Cabbage Rolls

It's fall! I have to start writing regularly. i was watching a T.V program about blogging .The blogger was advising "would be bloggers" to write often otherwise you could lose your audience.

Since I have an audience of 2-3, I can't afford to lose anyone.

This is a photo of my orange haired grandson taken last fall (not by me) he loves camouflage and is a bit of a chameleon.This photo captures him perfectly.

I wanted to post a photo of cabbage rolls , but we ate them. I had made a big pot of them and had 8 of my closest female friends over for cabbage rolls and pineapple squares. It was a wonderful evening. Lots of wine and laughs. Good medicine for the darkening days of fall.

Both recipes came from my mother-in law Mary Leonard.

She was a remarkable woman. you can read about her on my daughter's blog : http://www.notestoself.us/ and her cousins blog"hava honeymoon" only the later is by invitation only.

Mary was their fathers' mother. She was a brilliant , beautiful woman with real class. She was a teacher , mother , wife,fisher woman,and prankster she raised eight children all who have inherited her creativity. my daughter and her cousin are a lot like their grandmother, they too are beautiful and brilliant and have her gift of writing.

She also could cook. WhenI first met her she baked 8-10 loaves of bread a day.

Supper around her table was a lively affair.Lots of politics, religion and the arts. Grand arguments would erupt , kind of frightening for someone whose family around the supper table barely spoke . Sometimes the arguments were so heated I thought they would come to blows, but when the meal was over everyone left the table in good humour.

The cabbage rolls, came to Newfoundland via the Lebanese immigrants. Newfoundlanders took to the dish as it consisted of readily available fare. Ground beef, cabbage, and tomatoes.

I adapted the recipe from my mother in law. She used tomato soup in the sauce and tomato juice. I use tin tomatoes and tomato sauce. The adapted recipe is:

1 head of cabbage (leafy and large, I find the pointy ones work best)

Remove the leaves and steam them until they are pliable.

You may have to boil or microwave the whole cabbage to get the leaves off.

The stuffing : a pound or two of regular ground beef (the fat makes it moist and tasty). I sometimes use half ground moose meat.

A cup or two of white rice.Salt and pepper and a good tablespoon of garlic powder

mix with half a tin of tomato sauce. I find using my hands to mix is best,

almost like kneading bread.

Place a dollop (small handful) of mix on the steamed cabbage leaf and wrap it up,

I usually shave a bit off the spine of the cabbage leaf to make it easier to wrap.Tuck

in the sides and roll up. fasten with a sturdy tooth pick.(be sure to warn your guest

about the tooth pick)

Pack the cabbage rolls into a large stock pot. Be sure to put a cake rack the bottom.

You could line the bottom of the pot with left over cabbage leaves.

The sauce: 2-4 large tins of tomatoes, whole or diced, but not flavoured.

2-4 large tins of tomato sauce(Heinz or Hunts) also plain.

many many cloves of garlic. i sometimes have used 20, salt and fresh ground

pepper to taste.

Cover , bring to a boil ,turn down the heat to a rolling simmer and cook for 3-4

hours.

Some people bake the cabbage rolls in the oven, I find they tend to be dry.

if you do bake them I would suggest 350 degrees for about 2 hours. Cover the

baking dish with aluminum foil.

Now for the Pineapple Squares:

bottom: in an 8x8in' square pan, mix 1/2 cup of butter (real)

1cup flour

1 tbsp of sugar.

mix with your hands and pat into the bottom of the pan.

Bake at 375 for 10 mins or until the edges are light brown.

Cool and set aside.

Drain 1 in (16 oz.) of crushed pineapples.

Add 1 tin of cream (Fussels or Nestles)

Mix together and set aside

Middle:

1&1/2 sifted icing sugar

1 egg

1tsp vanilla

1/2 cup of soft butter (not melted)

Mix together with an electric mixer .

Assemble: Spread the custard (the middle) on the cooled shortbread bottom.

top with the pineapple and cream mixture. Refrigerate. Cut into squares and enjoy.

Warning: because there is a raw egg in the pineapple squares keep them

refrigerated .

There you have it. I'm passing along a wonderful family tradition. I hope it brings you as much pleasure as it has given me over the years.............

bonne appetite!