Wehani and Barley Red Cabbage Rolls with Cheddar Sauce

I thought this was fabulous.  A new recipe I tried from Food and Drink Autumn 2010.  The Wehani Rice is a red rice that stays somewhat chewy.

ROLLS
1/2 cup Wehani rice
1/2 cup pot barley
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 small leek, finely sliced or 3/4 cup diced onion
2 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable broth, divided
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 to 1/4 tsp cayenne
1 egg
125 g orange cheddar cheese, grated, about 1 1/2 cups
1 cup toasted pecans, finely chopped
1/2 cup lightly packed parsley leaves or spinach, finely chopped (I like the spinach)
3 plum tomatoes, seeded and diced, about 1 1/2 cups
Kitchen twine
1 large red cabbage
4 tsp white vinegar

SAUCE
125 g orange cheddar cheese, grated, about 1 1/2 cups
1/4 cup all purpose flour
2 cups milk (it calls for 2% or whole but I used 1% and it was fine)
3/4 tsp salt
1 bay leaf
1 large sprig fresh thyme or 1/2 tsp dried thyme or summer savoury
1/8 to 1/4 tsp cayenne
2 to 3 green onions, thinly sliced

1. Wash rice and barley in sieve under cold running water; drain in sieve.  Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat until hot.  Add leek; cook 3 minutes.  Add rice mixture; stir in 1 cup broth, salt and cayenne.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer and cover.  Cook for 30 minutes; mixture is still chewy in texture.
2. Drain in a sieve for 5 minutes.  Transfer to a large mixing bowl; cool to lukewarm.  Thoroughly mix in egg; stir in cheese, pecans, parsley and tomatoes until combined.  Cut a dozen pieces of twine, each about 12 inches long.
3. To prepare cabbage, bring a large pasta pot two-thirds filled with water to a boil; add 3 tsp vinegar.  Remove core of cabbage; then plunge whole cabbage into boiling water.  Boil 5 minutes; then begin to remove outer leaves with tongs (or remove whole cabbage from water, briefly cool under running water and remove leaves in batches, returning cabbage to boiling water for another 5 minutes to loosen more leaves).  Stack leaves on a plate; once there are 10 to 12, remove cabbage core from water.  Return stack of leaves; boil another 10 minutes or until lighter in colour and tender.  Drain leaves; rinse under cold running water.
4. Turn each leaf up side down so rip is prominent.  Shave a bit off the rib where it is thickest; turn over again so it curls upwards.  Fill, placing a generous amount of filling on thickest part of rib (a large leaf can take 3/4 cup filling, medium takes 1/2 cup and small takes 1/3 cup).
5. Begin to roll from rib, tucking in sides until a neat roll forms.  Tie around middle with string.  Trim twine ends; discard.  Place rolls seam side down and largest on the outside, in an ungreased 9 x 13 inch baking dish.  Rolls can be covered and left at room temperature for up to an hour.  (If making ahead, cover and refrigerate for up to a day.  Add 10 to 15 minutes to baking time.)
6. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350F.
7. Pour 1 1/2 cups broth mixed with 1 tsp vinegar over rolls; snugly cover baking dish with foil.  Bake 45 minutes or until rolls are hot.  
8. Meanwhile, to make sauce, stir cheese with flour.  Set aside.  Heat milk, salt herbs and cayenne in a medium saucepan over medium heat or in an 8 cup glass measuring cup in microwave.  When just starting to boil, about 5minutes, stir in cheese mixture.  Heat or microwave, stirring frequently until sauce is just starting to bubble and is thickened.  Remove bay leaf and thyme stem.  If mixture seems too thick, stir in additional milk.  (Sauce can be made ahead. Cover with plastic wrap directly on sauce surface for up to a day.  Reheat slowly over medium low heat in a small saucepan or in the microwave on medium power). Stir frequently with a whisk and add more milk as needed to thin sauce.
9. To serve, drain rolls and place on warmed serving plate; remove strings. Generously nap with sauce and sprinkle with sliced green onions.  Serve with whole grain bread.