I recently found myself with a head of savoy cabbage that I was not sure what to do with. I bought two heads when I was making coleslaw and ended up using only one of them. After some contemplation I decided I would make cabbage rolls (Galumpkis) and use savoy cabbage rather than the standard green cabbage. Quite honestly, I like them better using savoy cabbage.
I took this from a site named www.savoycabbage.org.
I won't repeat all the steps here today on how to make galumpkis. The recipe is on the recipe page. I just wanted all of your to see savoy cabbage so you will know what to look for and I wanted you to see how the cabbage rolls look using the savoy cabbage. As I said above, I prefer this to green cabbage.
So, above, I have already got the filling prepared and I have a head of savoy cabbage. It has a very different look from red or green cabbage.
First, remove the core with a paring knife.
With the core removed, you can set about removing the cabbage leaves one by one. Let me tell you, with the savoy cabbage, the leaves remove so easily you won't believe it. In the past I have struggled to remove the leaves from green cabbage. I have even blanched the entire head of cabbage in order to make it easier. And sometimes that did not even work.
Here are the individual leaves, in perfect condition, ready to be blanched and fill with the meat mixture. I really like the texture of the leaves of the savoy cabbage. Much nicer than green cabbage.
Into a large pot of boiling water for two minutes.
After two minutes, you see above that the leaves have softened and are ready to be removed from the boiling water.
While the leaves are draining, you can get your sauce and slow cooker ready. Here is another little change I made which I will change on the recipe page. Instead of two 8 oz. cans of tomato sauce, use one 28 oz. can of tomato sauce.
Use 16 oz. of the tomato sauce to make the simmering sauce that goes over top of them while in the slow cooker. The ingredients in this do not change. It is still 16 oz. tomato sauce, light brown sugar, lemon juice and Worcestershire sauce.
Into your clean crock, pour the 12 oz. of tomato sauce left in the can.
Spread it around to completely cover the bottom of the crock. Sit the crock into the heating element and set it on high. Place the top on the crock. I prefer to let the crock start to heat up a bit before placing in the food items, no matter what I am cooking.
Now you can start filling your cabbage leaves. Each one gets a one-quarter cup measure of the meat filling. You will notice in the picture to the left of the filling, there is the spine of the leaf. These are tough, so I remove them.
Just go along each spine with a paring knife and cut about an inch and a half or two inches in each leaf.
Then, start rolling them up.
Into the crock with them, nestled atop the tomato sauce. Aren't these beautiful? I love the texture in the leaves.
Once I was done filling all the leaves and placed them in the crock, I poured over the simmering sauce I made earlier. I placed the top on the crock and set a timer in my head. Cook them on high for 4 to 5 hours (as I did), or on low for 8 to 9 hours.
My original recipe for galumpkis was delicious. These are even better. The sweetness of the savoy cabbage makes all the difference. I hope you will try these some weekend soon. Or set the crock one morning before leaving for work and come home to a delicious dinner. Perfect for this time of year.
I took this from a site named www.savoycabbage.org.
Despite the rough appearance, the leaves of the savoy cabbage are tender, even when eaten raw. This makes them an ideal choice for salads, vegetable wraps, or as a bed for rice, fish, or other dishes. This in sharp contrast to the leaves of “green” or “red”cabbages, that are hard and rubbery. Their only real use, in the raw state, is in making coleslaw. Even then, the texture can be too tough for many people to enjoy. On the other hand, savoy cabbage can make a tastier, and much more tender coleslaw.
As a side note, the terms “green” and “red” cabbage, refer to specific types of cabbages. Green cabbage is the typical hard, rubbery cabbage that most people are familiar with. Red cabbage is also fairly common. It is also hard and rubbery, with a slightly bolder flavor, than the green, and is most often used for the color contrast, rather than for the flavor. These are both high in many nutritional factors. Unfortunately, due to their texture and taste, people use them sparingly in their raw state. They become more tender, and less bitter tasting, when cooked, but they lose a lot of nutritional value in the process.
While the tenderness is a huge factor in the appeal of savoy cabbages, over other forms of cabbage, its taste is another reason for its popularity. The green and red cabbages have a slightly bitter taste, which some describe as peppery. Savoy cabbage, by comparison, is milder and sweeter, making it not only a good fit in salads, but also a much preferred alternative in just about any recipe that includes cabbage.
So, with this new knowledge of cabbages, I have decided to only use savoy cabbage in all of my dishes containing cabbage from this point forward. I will amend the recipes on my recipe page to reflect this change.
Take a look at the process using savoy cabbage.
I won't repeat all the steps here today on how to make galumpkis. The recipe is on the recipe page. I just wanted all of your to see savoy cabbage so you will know what to look for and I wanted you to see how the cabbage rolls look using the savoy cabbage. As I said above, I prefer this to green cabbage.
So, above, I have already got the filling prepared and I have a head of savoy cabbage. It has a very different look from red or green cabbage.
First, remove the core with a paring knife.
With the core removed, you can set about removing the cabbage leaves one by one. Let me tell you, with the savoy cabbage, the leaves remove so easily you won't believe it. In the past I have struggled to remove the leaves from green cabbage. I have even blanched the entire head of cabbage in order to make it easier. And sometimes that did not even work.
Here are the individual leaves, in perfect condition, ready to be blanched and fill with the meat mixture. I really like the texture of the leaves of the savoy cabbage. Much nicer than green cabbage.
Into a large pot of boiling water for two minutes.
After two minutes, you see above that the leaves have softened and are ready to be removed from the boiling water.
Into the drainer and let them drain thoroughly before filling. Such a beautiful color after two minutes in the pot.
While the leaves are draining, you can get your sauce and slow cooker ready. Here is another little change I made which I will change on the recipe page. Instead of two 8 oz. cans of tomato sauce, use one 28 oz. can of tomato sauce.
Use 16 oz. of the tomato sauce to make the simmering sauce that goes over top of them while in the slow cooker. The ingredients in this do not change. It is still 16 oz. tomato sauce, light brown sugar, lemon juice and Worcestershire sauce.
Into your clean crock, pour the 12 oz. of tomato sauce left in the can.
Spread it around to completely cover the bottom of the crock. Sit the crock into the heating element and set it on high. Place the top on the crock. I prefer to let the crock start to heat up a bit before placing in the food items, no matter what I am cooking.
Now you can start filling your cabbage leaves. Each one gets a one-quarter cup measure of the meat filling. You will notice in the picture to the left of the filling, there is the spine of the leaf. These are tough, so I remove them.
Just go along each spine with a paring knife and cut about an inch and a half or two inches in each leaf.
Then, start rolling them up.
Into the crock with them, nestled atop the tomato sauce. Aren't these beautiful? I love the texture in the leaves.
Once I was done filling all the leaves and placed them in the crock, I poured over the simmering sauce I made earlier. I placed the top on the crock and set a timer in my head. Cook them on high for 4 to 5 hours (as I did), or on low for 8 to 9 hours.
My original recipe for galumpkis was delicious. These are even better. The sweetness of the savoy cabbage makes all the difference. I hope you will try these some weekend soon. Or set the crock one morning before leaving for work and come home to a delicious dinner. Perfect for this time of year.
