Sarma (Yalancı Yaprak Dolması)

1 (16 pz) jar grape leaves, drained

1 lemon, sliced

Stuffing:

3 tbsp currants
1 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tbsp virgin olive oil
1 tbsp dried dill (or 2 tbsp fresh)
3 tbsp pine nuts
1 tbsp dried mint
1 small onion, finely chopped (1/2 cup)
2 tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley
1 cup long-grain white rice
1 tsp tomato paste
1 tbsp sugar
Salt and black pepper, to taste

Cooking Instructions:

To make the stuffing, heat the olive oil in a heavy medium saucepan over medium heat, and cook the onions until partly soft, about 2 minutes. Add pine nuts and cook them about two minutes, until they are golden brown (watch that they don’t burn). Add the rice and give it a good stir. Now add the currants, sugar, cinnamon, tomato paste, and 2 cups hot water. Then put the mint, dill, and parsley. Stir the mixture, cover the pot, and turn off the heat. Do not remove the lid for 20 minutes, at which point the rice should have absorbed the water. Let the stuffing cool 30-40 minutes. When it has cooled, add a small amount of salt and black pepper.

To prepare the grape leaves, bring 2 quarts water to a boil, unroll the grape leaves, and place them in the boiling water for 2 minutes to soften the leaves and rid them of the brind. Using a slotted spoon, remove the leaves from the water and drape them over the edge of a colander to drain. With a sharp knife, cut out the small protruding stem from each leaf. Set the grape leaves aside.

To stuff: Put a grape leaf on a plate vein side up, and with the notche where you removed the stem closest to you, place one tablespoon of stuffing at the end of the leaf in a line about the size of a baby pre-peeled carrot. Fold the end nearest you over the filling, then fold both sides of the leaf over the filling. Roll up the leaves but not too tightly, because they could burst.

Line the bottom of a heavy saucepan with grape leaves. Place sarma parallel to each other in the bottom of the pan. Pour one cup of water into the pan. Line the top with lemon slices and weigh down with a heavy plate (one small enough to fit inside the pot). Cover the pot and on the stovetop over medium heat bring the liquid to a boil (about 5 minutes). Reduce the heat and let simmer for about 45 minutes, or until the sarmas are tender and the water has been absorbed.

Transfer to a serving dish and refrigerate. Serve chilled. Garnish with lemon wedges, tomatoes, and chopped parsley.

Sarımsaklı Patlıcan Salatası (Garliky Eggplant Dip)

2 eggplants
Lemon, to taste
Garlic, 2 cloves
Olive oil or butter
Salt, to taste

Cooking Instructions:

Roast eggplant in the oven on medium heat until deflated or over an open flame (grill or gas range). Peel eggplant while hot and put some lemon juice on it so that it doesn’t turn black. Add mashed garlic cloves and olive oil or butter, and salt, to taste. Mix and serve with pita bread.

Sigara boreği (cigarette-shaped pastries)

In Turkey, this snack is made from “yufka,” an unleavened soft flatbread that is somewhere between the consistency of fillo dough and flour tortillas. If you can’t get yufka, you can substitute Chinese eggroll wrappers, available in most grocery stores.

1 package eggroll wrappers
1 teaspoon dill, fresh or dried
1 cup crumbled feta cheese (buy it whole and crumble it yourself – pre-crumbled feta is expensive and the flavor is compromised)
½ teaspoon salt
1 egg, beaten
Light olive oil, for frying

filling
4
3
2
1
Water, to seal
rollIn a small bowl, mix cheese, egg, dill, and salt. Take an eggroll wrapper and put about ½ tablespoon of filling in one corner. It is not a lot of filling, don’t put too much or they will be hard to wrap. Wrap according to diagrams, using water to seal. Continue until you have used all of the filling. Fry in a small amount of oil until light brown in color. Remove from pan and place on paper towel to drain excess oil. Serve hot.