Preserved grape leaves are a standard ingredient in many Mediterranean cuisines.  Greek dolmathes, those tasty little bundles of rice, herbs and spices wrapped in grape leaves, are perhaps the recipe best known to Americans.  But they are also great for wrapping meat and fish for grilling or for wrapping goat cheeses during aging. A warm, wet spring here has meant that our grapes have gone crazy, sending out tons of  vines and leaves that needed to be trimmed back to favor the development of grapes.  Fortunately, preserving grape leaves is quick and easy.  I easily fit 80 leaves in one liter jar, which should be plenty for this summer’s cooking.
By the way, I always assumed that the lemony flavor of dolmathes came from lemon juice added to the filling. But while working this recipe, I tried one of the fresh grape leaves and found it to have a distinctly lemony flavor all its own.  I cant wait to wrap up a nice piece of merlu or cod for the barbecue this summer!

Figs, figs and more figs!  Our little fig tree has really over achieved this year! Big, fat, juicy green figs with the most succulent deep red interior.  A true taste of summer.  But we have sooo many! We have given figs to all the neighbors, I have made jam twice, we eat figs with the local jambon de Bayonne regularly.

Here is a quick and easy dessert using fresh figs, that bakes in the oven in just minutes, or, as I did, covered on the barbeque.