Warm and Comfy Foods of Fall

There really is a joy in seasonal eating that we tend to lose with modern grocery stores. Everything is available all the time. While I may not always eat as seasonally as I should (for example, eating asparagus in August), I do look forward to warm and hearty foods when the weather cools. Here in the deep South, you avoid heavy foods in summer just as you would avoid wrapping up in a long woolen coat for an afternoon stroll.

One of my favorite cool weather dishes is stuffed cabbage, though I changed it just a bit from the recipe my mother used to make. Some changes were due to the simple fact I had other ingredients on hand, others came about from "What if...?". The most challenging aspect of this meal is peeling the cabbage leaves from the head without utterly destroying each leaf's shape.

Stuffed Cabbage a la Richarde

12-15 cabbage leaves (You may only need 12 if the leaves are huge)

1 cup cooked rice

1-1/2 pounds ground beef (I used half soy crumbles and half ground beef)

1 grated zucchini

3 chopped shallots

2 Tablespoons olive oil

1 28 oz. can tomato puree

1/4 cup water

1 cup dry red wine

1 Tablespoon honey or brown sugar

1 Tablespoon cider vinegar

1. Cook your rice and assemble all ingredients through shallots in a large bowl, including rice.

2. Once your pot of water boils, place about four cabbage leaves at a time into the boiling water, letting leaves stay in the water for 5 mins. or until limp. Drain.

3. Place about 3 heaping tablespoons of the rice mixture into the center of the large cabbage leaves and adjust amount for smaller leaves. Fold the sides similar to the way you might fold a burrito and secure with toothpicks. If you have silicon bands, use those to secure the ends of each cabbage bundle. I recommend running to Target and purchasing some if you don't have them already. The silicon bands (red, blue, and yellow bands in the picture) are reusable and stand up to frying bundles of stuffed meat. I love mine!

4. Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven and brown the cabbage bundles. The caramelized cabbage adds another flavor dimension.

5. In a large bowl, or in the same Dutch oven, stir together tomato sauce, sugar, water, vinegar, and wine.

6. Drop your tasty bundles into the sauce, cover, and let simmer at least one hour and thirty minutes.

A loaf of crusty garlic bread is a perfect accompaniment.

Bon appetit!