Sour Cabbage Rolls

Prepare sour cabbage:

1. Remove the core of the sauerkraut head by cutting around it with a small sharp knife and scraping it out. Release the leaves and place them in a large bowl filled with cold water. Let soak for one hour.

Filling:

1. In the meantime prepare the filling. Place the raisins in a bowl, cover with warm water, and let soak while you prepare the rest.
2. Wash and drain the rice.
3. Chop the onion finely. Heat the oil in a pan and cook the onion for about 2 minutes.
4. Add the rice and cook stirring often for about 3 minutes until the rice is shiny and all coated in oil. Take off the heat.
5. Drain and chop the raisins and add them to the rice. Add the ground walnuts, 1 tablespoon of the tomato paste, parsley, salt and pepper to taste.

Rolls:

1. Drain and rinse the cabbage leaves. Place them on a chopping board, one at a time, and remove the lower part of the leaf, where the stem is very thick. Cut the larger leaves into halves, in the middle where the thick stem is. Discard the thick stem but only in the case of the larger leaves that you split in half. Leave the smaller leaves whole, but trim the thick stem as good as possible so that the leaves will be easy to roll.
2. Place one leaf on the working surface, place a little filling more or less in the middle of the leaf.
3. Fold the lower part of the leaf over, then one side of the leaf over the filling, then the other side of the leaf over. Roll the leaf and tuck in the open end of the leaf.
4. If some of the leaves are too small you can build a roll from two leaves, nicely arranged on top of each other.

Assemble and cook:

1. Chop the middle of the sauerkraut (the leaves that are too small to fill) and all leftover pieces into fine stripes.
2. Place about half of the chopped sour cabbage on the bottom of a heavy bottom pot or Dutch oven. Add 2 bay leaves, the thyme or savory, and the dill seeds, if you have them.
3. Arrange the sauerkraut rolls on top of the chopped cabbage. Add the remaining bay leaves and some more thyme/savory and dill seeds. Top with another layer of chopped cabbage.
4. In a small pot whisk together the remaining tablespoon of tomato paste and enough hot water to hold the sauerkraut rolls.
5. Carefully pour the tomato water into the pot. Add more hot water, if you don't have enough from the beginning, the rolls should be almost covered with water.
6. Cover the pot, bring to a boil, turn the heat down to low and simmer for one hour.
7. Shortly before the hour is up, preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius/ 360 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove the lid from the pot and place the uncovered pot into the hot oven. Bake for 40 – 50 minutes until the rolls are nicely colored and really soft inside.