French Cooking: Choux Farcis à la provençale

Cabbage: a staple of the rich and poor! The cultivation of cabbage goes back 4000 years to China and Mongolia. In the 3rd century BC for the builders of the Great Wall, cabbage was a staple. The famous chef Guillaume Tirel says Taillevent (1310-1395) prepared many dishes with cabbage for His Royal Majesty France’s Charles VI, “The Mad,” (1368-1422). And Queen Catherine de Médici (wife of Henri II) gets kudos for bringing a wide variety of cabbage to France–green, white, red and pink. It was a Frenchman—Jacques Cartier–who introduced cabbage to America during his 3rd voyage to America in 1542. But it was the Sun King (Louis XIV) who introduced cabbage to the royal menu. And for this week’s “French Cooking without a Fuss” I’m offering a simple recipe for Stuffed Cabbage à la Provençale. Choux farcis à la provençaleFor six personsCooking time: 1-1/2 hours 12 cabbage leaves1 lb. ground beef¾ cup cooked rice1 egg, beaten½ cup onion, finely choppedsalt, pepper to taste½ cup milk2 cloves garlic, minced2 tbsp. parsley1 tsp. herbes de provence (or Italian seasoning) Sauce:1 8 oz. can tomato sauce1 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes, undrained2 tbsp. vinegar3 tbsp. sugar½ cup water2 tbsp. cornstarch mixed with ¼ cup cold water¼ cup black olives Drop cabbage leaves in a pot of boiling salted water. Cover and cook for 3 minutes. Drain well. Make the filling: Combine the beef, rice, onion, egg, salt, pepper, milk, garlic, parsley, and herbs. Mix well and divide into twelve portions. Place a portion on top of the center of each cabbage leaf. Roll leaf around filling and fasten with a toothpick. Place in a baking dish. Now for the sauce: Combine the tomato sauce, tomatoes, sugar, vinegar and water. Pour over the cabbage rolls. Bake covered at 350F for 45 minutes. Remove the rolls and keep warm. Then put the juices over heat and add the cornstarch/water mixture and cook until the sauce thickens. Put the cabbage rolls with the sauce into a serving dish; add the thickened tomato sauce, and sprinkle with the black olives.Et voilà! April Paute moved to France over 10 years ago with her husband Jean Michel and 2 Siamese cats. Armed with only a dictionary and hand signals, she took on the challenge of requesting the local boucher decapitate a chicken for her. After living in Paris and Antibes, April & co. have settled in Toulouse, where she draws inspiration from her herb garden.