Grape Leaves

Stuffed Grape Leaves

Ingredients:

1 jar grape leaves

1 cup brown rice, cooked about halfway

1/2 cup quinoa

1 small eggplant chopped finely (or your preferred seasonal vegetable)

1 serano chile minced

2 shallots chopped

tsp baharat

1/2 cup chevre cheese (I used one mixed with figs!)

1 bunch fresh chevril or flat leaf parsley, chopped

4 cups vegetable broth

S & P to taste

Preparation:
1. If using commercially prepared grape leaves, remove them from their jar and rinse them in cold water for about five minutes. They're pickled in a brine solution, so you'll want to separate them gently and let them soak for a while.
*home grown leaves can be used if they were procured in the spring.
2. Meanwhile, combine the rice, shallots, eggplant, squash, parsley, cheese and baharat, salt & pepper together in a bowl, mixing well.
3. Lay a few grape leaves out on a cutting board, shiny side down, and remove their stems. Place a small, compact scoop of the rice mixture in the middle of each leaf - about a tablespoon should do it, although you could use more if you have really big grape leaves. Fold the grape leaves over each other, like you're wrapping a burrito. wrap them as tightly as possible. Repeat until you've used up all your rice mixture, or run out of grape leaves.
4. Lay a few leaves flat to line your pot, then start to fill the pot with tightly packed rice filled leaves. Feel free to stack in layers using flat leaves to separate each layer. When you’ve packed all your grape leaves, pour the broth in on top, covering the rolled leaves just barely to the top.
5. Cover the pot and bring to a rolling boil, and then decrease heat and simmer for about 25 minutes.
When the rolled leaves are done simmering, the rice will be cooked all the way. Remove the leaves from the pot and serve hot!

BKBTY