I am excited to have you join us today for the first event of a new project called World Wine Travel. WWT is a group of wine lovers that will be exploring wines of the world. You will recognize many of the participants if you are a regular reader.
Many of us also belong to Italian FWT, Wine Pairing Weekend, and the French Winophiles. These events occur on the first, second and third Saturdays of each month. That left a Saturday. A week without wine?! We can’t have that, so Jeff of foodwineclick began World Wine Travel where we will be virtually travelling the world, tasting the wines, experiencing the food and culture and sharing our travels with our readers.
This weekend we are travelling to Moldova where they are celebrating “My Wine Day”. Won’t you join us?
Lynn of Savor the Harvest is hosting this month. Lynn not only invited us to join her in the fun but she also arranged for us to get samples of Moldovan wine to taste and review. These wines were provided by VINovations who is the online retailer for the USA.
One of my favorite things about travelling, whether live or virtually, is exploring the culture through food. In previous years, if I were travelling to Moldova, I would be smack dab in the middle of a huge festival where they would be celebrating “My Wine Day”. This year, due to the pandemic, it is looking a little different. You will find no stands, no crowds, no festival, no dancing. They are still celebrating though, just a little differently. Individual wineries will be having special programs that include tastings, food pairings and music.
Sarmale (Moldovan Cabbage Rolls)
Ingredients
- 1 large head of cabbage
- 2 T. Kosher salt
- 1/4 c. white vinegar
- 2 large onions, small dice
- 2 stalks celery, small dice
- 1/2 lb bacon, diced
- 8 oz. mushrooms, diced
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 2 T. finely chopped parsley
- 1 1/2 lbs. ground pork
- 1/2 c. water
- 1 qt. sauerkraut
- 1 smoked ham steak or small ham hock
- 1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce
- 1 c. tomato vegetable juice
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 sprig dill weed
Instructions
- Remove core from cabbage. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the kosher salt and vinegar to the water. Immerse the cabbage and cook for about 5 minutes. Use tongs to remove the leaves from the cabbage as they soften, placing them onto a baking pan to cool.
- Place the bacon into a large skillet over medium heat along with the onions, celery and mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper. Cook and stir until bacon is browned and vegetables are tender. Stir in the parsley, set aside.
- Use a paring knife to remove the main vein from the cooled cabbage leaves so they lay flat. Set aside.
- Combine the ground pork with the cooled bacon and vegetables and a 1/2 cup of water.
- Place about 2 Tablespoons of filling onto the cabbage leaves and fold them like an envelope.
- Drain the sauerkraut and place half into the bottom of a Dutch Oven or other heavy pot. Place the ham on top of the sauerkraut and then layer the cabbage rolls on top. Cover the rolls with the remaining sauerkraut. Mix together the tomato sauce and juice and pour over all. Add the bay leaf and dill sprig to the top.
- Place the lid onto the Dutch Oven and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer for 2-3 hours, until very tender.
- Serve over rice, if desired, garnished with sour cream.
Notes:
Calories
352.35
Fat (grams)
22.74
Sat. Fat (grams)
8.25
Carbs (grams)
6.98
Fiber (grams)
1.80
Net carbs
5.18
Sugar (grams)
3.48
Protein (grams)
28.79
Sodium (milligrams)
1797.55
Cholesterol (grams)
94.26
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