip the raisins but otherwise loved these little pockets of tender goodness.  They kept all week, feeding the baby for dinner three out of four nights.

Elissa Altman's Galumpki (aka Stuffed Cabbage)
Serves 6
Ingredients 

• 1 medium onion diced
• 1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika 
• 1 pound ground pork
• 1 pound ground beef 
• 2 tablespoons long grain rice
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 large head cabbage
• 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
• 1 28-ounce can crush tomatoes 
• 1 cup of golden raisins (optional, but really who likes raisins in meat?)

Directions

• Bring water to boil in a large stockpot, add the cabbage and cook, covered, for 10 minutes.  Remove from the pot, let cool on a platter and then pull off leaves, flattening each one as you go
• Meanwhile, place the diced onion in a large saucepan and cover with water by two inches.  Add the paprika and simmer over low heat
• Combine the meat, rice and lemon juice in a bowl and set aside
• Add the vinegar and half of the tomatoes to the onion pot and stir.  Raise heat to medium-low
• Place 1/4 cup of meat into middle of each cabbage leave, rolling and tucking as you go until all meat is rolled
• Carefully nestle each stuffed cabbage leave, seam side down, in the onion mixture.  Add the remaining tomatoes on top, increase heat to high and boil for 10 minutes covered.  Decrease eat to low simmer and cook, covered, for 2 hours.  
• Serve with rice or bread