Main Ingredients:

See below ingredients and instructions of the recipe

Cooking Preparation of the Recipe:

3/4 c Olive oil 1/2 bn Fresh parsley; chopped
1/2 sm Onion; chopped 1 1/2 Lemons (or more), juice only
8 Scallions; chopped fine Salt freshly ground pepper
2 lg Garlic cloves; chopped 1 c Hot water
1 c Raw long-grain rice 1 lb Jar grapevine leaves
1 bn Fresh dill; chopped

Heat the 1/2 cup oil in a skillet. Add the onion and scallions and saute
for about 5 minutes, until soft and transparent. Add the garlic and cook
for a few minutes, then add the rice, dill, parsley, lemon juice, salt,
pepper, and remaining 1/4 cup olive oil. Stir well, then add the hot
water. Cover and simmer about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and cool.

Meanwhile, carefully remove the grapevine leaves from the jar, leaving the
brine in the jar. Wash grapevine leaves thoroughly and drain, then with a
sharp knife cut the heavy stems from the leaves. (If using fresh grapevine
leaves use the same procedure, parboiling leaves for 5 minutes when not
tender, then drain.) Line an enameled pan with a few heavy grapevine
leaves and set aside. To stuff a grapevine leaf, put it on your working
surface rough side up and stem end near you, and place a teaspoonful of the
rice mixture near the stem end. Using both hands, fold the part of the
leaf near you up and over the filling. Then fold the right side of the
leaf over the filling, then the left side, and roll tightly and back away
from you and toward the pointed end of leaf. Place the "dolma", seam side
down, in the prepared pan. Continue stuffing grapevine leaves until the
mixture has been used. (If any grapevine leaves remain, replace in the
reserved brine for future use.) Place an inverted plate on the dolmades,
then add enough water to cover the dolmades (about 1 to 1-1/2 cups). Bring
to a boil, then cover the pan, lower the heat, and simmer as slowly as
possible for 1-1/4 hours, then taste one to see if the rice is tender, and
continue cooking slowly if necessary. Cool, then chill. Serve cold, as an
appetizer or as an entree.

Note: An important variation, particularly in Macedonia and Thrace: add a
few tablespoons of raisins and pine nuts to the filling when adding the
rice. Also, you may vary the size of dolmades as you wish by adding 1-1/2
teaspoons of the filling. However, be consistent to allow them to cook at
the same rate. They may be stored in the refrigerator for a week or so.

Source: "The Food of Greece" by Vilma Liacouras Chantiles. Avenel Books,
New York. Typed for you by Karen Mintzias

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