Dolmas

**This recipe is for a large batch of dolmas.

Ingredients
​~4 cups long grain brown rice
~4 cups water
5 carrots
2 zucchini
fresh tomatoes or 1 small can minced tomatoes
2 bell peppers
2 stalks celery
5-6 large leafs chard
5-6 large leafs kale
1/2cup - 1cup parsley
1.5 cans tomato paste
Olive Oil
Lemon juice
Grape leaf brine
​Salt
**veggie portions are approximate, I always king of wing it and use the veggies I have on hand.

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Recipe Instruction

• Mince up the veggies so they are rice sized bits, they will have a lot of juice, the juices from the veggies act as extra water for the rice. I use my food processor for this. Combine all minced veggies in a large bowl. Bring rice and water to a low boil, then add veggies. Add salt to taste.
• Allow rice to cook for 50 minutes to 1.5 hours. Stirring and adding boiling water as needed for the rice to cook fully. Once the rice is fully cooked, remove from heat
• Add in about 1 can of tomato paste and stir in, add in salt and lemon juice to taste. 
• Set yourself up with something nice to listen to or watch, you will be rolling dolmas for quite some time!
• Everyone will develop their own rolling technique; this is mine: Spread out the dolma leaf, place a dollop of cooled rice at the base of the leaf where the stem breaks into 5 veins. Fold over the tails of the leaf over the rice, tuck in the sides, and roll toward the top of the leaf, once put a little dab of tomato paste to hold the leaf in place. My mom's dolmas are always messier than mine :D! 
• Once all the dolmas are rolled, arrange them in a shallow/wide stove-top pan, in a double layer is fine. Add some olive oil, lemon juice, brine from the grape leaf jar, and water. Place a plate on top of the dolmas, and allow to simmer low for 30 minute or so.
• Remove from heat, allow them to cool, and enjoy!
• Freeze to preserve??