Need a new recipe for your back to school repertoire?

This recipe had called to me ever since I saw it on SmittenKitchen this summer. And as most of you know, we’ve been a little busy growing humans at our house. Just standing on my feet for very long in the kitchen is hard, and my cooking dreams have been curtailed by a lack of appetite, energy, and plenty of food aversions.

But I finally got inspired to make this thanks to the cabbages my daughter planted (i.e. took cabbage plants home from school and as they were wilting on our window sill in June, decided to stick them in the garden). I had to do something special with these beauties, right? (By the way, I am guessing the chances you have a head of cabbage just siting in your backyard are very low. They were every other year but this one for me.)

Rest easy that the recipe calls for savoy cabbage leaves, which I think would be even better, since the leaves are softer and easier for kids to bite through. I didn’t mind theses at all and think you could use any cabbage leaves, but my youngest didn’t like the how thick and hearty these were, but they loved the insides. I was glad I made extra since the leftovers seemed to get better the next day.

The recipe calls for sweet pork sausages, and even though Smitten Kitchen says she omitted the fresh herbs and still loved them, I had them on my deck so I used them and I felt like they really added to the dish.

Assembly is super easy, and I love her suggestion of wrapping them with a toothpick (you can roll them like egg rolls too).

And the best thing about this dish is the very simple, pure tomato sauce. I ended up doubling it after this photo was taken because I had doubled the cabbages and I suspected the cabbage-bite-to-tomato-sauce ratio was important. (Turns out I was right).

So if you find yourself looking for a new dinner to add to your school night rotation, this one is a keeper. I served them with mashed potatoes (see the yummy recipe for some below) but rice, pasta, or polenta all seem like great sides to soak up the garlic-tomato sauce.

Happy Eating! xoxo Katie

Italian Stuffed Cabbages – (printer version here):

Makes approximately 12 cabbage rolls; a serving can range from 2 (petitely) to 3 per person. Serve with mashed potatoes (Deb at SmittenKitchen recommends these.

1 large savoy cabbage
7-ounce (200-gram) hunk of bread (see above), crusts cut away, torn into small scraps (you’ll have about 3 loose cups of scraps)
2/3 cup (approximately 150 ml) whole milk
14 ounces (400 grams) or approximately 4 plain pork sausages (I used sweet — i.e. non-spicy — Italian), casings removed
1 small sprig of sage, finely chopped
1 small sprig of rosemary, finely chopped
2 tablespoons grated parmesan
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 28-ounce can peeled plum tomatoes
2 tablespoons (30 ml) olive oil
1 clove garlic, peeled and minced

Prepare cabbage: Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Discard any messy or broken outer cabbage leaves and carefully peel 12 nice, large leaves. (I think the cabbage can tell if you’re in a rush, and will tear more easily. Work carefully. That said, a torn leaf will hardly ruin the dish.) Blanch leaves for about 30 seconds to 1 minute (you can do a few at at time), until wilted, and spread out on towels so that they dry and cool.

Make filling: Place bread scraps in bottom of large bowl and pour milk over. Let sit for a few minutes, then mash it gently with a spoon until something close to a paste forms. Mix with sausage meat, herbs, parmesan and a pinch or two of salt and black pepper; I find this easiest with a fork or bare hands.

Make the cabbage rolls: Lay your first cabbage leaf on the counter. If it doesn’t want to lay flat, pare away some of the thickest stalk (with a paring knife or vegetable peeler) to make it easier. Form some of the filling mixture into a golf ball-sized round. Wrap cabbage leaf around it (see Note about shape up top) and pin at the top with a toothpick. Repeat with remaining leaves and mixture.

Make the sauce: To prepare your tomatoes, either break them up with your hands (for bigger chunks), run them through a food mill or roughly chop them right in their can with scissors (what I did here). In a heavy saute pan with a lid or a medium (5 to 6-quart) Dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and saute for about 30 seconds (just until golden, not a moment longer) then add the tomatoes, bringing the sauce to a gently boil. Season with salt if needed. Add cabbage packages, arranging them carefully in the pan so they all fit, cover the pot and gently simmer them for 25 minutes. Remove the toothpicks and carefully turn the rolls over, cooking them for another 25. Remove the lid and simmer for another 10 minutes to cook off some of the wetness. They’re all cooked now, but if you can rest them for another 15 minutes before eating them, the flavors settle and they become even better.

Recipe originally found on smittenkitchen.com

As I suspected, just how big I can get defies all comprehension.

This two week period was marked by a lot of happy: we spent a long weekend in Pemaquid, ME, where we visit every year and is the setting for The Wideness of the Sea. Having been inside this place in my mind so much in the last year, I felt like I might bump into my main characters around every corner. And my favorite bookstore in downtown Damariscotta took a big order of books which made me so happy. I hope to do a reading there next summer. This trip confirmed my belief that this place is magical since while I was there I nearly forgot about being huge and instead looked at the harbor filled with the sea, the wind blowing through lush trees, and the moon and stars in those velvet night skies. Nature has such a wonderful way of taking you out of yourself, uncomfortable pregnancy and all.

Unless I look down, of course:

I also had an ultrasound that showed the babies big and healthy – 2.5 lbs! And surrounded by lots of fluid which is great. It somehow flipped a switch in me and I was left with two thoughts: 1) real, big babies are in there, thus my huge stomach and all my discomfort is for a great purpose and 2) we need diapers.

I went strait from my ultrasound to Target and got everything we needed to bring babies home: diapers, wipes, binkis, burp clothes, that special detergent you need for sensitive skin. (Nesting impulses: the struggle is real). And since I am carrying twins while getting older kids ready for school, I also checked off our sports supply list too. So my cart was filled with newborn diapers and soccer gear, which is a pretty accurate depiction of my life right now.

My husband took my two oldest kids to Saratoga Springs, NY, where they were both born, to visit friends and to hold a work event at the race track. I was home with the two younger kids and it was so slow and sweet. We cleaned and swam and cuddled while we watched movies. I felt like I was drinking them in at these ages before all the changes that are about to take place and I will turn around and they will be 8 and 5 instead of 7 and 4.  One early evening, while we were still in our bathing suits after swimming, we stopped at their favorite Chinese buffet for an early dinner. Sitting there with nothing else to focus on but them, my heart was alternately a mushy mess and a ball of laughter – they are so sweet, and so ridiculously funny. Andrew tried every dumpling they had, and they were overjoyed at the giant cubes of jello for dessert. I left dinner on a cloud of happiness, that was followed up by early showers, pjs, and a quick show before an early bedtime. Not sure if a more perfect evening exists for a 28 week pregnant mom.

I took advantage of the quieter days to organize all the baby stuff and finish washing and folding all the newborn baby clothes (read: do something productive while sitting down). By the time the big kids got home I was done, and it felt like something major was accomplished. Then it was time to turn to fun, and get ready for my friends from BC to come visit. Going out to buy wine and beer and BBQ food felt so good, even if it took every ounce of energy I had. We had this visit on the books for a while, and in my mind it always felt like by the time it rolled around it would be almost time for the twins to come, so it made it all seem very real.

Their visit was so sweet, though one of my friends had problems getting a flight to Boston due to thunderstorms and couldn’t come (how? what?). We missed her, but were so glad to have such a sweet weekend of berries and ice cream and swimming and lobster rolls. Nothing is better then friends that fill you right up, except maybe watching your kids love each other too. And as proof of how much fun we had I took zero pictures that weekend.

New logistical challenges: We got a washer and dryer that easily does 3xs the amount of laundry our old ones did. But I can barely get in front of them because of my tummy. In parking lots I have to walk extra far since I can’t fit between most cars. And bending down or getting up from sitting is comical. I have really relied on Blanqi Leggings and a support belly band lately because the weight of these little boys plus all their in utero accessories is really hard to carry.

But I am still thankful to be sleeping well. And for feeling these sweet boys moving around. Our au pair comes in 3 weeks so now it is the great room shuffle: renovated attic version.  We will head up for one last summer soak up to our condo in the White Mountains, where I plan to best my 11 year old at chess, watch them all splash in rivers that look like they are right out of A River Runs Through It, and sit with my husband on the porch, in rocking chairs, after they all go to sleep, and listen to the stillness, the calm before the storm.