Sometimes a little time produces a lot of joy.
For us, this is a dish of joy. Palestinians are known for their love of stuffing things with rice and meat, and if you are ever so fortunate to find yourself in a Palestinian's home, chances are good that you will be invited to share a meal like this. Garlicky and lemony, these tender rolls of cabbage filled with spiced meat and rice play a special role in the cast of dinner dishes that rotate through the Palestinian kitchen.
Behind us are the days of
cousa mahshi, or stuffed summer squash; now, the cabbage beckons. I had one last beautiful one from our final delivery of our CSA, and I considered its destiny. It took some time for me to build up the gumption to create this meal, but once I did, I discovered that while this stuffed dish takes time, it is actually less fussy and easier than most of the other stuffed dishes.
Malfouf, (or
malfoof), is the Arabic word for cabbage, and this dish is so ubiquitous that if you way you are having cabbage for dinner, everyone will understand that you are referring to this dish.
