I woke up early today and stepped outside for a fungi hunt before the rain arrived.
To my surprise, I didn’t even make it to the woods, a whole cluster of field mushrooms greeted me right by the front of the house!
I spent a while admiring them, snapping photos.
They are the edible field mushrooms.
Oh yes, Blu was helping, of course, trotting about as if he’d found them first.
I carefully collected them. Just as I finished, the cold rain began to fall, and since I wasn’t properly equipped, I dashed back inside
Warm indoors with my mushrooms, I checked and cleaned them, then I decided it was time to get creative and make something special.
With plenty of grape leaves on hand from the recent harvest, I settled on a creative twist: Field Mushroom Dolmades. Inspired by Greek tradition but adapted to what’s available here in autumn.
Dolmades are a traditional dish across the Eastern Mediterranean, but similar leaf- wrapped dishes appear in other regions too, in Southeast Asia, for example, they use banana leaves or local greens to wrap.
I only had my golden autumn grape leaves, but I thought they’d lend a beautiful, earthy feel to this seasonal dish, a little reflection of fall.
🍄 Field Mushroom Dolmades
Ingredients
Filling:
2 tbsp olive oil (plus extra for drizzling)
1 medium onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups finely chopped mushrooms
½ cup rice
2 tsp Marjoram
2 tbsp chopped parsley
1 tbsp chopped mint
¼ tsp ground nutmeg (just a pinch)
Salt and black pepper to taste
1 small tomato, I used my homemade ketchup.
Wrapping and cooking:
40-50 grape leaves (rinsed/blanched)
½ cup olive oil
2 cups hot water
1 orange ( as I had no lemon available)
Instruction
🍁 Prepare the grape leaves
Blanch fresh leaves for 1 minute or rinse jarred leaves well.
Lay them shiny side down.
Veiny side up.
🥘 Make the filling
Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a skillet.
Sauté onion and garlic until soft and fragrant.
Add mushrooms and cook until their moisture evaporates and they turn golden.
Stir rice, and cook 1-2 minutes until coated in the mushroom juices.
Add tomato and a small splash of water, cook until mostly absorbed.
Remove from heat and stir in herbs, nutmeg, salt, and pepper.
Wrap the dolmades
Spoon about 1 teaspoon of filling near the base.
Fold the bottom over, then fold the sides in, and roll snugly toward the tip.
I doubled some of the small leaves to roughly the same size.
Arrange seam-side down in a pot lined with spare leaves.
Drizzle with olive oil and orange juice or lemon if preferred.
A slice with rind for extra fragrance.
🥞 Cook
Pack dolmades tightly in layers. Pour in hot water or broth to just cover. Place a heatproof plate on top to hold them in place.
Cover and simmer gently for 45 minutes, until leaves are tender and filling is cooked.
Let rest 10-15 minutes to firm up.
Drizzle with extra olive oil and sprinkle with fresh herbs and a steamed field mushroom.
Serve warm or at room temperature, as a snack, appetizer, or part of a mezze platter.
These Field Mushroom Dolmades turned out beautifully, tender rice flavoured with savoury mushrooms, fragrant herbs, and some sweetness from orange. The golden grape is surprisingly citrusy and gives the dish some autumn vibe!
Overall, a very tasty autumn dish, I was pleased with the result.
Wishing everyone a lovely day!
Mariah :)