Stuffed Collard Rolls/Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

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Stuffed Collard Rolls/Roasted Red Pepper Sauce Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method-------- ------------ -------------------------------- Roasted Red Pepper Sauce (Recipe Below) 2 pounds collard greens (have at least 2 leaves) 1 teaspoon salt, plus more if needed 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 2 cups finely chopped leeks 2 teaspoons fennel seeds 3/4 cup finely diced celery 3/4 cup finely diced carrot Freshly ground black pepper 3 cups cooked pearl barley 2 cups cooked short-grain brown rice or -- additionalbarley 2/3 cup hazelnuts, toasted and -- coarsely chopped 1/2 tablespoon hazelnut oil, plus more if needed 1/3 cup loosely packed chopped fresh dill 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice Red Pepper Sauce -- (about 2 pounds) 3 large red bell peppers (about 1 3/4 lbs) roasted -- and inchunks 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 3/4 cups or 1 15-ounce can (drained), navy beans 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more if needed 1 teaspoon Balsamic syrup or Balsamic vinegarPrepare the Roasted Red Pepper Sauce, and set aside.Cut off the collard stems, and trim any leaves that measure longer than 10inches from top to stem end. Thinly slice 1 cup of the stems and set aside.(Save the remaining stems for another use.)Select a pot wide and deep enough to contain the collard leaves withoutbending them too much. Fill it about halfway with eater. Add 1/2 teaspoon ofthe salt. Bring to a boil.Press the collard leaves into the boiling water. (If necessary, cook in twobatches.) Cover and boil until just tender, 5 to 10 minutes. (To test fordoneness, use scissors to snip off a small piece of leaf near the stem end;err on the side of undercooking, as the leaves tear more easily ifovercooked.)Drain the collard leaves in a colander set over a bowl, reserving thecooking broth. Set the collards under cold running water, gently turningthem once or twice, until they are thoroughly cooled. Set aside to drain.Heat the oil in the same pot. Add the leeks and cook over medium-high heat,stirring often, until they wilt, about 3 minutes. Meanwhile crush the fennelseeds using a mortar and pestle, or coarsely chop them with a chef's knife.Add the fennel seeds, celery, carrot, reserved collard stems, 1/2 cupreserved collard broth, the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, ad pepper to taste.Cover and cook over medium-high heat until the vegetables are tender butstill firm, 8 to 10 minutes. Add more collard broth if the mixture becomesdry.Using a blender or food processor, blend 1/2 cup of collard broth with 1 cupof barley to create a coarse purée. Add the purée, remaining grains,hazelnuts, hazelnut oil, and dill to the leek mixture. Season to taste withsalt and pepper and additional hazelnut oil, if needed. Stir in enough lemonjuice to give a distinct lemony edge.To assemble the rolls: Set a collard leaf on a flat surface with thesmoother side up and the mid-rib running from left to right (i.e.,horizontally). Patch any tears with pieces of another leaf.Mound 1/4 to 3/4 cup of the stuffing (depending upon the size of the leaf)just below and along the full length of the mid-rib. Flip the leaf edgeclosest to you over the filling and roll the leaf up so that the mid-ribruns along its length. (You may also fold in the sides of the leaf to createa packet, as shown on page 66.) Set the roll seam-side down on amicrowavable or ovenproof platter. Continue to assemble rolls until you haveused up all of the filling or leaves.Just before serving, reheat the rolls in a microwave or in the oven, looselycovered with foil. To serve, ladle Roasted Red Pepper Sauce onto dinnerplates, and arrange the rolls on top.Other Ideas:Collard "Spaghetti"Stack any extra cooked collard greens in a pile and roll them tightly into acigar. Slice thin. Brown slivered garlic in olive oil, add the slicedcollards, and cook, tossing frequently, until heated.Use leftover collard broth as a base for soup. It also makes a soothing hotdrink, perhaps seasoned with a drop of soy sauce.Roasted Red Pepper SauceIn a blender or food processor, purée the peppers with the oil, 3/4 cup ofthe beans, and the salt.Transfer the purée to a saucepan and stir in the remaining beans. Add amoresalt if needed and enough Balsamic Syrup to enhance the taste.If the sauce is thin or lacks a finished flavor, bring it to a boil andsimmer, stirring frequently, until it has a good consistency and the flavorsare integrated. Set aside until needed; reheat when ready to serve.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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