Stuffed Grape Leaves
Ingredients
- 1 8-ounce jar grape leaves, drained and rinsed
- 3/4 cup green olives chopped
- 3/4 cup Kalamata olives chopped
- 1/2 cup Gorgonzola cheese crumbled
- 2 cups rice al dente
- 5 tablespoons basil leaves freshly chopped
- 3 cloves garlic freshly chopped
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 1-2 potatoes sliced into 1/8” discs, enough to cover the bottom of your pot
Instructions
- Take the grape leaves out of the jar and unroll them. Be careful with the leaves because the leaves are fragile, and they may be packed with overlapping folds. (see below for using fresh grape leaves) Bring 2 quarts water to a boil.
- Once the water is boiling, place the leaves in the boiling water for 2 to 3 minutes.
- Just long enough to soften the leaves and cleanse the brine off.
- Remove the leaves from the water with a slotted spoon and lay on paper towels to drain.
- Check the laves for hard veins or stems, and trim them with a sharp knife or kitchen scissors.
- In a bowl, mix the olives, Gorgonzola cheese, garlic, and rice. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Take a leaf and carefully spread it on a flat surface with the veins facing upward to you, shiny side down.
- Place a big tablespoonful of the mixture in the center leaf, adjust the amount of stuffing in comparison to the size of the leaf.
- Press the stuffing together to form a log that resembles a cigar like form.
- Fold the stem end of the leaf up and over the filling.
- Fold both sides toward the middle, and then roll up into a cigar shape.
- The rolls should be cylindrical around 2 inches long and 3/4 inch thick.
- Repeat this until the remaining grape leaves are filled.
- In a large pan, place the potatoes cut into discs to line the bottom of the pan, in one single layer.
- arrange the grape leaves into the pan on top of the potatoes. You can make two or three rows if you need to.
- Place enough water into the pot to cover the rolled grape leaves.
- Then place something heavy on top of the grape leaves, like an oven proof plate or another pot.
- Place this pot onto the stove over medium heat, and bring to a boil.
- Once it has come to a boil, let it boil for about 20-30 minutes, you want the rice to finish cooking all the way through and the gorgonzola to melt.
- Transfer the stuffed grape rolls to a serving dish. Serve warm, chilled or at room temperature.
How to pick Grape Leaves
Fresh grape leaves are best picked from the vines in the late Spring and early. Make sure you pick leaves that have not been sprayed, and try to pick the grape leaves early in the day.
When you are searching for leaves look for young leaves, whole without holes and discoloration, medium in size.
The leaves should be smooth and shiny, if they are fuzzy or thick, do not pick them.
The best leaves are those below the new leaf growth. As the sun hits the leaves, they thicken and toughen.
Pick approximately 1 1/2 pounds of fresh leaves.
1 to 1 1/2 pounds of small fresh leaves = approximately 100 to 120 leaves.
Rinse the grapes leaves well in cold water and then drain them, and cut off the stems.
To Blanch the Grape Leaves:
Brine Recipe:
- 4 cups water
- 1 cup salt
In a large pot, bring the water and salt to a boil.
Add the leaves 12-14 at a time.
Boil the leaves until they turn color and are soft.
Remove grape leaves and place them on a plate lined with paper towels to drain them and dry.
You can store left over leaves layered between paper towels in air-tight resealable plastic bags and freeze until ready to use.
