Grape leaves with goat cheese, olives, raisins, and mint

Directions

1. First prepare the grape leaves. If they’re in a jar they’ll have instructions to follow, which generally involve rinsing, blanching in boiling water, and drying. If they’re fresh, bring a pot of water to a boil, put in the leaves one at a time until they’re all in, then turn off the heat and let them stand for about 8 minutes. Pour them into a colander and douse them with cold water to stop the cooking. Lay them out on towels and press them with another towel to dry (yes, this may briefly take over all the surface space of your kitchen), then allow them to sit and dry until you’re ready to use them.
2. To make the filling, stir the ingredients from the rice through the raisins together in a bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste.
3. To assemble, lay one gape leaf at a time flat on a work surface. Place a good spoonful (a Tbs. or so) of the filling on the leaf towards the bottom. Fold the bottom up, fold one side over, fold the top down, and then roll it up in the remaining side, into a little bundle. I think of it as kind of like wrapping a miniature burrito.
4. lace the rolled leaf tucked sides down on a serving dish, and repeat with the rest of the leaves until the filling is used up. Chill until you’re ready to serve them. Serve as is, or if you have the grill going, grill them for 1-2 minutes per side to add a little delicious smoky flavor.