It’s grape leaf season in Arizona. Our back yard is FULL of tender fresh grape leaves that are ready to be picked. I learned early how to harvest grape leaves in Minnesota where I grew up. Each year I remember going with my mother to gather grape leaves down by the lakes in Minneapolis. Many people would stare wondering what we were doing and I’m sure we looked like discount weed exterminators but it was totally worth it. The best times to do this, depending on the climate are spring, and late summer/early fall. What better way to celebrate a grape harvest than with making a meal out of the grape leaves? It’s shocking to me how many people have never eaten leaves of plants. They really do make such a difference in flavor. Grapes and their leaves come in many varieties, but for this recipe, green grape leaves are truly the best. They smell and taste sweet and when picked fresh provide a perfect palette for ground lamb. You can use preserved/jarred grape leaves but they are typically very salty and will need to be thoroughly rinsed in cold water before rolling. Preserved grape leaves can be found at any middle eastern grocery store and when visiting Minneapolis, I highly recommend Emily’s Lebanese Deli for all of your mid east cooking needs. Either way, I will put my pride aside any day to get the best grape leaf harvest for cooking.
- 2 lbs ground lamb leg
- 1 cup rice (uncle Ben’s)
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons cinnamon
- 1 lemon
- 40-50 grape leaves
Wash and separate the fresh grape leaves. Clip stems from the leaves and stack face up. Insider tip- you can pick fresh grape leaves and then freeze them flat. Do not wash them and stack neatly in a pile and wrap with Saran Wrap. Place the ziplock bag in the freezer, suck out all of the air and keep up to 6 months protected via cookie tin or cardboard box. If using preserved jarred grape leaves submerge those leaves in a cold water bath to remove the brine. Mix the meat, rice, salt, pepper, water and cinnamon in a separate bowl. Mash meat with hands and water so it’s loose enough to roll. Lay flat grape leaves vein side up. Take 1-2 tablespoons of meat mixture and place on the bottom of the leaf. Roll leaf with meat mixture from the bottom up tucking in the sides as you roll, like a cigar. In a kettle, place each leaf corner side down and stack neatly. Cover with water and sprinkle top with 2 tablespoons of salt. Bring to a boil and then turn down to simmer with lid on top for 30-40 minutes. In the last 15 minutes of cooking, squeeze the lemon juice into the water. Enjoy with a side of greek yogurt with fresh squeezed lemon or tomato preserves.
