Rice Wrapped In Lettuce Leaves

This recipe comes from a wonderful vegetable cookbook, The Victory Garden Cookbook by Marian Morash (Alfred A. Knopf, Inc.).

Ingredients:

• 12 large lettuce leaves (romaine works well)
• 1/2 cup finely chopped onions
• 3 TBS butter
• 1 TBS sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tsp pepper
• 1 1/2 cups rice (uncooked)
• 1/2 cup chopped herbs (parsley, dill, etc.)
• Juice from 1/2 lemon
• 1/4 cup pine nuts
• 1 1/2 - 2 cups chicken broth

Trim lettuce leaves, blanch for one minute, immediately rinse in cold water and dry on paper towels. Saute onions, sugar, salt and pepper in butter just until wilted. Set aside. Blanch rice in boiling water for 5 minutes and drain. Mix rice with onion and herbs. Season with lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste. Add pine nuts and spoon mixture onto lettuce leaves and roll, loosely, tucking in the ends and allowing some room for the rice to expand as it cooks further. Place, seam sides down, in a baking dish and add enough chicken broth to cover. Simmer gently on stovetop for 30-45 minutes. Allow lettuce rolls to cool in the broth. Drain and serve at room temperature. 6 servings.