RECIPE: Balluchons de semoule (Semolina in cabbage "bags")

My father gave me a subscription to a gardening magazine for Christmas. Even better, this magazine includes recipes and a crossword. And it's weekly. So I am never out of gardening tricks to learn (I am still waiting for the thaw to be able to put any of these to use), crosswords to spend my mornings with, or recipes.

This one requires a fair number of steps--blanching both carrots and cabbage leaves, cooking semolina, sautéeing, mixing, and then forming little cabbage hobo bags  (this is what "balluchon" means). I recommend an extra pair of hands for the last step, but I'm sure more dexterous people will be able to handle it alone. Plan on taking at least an hour to make this. It depends how much multitasking you want to do. It's definitely worth the time, though--I'm a huge fan of semolina, spices, and raisins, and I've been adding pine nuts to a variety of recipes over the past year, but they could be left out if you don't want to splurge. Without that addition, it's a pretty low-cost meal, and quite filling.

PREP 30-45 min
COOK TIME 30 min

INGREDIENTS

350 g / 2 cups semolina
12 green cabbage leaves
6 carrots
3 medium onions
2 garlic cloves
60 g / 3/4 cup raisins
1/2 cup pine nuts
Parsley (to taste)
1tbsp paprika
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp coriander
20 cl boullion liquid
1 tbsp sage

DIRECTIONS

Soak raisins in water for 15 min to plump them up. While they soak, make up the semoule by whisking 1 tbsp of olive oil into the dry grains, then barely covering with boiling water. Let sit.

Cut carrots into slices and blanche in boiling water for 2 minutes. Then blanche the cabbage leaves for 5 minutes.

Dry roast the pine nuts. Remove from heat. Saute the garlic and onion in olive oil. When onion
is transparent, add the semolina, raisins, parsley, pine nuts, and spices. Cook for about 3-5 min.

Take 2 cabbage leaves and place them so that the leaf spines are perpendicular. Spoon on about 1/3 cup of the semolina mixture. Close up the leaves and tie with string (if you can do it like a package and wrap the string around twice, on all 4 sides, do that, or just uses 2 strings to secure). Repeat until you have used all 12 cabbage leaves.

Place the blanched carrots in the bottom of a large pot, then place the cabbage "bags" on top. Sprinkle with sage leaves, salt, and pepper. Pour bouillion liquid over the whole. Cook on low heat for 30 minutes.

RECIPE: Baked Cabbage and Cheese Casserole

It is a sad fact of a gardener's life that the end of the growing season necessitates the cooking of a lot of recipes said gardener would never have originally chosen to make, simply because there is produce to use and a good gardener never wastes anything.  So, I invited over my favorite student to help me eat up the food, and we ate while watching X-Men: First Class.  I find that the title of the movie is somewhat of a misnomer, seeing as how the "First Class" they're talking about is literally the first of many classes, instead of simply meaning "EXCELLENT AWESOMENESS."  It is a touch melodramatic for my tastes, really ....

I found the base recipe I tweaked to make this meal under the title "Scalloped Cabbage and Cheese Dish" ... but really, that title would be deceptive.  There is no scalloping involved, and apart from the cheese there is no similarity to scalloped potatoes ... at all.  It is delicious, but in a lower-carb, veggie-packed way.  Next time I make this, I will probably add corn, garlic, and perhaps even fresh peas to this recipe, for a little more of a veggie "kick."

INGREDIENTS

1 medium head of cabbage, chopped
1 golden onion, chopped
1 1/2 cups cooked Canadian bacon, diced
2 Tablespoons butter
2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon salt
pepper, to taste
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (or a mixed blend)
dry bread crumbs, about one slice worth

DIRECTIONS

Preheat your oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit.

Place your chopped cabbage and onion in a pot with a small amount of water; cover and steam until tender (up to 30 minutes).  Add the ham, then pour the whole mixture into a buttered 9 x 13 baking dish.

In a skillet, melt butter over medium-low heat.  Stir in the flour until smooth, then add milk and stir until the whole mixture is smooth (about 1 minute).  Add the salt and cheese and stir until the cheese has melted.  Pour the skillet contents over the cabbage mixture.  Sprinkle with bread crumbs and grind a little fresh pepper over the lot for a little flavor.


Bake for 30 minutes or until the bread crumbs are brown and the cheese has begun to turn golden brown.

RECIPE: Rumbledethumps

Say what?

Rumbledethumps.  Rumbledethumps.

NOTE: I adapted this recipe from the version posted on The Garden of Eating blog, so I will not shamelessly repeat all of the good information that you can find there.

The name is unique, that's for sure, and Rumbledethumps is supposedly Scottish in origin.  The Scots can't claim exclusive ownership of the dish, though, as pretty much every people group that has adopted the potato as a staple has some sort of similar recipe.  In the USA, the closest approximation is colloquially known as "hash" ... but I don't recommend confusing this type of "hash" with the humble # or the psychoactive drug.  Glyphs and drug lords make for unhappy bedfellows.

I uncovered this recipe in my ongoing struggle to use up all of the cabbage that grew in my garden this year, before the winter really sets in and kills it all.  I really had no idea how far twenty cabbage seeds would go ... until every single one of them sprouted.  I planted them because one of my housemates had been given the seeds several years ago, and I thought what the hey, let's give it ago.  The moral of this story is: you reap what you sow, especially when you sow something crazy.  I don't even really like cabbage all that much, or I thought I didn't, but up until this summer my only exposure to the plant has been in 'slaw.  And I don't particularly like 'slaw.  At all.

Oh, and hi there!  I bet you didn't even remember this blog existed!  I have cooked many a near disaster since my last blog post, but I have been loathe to blog about them without a proper camera on hand.  It's amazing how unappetizing the most delectable dish can seem when taken on a cell phone camera.  Hopefully these photos will do the dish more justice!

INGREDIENTS:

6-8 medium-sized potatoes, cubed (I leave the skins on for more texture)
1/2 head of cabbage, shredded or sliced thin
4 Tablespoons butter (trust me, you'll need it)
1 onion, halved and sliced
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, plus extra
1 teaspoon chopped chives
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Cover the cubed potatoes with salted water and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat and boil until completely tender, around 20-25 minutes.  Drain and mash.  I whipped out my handy-dandy new immersion blender and had the whole lot mashed within 30 seconds.  I definitely recommend getting your hands on one of these tools if you possibly can--they're useful for soups and other winter dishes, and are super easy to clean.

While the potatoes are boiling, melt the butter in a large pan over medium-high heat.  I cannot emphasize how important it is that you use a large pan.  I did not, and I spent half of my time trying to keep the cabbage from strewing itself all over the stove.  Saute your onion in the butter and then add the cabbage, continuing to saute until the cabbage wilts, around 25 minutes.

Combine the cheese, cabbage mixture, chives, and potatoes.  Season with salt and pepper, and spread the mixture out in an oven-safe casserole dish.  Smooth the surface and sprinkle with the extra cheese.

Bake for 25 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the potatoes are turning golden brown.

Serve immediately.

I browned some peppered bacon while the Rumbledethumps (isn't that a great name?!) were in the oven, and they brought a touch of crunchiness to the table.  Altogether, I think my experiment turned out splendidly!  No doubt the calorie count is high, but the cabbage and chives came straight from my garden, and I know for a fact that the deep green of a good cabbage makes for lots of nutrition.