Turning Over a New Leaf

As the spring accelerated into summer, and the linden trees sent their sweet scent on the wayward wisps of a gentle breeze, we would get antsy. The days grew longer, the nights gradually lost the chill, and the smell of the warm asphalt under the noon sun sent us the message that school was almost over and the lazy days of summer were ahead.

The green market would start out shyly with bright green and crisp butter lettuces, ripe green onions, tender spinach leaves, young sweet peas, and fuschia hued radishes. The first strawberries would join the party, followed by early bing cherries, yellow, green, and purple-spotted snap beans, and pinkish tomatoes that everybody tried to avoid. The first time wild sorrel appeared at the stalls, gingerly tied in bundles, we knew that our wait was over: green sarmas were on the horizon!

The chopped onions were sauteed until translucent. Ground beef was stirred and sprinkled with salt and pepper. Rice was warmed up until nutty and flavorful, and then everything got a rest, to cool off and meld together. In the meantime the sorrel leaves were cleaned, and the stems cut off. They lay on the plate or a cutting board eagerly awaiting the addition of the filling, only to be rolled into tight round packages and placed in a deep pot, layer upon layer. The water came in, covering the little bundles half-way, some seemingly random, but not, amount of salt was added,  and the pot went on the stove for 45-60 minutes. A bit of oil was heated and some paprika added to make a roux, which went into the pot, making a sound that the word “sizzle” only begins to cover. The rolls were dished into a bowl, covered with a big dollop of yogurt and consumed with vigor, juices sopped up by fresh bread. Very few meals scream summer to me like these green rolls.

And now my daughters vie for them, as if they grew up in Serbia. But I cannot find sorrel here. There is young spinach, and beautiful chard, and curly Tuscan kale, and dark, flat collard greens, and beet greens, and mustard greens, and turnip greens. I have tried them all without succeeding in the replication of the taste of tender sorrel leaves. But we manage to finish off every single little green roll, as imperfect as it is, vowing that the next time, it would taste even better.

I was excited when I found out that the Daring Cooks’ Challenge for October was Stuffed Grape Leaves. Another way to try our little dolmadas! Husband was dispatched to scour the Persian stores for the appropriate jar of brined grape leaves. After several days he returned home triumphant, with a smallish glass jar holding about forty perfect leaves.

I decided to do two kinds of rolls: the traditional Serbian, with ground beef and rice, and vegetarian, with quinoa, raisins, Greek seasoning, and walnuts.

I cooked them both in the same pot and they were wonderful. Of course, everybody was lamenting the lack of tender sorrel, but I enjoyed the toothsomeness of the grape leaves. We took a plate next door and fed a couple of starving students who were more than grateful for the gesture (and I scored another bottle of wine as a token of thanks). All in all, a very satisfying meal.

Blog-checking lines: Our October 2010 hostess, Lori of Lori’s Lipsmacking Goodness, has challenged The Daring Cooks to stuff grape leaves. Lori chose a recipe from Aromas of Aleppo and a recipe from The New Book of Middle Eastern Food.

QUINOA STUFFED GRAPE LEAVES

Ingredients:

• 1 cup quinoa
• 2 cups water
• 1 Tbsp sunflower oil (or any neutral oil)
• ½ large onion, chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• ¼ cup parsley, chopped
• 1 tsp fresh mint, chopped
• zest of 1 lemon
• 2 Tbsp lemon juice
• ¼ cup chopped walnuts or pine nuts, slightly toasted
• 2 Tbsp of raisins
• chicken or vegetable stock (only if the mix is too thick)
• 1 tsp of salt
• ½ tsp of freshly ground pepper
• 20 grape leaves, stems cut off, placed in boiling water for 15 minutes and drained (or you can use young sorrel)
• 1/2 cup plain yogurt, optional

Directions:

Place the quinoa in water and heat to boil on medium-high heat. Turn the temperature to low and simmer for 15 minutes. In the meantime heat the skillet on medium heat and add the oil. When hot, add the onion and cook for 5-8 minutes, until translucent. Add the garlic and all the herbs, nuts, and raisins. If the mixture is too thick, add some chicken stock or water to thin. Season with salt and pepper.

Place one grape leaf shiny side down on the cutting board. Spoon 1-2 teaspoons of the mix (depending on the size of the leaf) on the lower third, fold over the sides, and start rolling, from the bottom up into a really tight roll. Place into a heavy-bottom pot or a Dutch oven. Continue with stuffing and rolling. If necessary, layer the rolls. Pour some water on top, to cover by half and cook on high heat until it boils. Turn the heat down to medium-low or low and simmer for 45 minutes. Serve as is, or with a dollop of plain yogurt.

MEAT-STUFFED GRAPE LEAVES (ZELENE SARMICE)

Ingredients:

• 1 Tbsp sunflower oil
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 500gr (1 lb) ground meat (I used ground lamb – our Persian store butchers grind it for us on the spot)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
• ¾ cups short-grained rice
• 20 grape leaves, stemmed, and covered by boiling water for 15 minutes I(or sorrel, stemmed)
• 1 Tbsp sunflower oil
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1/2 sup of plain yogurt

Directions:

Heat the skillet on medium heat. Add the oil and onions. Cook for 5-8  minutes until translucent. Add the meat and stir until brown. Stir in the rice and cook for a couple of minutes, until nutty.  Season with salt and pepper. Let the mixture cool a bit. Lay a grape leaf on the cutting board and place 1-2 teaspoons of filling (depending on the size of the leaf) in the lower half. Fold the sides over the filling and stqart rolling from the bottom up, until a tight roll is formed. place in the pot and continue rolling.

Heat the oil on moderate heat and add the paprika. Stir for 30 seconds and pour into the pot. Stir very carefully and let it rest for 5-10 minutes. Serve with a big dollop of yogurt.