Name: Summer tolma with barberries
Prep time: 35 min
Cook time: 55 min
Total time: 1 h 30 min
Yield: Makes 16
Ingredients: 16 vine leaves in brine; 100g short-grain white rice rinsed; 2 shallots finely chopped; 200g tin of chopped tomatoes; 1 tbsp tomato purèe; 20g dried barberries or unsweetened dried cranberries; 1 tbsp sweet paprika; ½ tsp ground cinnamon; ¼ tsp cayenne pepper; ¼ tsp ground cumin; 1 tsp dried tarragon (or sage or thyme); handful of chopped dill; handful of chopped parsley; 1 tsp lemon juice; 1 tbsp olive oil; 2 tbsp olive oil; ½ small onion finely chopped; 1 tsp tomato purèe; 50g tin of chopped tomatoes; thick plain yogurt; red pepper flakes

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A pan of stuffed vine leaves with a drink on the side

16 vine leaves in brine
100g short-grain white rice
rinsed
2 shallots
finely chopped
200g tin of chopped tomatoes
1 tbsp tomato purèe
20g dried barberries or unsweetened dried cranberries
1 tbsp sweet paprika
½ tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
¼ tsp ground cumin
1 tsp dried tarragon
(or sage or thyme)
handful of chopped dill
handful of chopped parsley
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tbsp olive oil

SAUCE

2 tbsp olive oil
½ small onion
finely chopped
1 tsp tomato purèe
50g tin of chopped tomatoes

TO SERVE

thick plain yogurt
red pepper flakes

Method

step 1
Wash the vine leaves under hot water to rinse away the brine. Combine the rice, shallots, tomatoes, tomato purée, barberries, spices, herbs, lemon juice, oil and seasoning in a bowl, and mix thoroughly.
step 2
Put a vine leaf on a clean worksurface with the stalk towards you, vein side up. Cut off the stalk and then put 1 tbsp of the rice mixture in the middle of the leaf. Bring up the sides and begin rolling, keeping it as tight as possible, tucking in the sides as you go, until you have a neat little sausage shape. Repeat until you have all 16 ready.
step 3
Heat the olive oil in an 18cm round casserole dish and cook the onion with a generous pinch of fine sea salt until soft, then add the tomato purée and the chopped tomatoes. Cook for 2 mins then taste and adjust the seasoning. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.
step 4
Once the sauce is cool, put the tolma, seam side down, in a single layer on the tomato sauce, and pour in enough water to just cover them. Take a heat-resistant plate or pan lid, a bit smaller than the pot, and put on top of the tolma to stop them rising and breaking as they cook. Simmer gently for 35-40 mins or until the rice is cooked through. Serve with thick yogurt dusted with red pepper flakes on the side.