Feta Baked in Vine Leaves

Feta baked in vine (grape) leaves 

The word “Dolma” comes from a Turkish verb which means to roll up. Vine leaves are a mix of fruit and vegetable that are rich in vitamin A, K, E, C, and magnesium. 

Vine leaves are not just for boiling and stuffing with rice and meat.  They can be served as an appetizer, entrée, or side dish. They can be baked, boiled, steamed, grilled, used to wrap fish or meats, and to make a pesto.  I made these little parcels for a holiday.  They can be prepared ahead and then baked at the last moment.  Hope you try them!

lightly boiled vine leaves

16 grapevine leaves from a jar  

1 thick slice feta cheese, cut into small cubes

Zest 1 Lemon

1 large clove of garlic, grated

Red pepper flakes

1 teaspoon dried oregano

Drizzle of extra virgin olive oil

Preheat oven to 350F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Gently blanch the vine leaves in boiling water for 20 seconds. Carefully and delicatly transfer leaves to a bowl of cold water. Remove from bowl and pat dry. Snip off the stems and discard. 

Arrange leaves on work surface overlapping into a star shape. Be sure the rough side is up. The soft side will be on the outside which will be cooked.  Place a cube of feta in center.  Add a little grated garlic, lemon zest, a sprinkle of red pepper flakes and oregano, and a tiny drizzle of olive oil.  

Fold into a parcel one at a time until fully wrapped. Place parcels on the baking sheet and drizzle a few drops of olive oil on top of each. Bake about 15 minutes until the cheese is soft.  Rest a few minutes before serving.

Note: you can also make larger parcels using a whole slice of feta wrapped with more leaves.