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But did you know that you can use hazelnut leaves for cooking?
Yes, hazelnut leaves. Specifically the young, tender ones that are currently growing on the hazel bushes, soft as puppy-dog ears. They can be eaten in the same way as stuffed grape leaves aka Greek dolmades, or sarma which is Turkish for "wrapped", and is a widely popular dish in the Southeastern European and Middle Eastern cuisine. Fillings for this kind of dish are usually something like rice, minced meat, along with spices and herbs.
Which is exactly what we are doing today. But plant-based, and using hazelnut leaves, which is basically the seasonal equivalent of the stuffed vine leaves.
The only important thing is that the hazelnut leaves are blanched in hot water before using them for this recipe to make them supple and aromatic-tasting. Then you stuff them with a filling of your choice – I made a white filling with wild herbs and white wine, and a red filling that is based on the typical vine leaf filling with tomato, parsley and onion. Wrap the filling into the blanched leaves, fry briefly, and enjoy!
But first, we'll need to forage for hazelnut leaves ...
Hazelnut leaves – or hazel leaves – are the edible leaves of the hazelnut tree (Corylus avellana) which is a hardy deciduous shrub or tree, also known as common hazel, European hazel, or cobnut. It is native to many parts of the temperate Northern hemisphere, and is often found in hedgerows and deciduous woodland.
Hazel bushes prefer full sun or light shade, and they like to grow in light, well-drained, loamy soil which is kept moist. They tend to grow to heights of around 10 to 15 feet, forming a short tree or dense shrub shape with multiple stems. The leaves are smaller than most other deciduous trees, but broad, and are rounded in shape with serrated edges. Small male catkins and clusters of female flowers form in the spring. The fruits or nuts – the hazelnuts – grow inside short green, fuzzy husks that don't completely cover the nuts and are found underneath the leaves of the plant.
The leaves, flowers and fruits (aka hazelnuts) are edible.
The best time to harvest hazelnut leaves is from April to June, when they have a fresh, green colour and are velvety soft and tender, like puppy ears :-) Mature leaves that are picked later in the year are leathery and not suitable for consumption.
Consumed raw, the young leaves taste quite bitter and "earthy". If you want to use them raw, e. g. in a green smoothie or very finely chopped in a salad, I suggest using a maximum of 2-3 raw leaves in your smoothie. As a rule of thumb: Never put more greens (or fruits, for that matter!) in a smoothie than you can eat whole in one sitting.
The young leaves can also be blanched and preserved in high-quality cooking oil and salt, to eat later in the year in salads or with vegetable dishes.
You can also collect hazelnut leaves to dry and use them to make tea. Tea from hazelnut leaves is said to reduce cholesterol and intestinal problems.
Be sure to only pick leaves from a hazelnut tree that is not directly on the road to avoid any pollution. The safest option is a hazel bush that grows in your garden or in a secluded area such as woodland. Only harvest leaves that are whole, healthy and fresh. Avoid leaves that have holes or pests on them.
General Foraging Guidelines:
You should be 100 % certain you are identifying the correct plant. If you do not know what it is, DO NOT eat it! Do not pick if you're in doubt!
Don't harvest from contaminated areas such as busy roadsides, near industrial facilities, where dogs pee, along the edges of agricultural fields, old landfill sites etc.
Be mindful & harvest sustainably. Only pick from areas that have a plentiful supply, and never more than 1/4 of a plant, ideally only about 5 %.
Leave the harvesting area litter-free.
VEGAN STUFFED HAZELNUT LEAVES
Preparation time: 1 hour 15 min
Main ingredients: hazelnut leaves, short-grain rice, herbs, onion
difficulty level: easy-moderate
makes: 25 stuffed hazelnut leaves
suitable for: vegan, lactose-free, gluten-free, soy-free, sugar-free, yeast-free
Ingredients
25 fresh young, tender hazelnut leaves (the filling will be enough to make about 40 though)
extra-virgin olive oil, for frying
White Filling:
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 green onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
100 g short-grained rice, uncooked
2-3 tbsp white wine
water, as needed
a handful of wild herbs or Italian herbs, finely chopped (such as garlic mustard, creeping charlie, garden sorrel, goutweed etc.)
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice or apple cider vinegar
salt and pepper, to taste
Red Filling:
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, as needed
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tomato, chopped
1 tbsp tomato paste
100 g short-grained rice, uncooked
a handful of parsley, finely chopped
1 tsp dried mint (or 2-3 fresh mint leaves)
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice or apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp Ayvar (or sub more tomato paste)
salt and pepper, to taste
(optional) a dash of chili or cayenne pepper
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| hazelnut leaves, before and after blanching |
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| filling and wrapping the blanched hazelnut leaves, prior to frying |
Instructions
For the wrappers:
Start by giving your harvested hazelnut leaves a good rinse. Cut off any stems at the base of the leaves.
In a small pot, bring water to a boil. Once boiling, drop the leaves into the hot water. Using a slotted spoon or a set of tongs, take out the leaves after a short time (about 1 minute), and dunk them in ice cold water to "shock" them. Drain the blanched leaves and transfer to a clean kitchen towel.
Set aside to dry.
(TIP: Use the blanching water as well as the cold water to water your plants!)
In the meantime, prepare the filling.
For the white filling:
In a small saucepan, heat olive oil over a low heat. Add onion, green onion, and garlic, and fry for a few minutes, or until softened.
Add uncooked short-grain rice to the mix, and slightly turn up the heat. Keep stirring, as the rice will now begin to lightly fry, so the rice doesn't burn. Once the rice looks slightly translucent, add white wine to deglaze. Add a bit of water, and stir everything together. Reduce the heat to a simmer, and cover the saucepan with a lid.
Allow to cook until the rice is almost done, but with a slight bite – checking every few minutes to stir and to see if it needs more water.
Once everything is done, stir in the chopped herbs. Add lemon juice, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside to cool slightly.
For the red filling:
In a small saucepan, heat olive oil over a low heat. Add onion, and minced garlic, and fry for a few minutes, or until softened. Add chopped tomato, and tomato paste, and give it a good stir.
Add uncooked short-grain rice to the mix, and slightly turn up the heat. Keep stirring, as the rice will now begin to lightly fry, so the rice doesn't burn. Once the rice looks slightly translucent, add water to deglaze. Stir well. Reduce the heat to a simmer, and cover the saucepan with a lid.
Allow to cook until the rice is almost done, but with a slight bite – checking every few minutes to stir and to see if it needs more water.
Once everything is done, stir in the chopped herbs. Add lemon juice, as well as Ayvar, and a bit of chili. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside to cool slightly.
To assemble:
Place a blanched hazelnut leaf on a plate, the topside facing down. Put a small spoonful of either white or red rice filling in the center of the leaf. Be careful not to overfill the leaf.
Bring the top and bottom edges of the leaf towards the center, then fold the sides in towards the middle and tightly wrap into a little roll.
Place the stuffed hazelnut leaf (folded side down) back on a plate. Repeat with remaining leaves until you are left with 25 stuffed leaves.
Heat olive oil in a frying pan, and carefully fry all of your stuffed leaves on both sides until they have a lovely golden brown colour.
Serve with leftover rice filling. Enjoy!
If you have any leftovers, you can marinate the stuffed leaves in oil and preserve them for a while that way.
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