MINI CABBAGE AND ONION TORTAS

I'm in a book club, and I think my favorite part of the book club is the fact that we tend to focus on the food we share during our meetings just as much as the book:) I love to read, but I love to cook! And it's so much fun because we usually pick a theme for food that fits with the book, so I get to try making things I never would have thought of without the prompt! Last year around this time we read Mastering the Art of Soviet Cooking and our host made some amazing borscht. I remembered having braised cabbage at a Russian restaurant in college, so when she sent out the email saying she was planning on making borscht, I decided to try experimenting with cabbage for my contribution to the meal. I had just read a New York Times recipe for a cabbage torta, so I decided to try my own variation of the torta and make little cabbage pockets for book club! The Times makes one large torta, but I actually preferred the serving-sized pockets because there's a higher torta to filling ratio:) But feel free to make one large one if you'd prefer! I think this could be a great St. Patty's day addition if you're looking to take advantage of the 29 cent cabbage (!) in the stores right now!

cabbage and onion torta

2 cups flour

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

2 teaspoons salt

1 tablespoon sugar

6 tablespoons cold butter

1/4 cup olive oil

3/4 cup cold water

2 tablespoons butter

1 onion, sliced

2 tablespoons olive oil

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 1/2 tablespoons thyme

1 cabbage, chopped

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup shredded Manchego cheese

1 egg

1 tablespoon cold water

Mix your dough by adding the flour, whole wheat flour, 2 tablespoons salt, and sugar to a food processor. Process until combined, then add the cold butter in small pieces and pulse to a fine grain. Add the olive oil and water and process to a consistent dough. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for an hour while you prepare the filling. 

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a small cast iron pan over medium high heat and add the sliced onion. Sauté for 5-10 minutes until translucent, then lower the heat and let cook until caramelized, stirring every so often, for about 40 minutes. Meanwhile, sauté the garlic and thyme in olive oil over medium heat until the garlic is golden brown. Then add the chopped cabbage and salt and cook until completely cooked throughout, about 35 minutes. Add in the caramelized onions to the cabbage and stir to combine.

When your dough is ready, roll out to about 1/8" thickness. Cut into 4" wide squares and fill one half (diagonally) of the square with cabbage filling. Sprinkle with Manchego, fold the top over, and press the edges with a fork to seal the dough. Beat an egg with 1 tablespoon cold water and brush over the cabbage pockets. Bake at 400 degrees for about 30 minutes, or until golden brown. Enjoy!