Cabbage Leaves

Discard outer layers. With a sharp pointed knife, core out the bottom of the cabbage. Go as deep as you can, to make it easier to separate the leaves. Put whatever leaves you manage to separate without tearing, along with the rest of the head, in a big pot of boiling water, and let boil gently for about 5 minutes, or just long enough to soften leaves and make them more pliable, then take them out and drain them. When leaves are cool enough to handle, separate as many as you can, and return the rest to the boiling water, repeating the process until you get to the core. Do not discard it, but put it in the bottom of the dolma pot, and let it simmer with the rest of the filled vegetables.