Literally Farm to Table!....Apple-Chard Quinoa Stuffed Cabbage with Tomato-Apple Sauce!

I told you I was going to do something great with this big, bad cabbage that we picked from the farm!

When I think cabbage (probably like most do), I think corned beef and cabbage or that detox cabbage soup.  But wait!  There has to be more to this plant than just those boring, bland recipes, right??!

Well yeah!!!  And this is a perfect example on how to think outside the box and be creative with what you have in your plantry!

 I knew that I wanted to make something "farm-centric" and really highlight the fall vegetables that we picked today.

Clearly I did not use everything we picked, but decided on cabbage, apples, tomatoes and swiss chard.  The only other thing I used in the plantry was quinoa and tomato paste, and well, clearly spices.

When I mentioned my idea of the tomato-apple sauce there was a bit of question in Ryan's voice.  I told him, stop being a non-believer.  My ideas my sound odd at times, but your taste buds don't lie.
So, half way through the sauce, he tasted it and literally said "wow, that is like a taste of fall".  A very good way to describe the dish as a whole.  If fall had a taste, it would be this!

Apple-Chard Quinoa Stuffed Cabbage with Tomato-Apple Sauce

Ingredients:

cabbage

1 c quinoa

2 c vegetable broth

1 c chopped swiss chard

1 small apple chopped

1/4 red onion chopped

1/4 c chopped raw walnuts

sauce:

3 vine ripe tomatoes

1 apple diced

1/2 yellow onion chopped

1 garlic clove diced

1/2 c vegetable broth

2 tbsp tomato paste

1 tbsp evoo

3 tsp brown sugar

s+p

2 tsp cinnamin 

Directions:

Start with sauce:  In boiling water, stew vine ripe tomatoes for about 4-5 minutes.  Transfer to collander and let cool.

In meantime,  in large saute pan, heat evoo on medium and saute garlic and onions for about 3 minutes.  Add apples and saute for another 3-5 minutes.  Slowly add in vegetable broth and stir in tomato paste.  Take your stewed tomatoes and crush and transfer to your sauce.  Stir until everything is combined.  Season with brown sugar, s+p and cinnamin.  Cover and simmer for about 20-30 min or until serve.  (if you don't like very chunky sauce, take 1/2 of sauce and blend until smooth...I did this and turned out great!)

Heat oven 375.

While your sauce is cooking, start your quinoa by boiling 2 c of vegetable broth with your 1 c of quinoa, then cover and simmer for 20 minutes.  In a large sauce pan, boil water.  While waiting to boil, trim about 1/4" off of the bottom of the cabbage and carefully peel off leaves.  Place leaves in medium-boiling water and blanch for about 5 minutes.  Trasfer to collander to drain and cool.  In saute pan, heat evoo and saute onions and apples for 5 minutes, add in swiss chard and saute until wilted.  Add this mixture, along with chopped walnuts and toss until mixed.  (add a touch of evoo and tomato-apple sauce to quinoa mixture if desired optional)

With a baking dish, spoon in your sauce mixture to lightly coat the bottom.  Now its time to stuff and roll your cabbage!  Take each leaf and spoon in your quinoa mixture and just roll as if you are rolling a burrito.  Do this until all your leaves and mixture is gone.  Transfer to baking dish and cover with tomato-apple sauce.  Bake in oven for about 35-45 minutes.  Enjoy this excellent fall dish!