Stuffed Cabbage Rolls

Next to my elementary school was a huge cabbage field, surrounded by an eight foot stone wall, a few trees and a small farm house where the grabbiest man in Athens lived.  My friends and I would play on the streets in front of the cabbage field and once in a while our soccer ball would land inside the farm.  This was a big problem for us kids if we didn't get in there and retrieve  the ball right away the old man would grab it and we could forget about getting it back. Because I was the  best climber and the fastest of the gang, I  would be the one to go and get the ball back.  One day as I jumped over the wall to retreive the ball, I was surprised that there was no ugly old man there to greet me as usual.  I was relieved and quickly got the ball ,threw it over the wall., and started to climb.  Suddenly I heard a huge whooping war scream coming from the old man and a shot ringing from a shotgun. Moments later I  felt the sting of salt pellets as they found their target in my buttocks.  I still remember the cabbage patch episode as  one of the most painful experiences of my young life.  I couldn't sit down for three weeks.   It still didn't stop me from going back and taking cabbages from the old man so we could use them for target practice for our bow and arrows....and it still doesn't stop me from loving them stuffed today!!!

Stuffed Cabbage Rolls1 head of soft cabbage
1/2 lb. ground pork
1 lb. ground beef
2 medium onions, grated
1/2 cup long grain rice
1 cup chopped parsley
1 cup chopped dill
2 egg whites
salt and pepper
2 1/2 Tables. butter
2 cups beef broth
     Lemon Sauce
3 Tables. flour
2 Tables. butter
1 cup milk
5 Tables. lemon juice
2 egg yolks

      Cut around the stem of the cabbage;leave whole, parboil for 5 minutes; then let it steep for another five minutes.  Remove from water and drain; sepaarte cabbage leaves.  Chop the small inside leaves and the core, and line a dutch oven with them.  Combine all the stuffing ingredients, without the butter and broth, and mix thoroughly.  Place 1 tablespoon of the stuffing on each  of the larger cabbage leaves, fold ends of leaves over stuffing, then roll the leaves. Arrange the stuffed cabbage leaves in rows in the dutch oven; dot each layer with butter and salt and pepper until all the stuffed cabbage leaves have been used.  Cover with beef broth and enough water to submerge the cabbage rolls.  Place a plate on top of the rolls, cover and simmer over low fire for at least one hour.  Serve with egg lemon sauce, lots of bread and a bit of salad and a nice dry white wine.
This makes quite a few rolls and they'll be even better tomorrow!