In my small neighborhood, grape vines are an invasive weed. Spent a
few days ripping them from the utility lines. Dolmades used to be a
treat, now I make them every other day, and brine more leaves, just to
keep up.

I know, an embarrassment of riches. Avgolemono. Yogurt/garlic/mint.
Avgo soup. With meat and without. Currants. Other affordable seeds
in lieu of pine nuts.

Maybe I'll learn something. Deep-fry? BBQ?

Dolmades tacos! If could ever afford the truck.

On Sun, 3 Jul 2011 23:23:01 -0700 (PDT), bulka
> wrote:

> In my small neighborhood, grape vines are an invasive weed. Spent a
> few days ripping them from the utility lines. Dolmades used to be a
> treat, now I make them every other day, and brine more leaves, just to
> keep up.
>
> I know, an embarrassment of riches. Avgolemono. Yogurt/garlic/mint.
> Avgo soup. With meat and without. Currants. Other affordable seeds
> in lieu of pine nuts.
>
> Maybe I'll learn something. Deep-fry? BBQ?

Where are you Bulka?

--

Today's mighty oak is just yesterday's nut that held its ground.

bulka wrote:
> In my small neighborhood, grape vines are an invasive weed. Spent a
> few days ripping them from the utility lines. Dolmades used to be a
> treat, now I make them every other day, and brine more leaves, just to
> keep up.
>
> I know, an embarrassment of riches. Avgolemono. Yogurt/garlic/mint.
> Avgo soup. With meat and without. Currants. Other affordable seeds
> in lieu of pine nuts.
>
> Maybe I'll learn something. Deep-fry? BBQ?

Okay, I was just thinking about this a second ago, although with
cabbage. Try experimenting with grape leaves around Chinese egg
roll, spring roll, and dumpling fillings.

--
Jean B.

>
> Where are you Bulka? *
>
I'm in suburbs of Detroit, but this is very local. A neighbor has had
an intentional arbor for many years; most of those years it has been
untended. I imagine birds scatter the seeds. My, and a few others',
fences have a much better crop than the original arbor. Little green
grapes now, but I've never seen a ripe one. Birds are faster than me.

Or were you asking so you could come for a harvest? Sure. Plenty to
share.

On Mon, 4 Jul 2011 21:18:41 -0700 (PDT), bulka
> wrote:

> Or were you asking so you could come for a harvest? Sure. Plenty to
> share.

That would be fun (and tasty), but I think Nad R is closer to you -
thanks for the invite though!

--

Today's mighty oak is just yesterday's nut that held its ground.

On Jul 4, 2:23*am, bulka > wrote:
> In my small neighborhood, grape vines are an invasive weed. Spent a
> few days ripping them from the utility lines. *Dolmades used to be a
> treat, now I make them every other day, and brine more leaves, just to
> keep up.
>
> I know, an embarrassment of riches. *Avgolemono. Yogurt/garlic/mint.
> Avgo soup. *With meat and without. *Currants. *Other affordable seeds
> in lieu of pine nuts.
>
> Maybe I'll learn something. *Deep-fry? *BBQ?



It's funny. I'm not a big salt lover, but I actually prefer the
brined leaves to fresh ones. Maybe it has something to do with memory
from my youth. But when I went back to Allentown Pa from L.A. in 1991
I found out that all the relatives who were still making grape-leaves
(as they call them) (stuffed with ground meat and rice), were going to
certain local spots of nature where they'd pick loads of the leaves.
I think they're good, but there's a certain indefinable sort of
toughness to the brined ones that I like. It's like the fresh ones
were almost too tender. But I didn't live there long, so maybe the
fresh leaves are not always that way. I just thought it was
interesting that I would prefer the jarred version to the fresh. It
wasn't just the toughness, I think it was also the taste, which is
probably the brine itself. I used to make some pretty good stuffed
grape leaves. What a delicate and creative dish, yet so simple in
number of ingredients, although not so simple, but rather back-
breaking, the preparation, sitting hunched over rolling those tight
cigars for the pot. But worth it when it's over.


TJ

Sqwertz wrote:
> On Sun, 3 Jul 2011 23:23:01 -0700 (PDT), bulka wrote:
>
>> In my small neighborhood, grape vines are an invasive weed. Spent a
>> few days ripping them from the utility lines. Dolmades used to be a
>> treat, now I make them every other day, and brine more leaves, just to
>> keep up.
>>
>> I know, an embarrassment of riches. Avgolemono. Yogurt/garlic/mint.
>> Avgo soup. With meat and without. Currants. Other affordable seeds
>> in lieu of pine nuts.
>>
>> Maybe I'll learn something. Deep-fry? BBQ?
>
> Bo la lot, made with grape leaves instead of la lot leaves.
>
> <http://tastykitchen.com/recipes/appetizers-and-snacks/grilled-vietnamese-beef-wrapped-in-grape-leaves-bo-la-le1bb91t/>
>
> I like more tender leaves than grape, but I assume you can get young
> tender leaves.
>
> -sw

Oh, you remind me... I am blanking on the name. What is the Thai
dish that features leaves and various little bits to wrap in them?
The bits I remember are lime, peanut, dried shrimp, a thick
spicy-sweet sauce... I may have to look at some of my Thai
cookbooks later. (Gasp! Who ever heard of taking a book off the
graoning shelves? But ISTR that at least one of them has a
formula for this.)

--
Jean B.