Collard Rolls (Stuffed Collard Leaves)

a southern version of the Greek grape leaves

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1 lb large collard leaves

2 cups of cooked rice

1 lb sausage or mushrooms, finely chopped

2 TBS butter

1 small onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 carrots

salt and pepper to taste

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Saute the onion and garlic in the butter until translucent. Then add in the carrots and then the sausage (or mushrooms) and cook thoroughly. Finally, add in the rice, salt and pepper. This is your filling for the collards. Wash your collards and cut out the hard part of the center rib. In a large sauce pan, lightly steam your collards until they are bright green and flexible. Remove from the heat and put on a plate. One by one, place a small amount of the filling onto the collards along the rib of the leaf. Begin rolling the packages together by tucking in the bottom part of the leaves first, then the sides, and finally bring the top of the leave down over the whole roll. Place on a baking sheet. When you have finished with all of your mixture, put a little bit of water in the bottom of the pan and cover it with foil. Place in the over and allow the rolls to steam and finish cooking for about 10 minutes.

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Serve with a white wine sauce: saute 1/4 cup flour with 1/4 cup oil. When it becomes golden brown, add in 1/2 cup white wine, whisking thoroughly. Add in 1 cup veggie or chicken broth. Add in salt and pepper and simmer.