St. George Festival Returns for Free Family Fun in Fishers

Mark your calendars, the St. George Festival is back and better than ever at St. George Orthodox Christian Church Sept. 16, 5:00-11:00 pm and Sept. 17, 12:00 to 11:00 pm.

The Festival will not only include great ethnic cuisines, live music, dancing, silent auction, and a children’s carnival, but also a zip line, crafts, demonstrations, and church tours that will explain the new church’s Byzantine architecture and iconography painted by a world renowned team of iconographers from Greece.  Here to show off some of that delicious ethnic cuisine are Doug Fadel and Diana Najjar, making some amazing stuffed grape leaves and other tasty treats that you will be able to find at the festival. Diana also has a wonderful dance routine that she teaches Nina!

The church was named first on a list of “10 surprising things to see, eat, do in Fishers this summer” by the Indianapolis Star in 2014 and 2015.

Stuffed Grape Leaves

Basic Stuffing

1 cup rice

1 to 1 ½ lb. ground lamb or beef

2 tbsp. Rendered butter or margarine

3 tsp. salt

½ tsp black pepper

½ tsp allspice

¼ tsp. cinnamon

Mix rice, meat butter, salt and spices.  Mixture is now ready for stuffing.

Stuffing the grape leaves

1 qt. grape leaves (jar) or fresh or frozen grape leaves (note fresh leaves must be blanched in hot water to soften them for rolling)

Lemon juice to tastean tomato sauce ( optional)

Thick sliced potatoes to line bottom of pan

To stuff the leaves: If leaves are packed in salt and water , rinse and drain. If fresh , wash thoroughly and cover with hot water until limp. If frozen allow to thaw and they are ready to roll.

Put 1 tsp of stuffing in the center of each leaf(vein side up).  Fold stem side up and over the stuffing, then fold the two vertical sides over the first fold.  Then roll tightly until it reached the leaf point, forming a cylinder approximately 3″ long x ½” thick.

Place thick sliced potatoes in the bottom of the pan so that grape leaves are not touching the bottom.

Place rolls side by side on top of the potatoes in the pan alternating direction in the various layers. Add tomato sauce if desired.(optional)

Cover with water and sprinkle with salt.  Bring to a boil. Cover and cook over low heat for 45 -50 minutes or until done.  Add Lemon juice and cook for 10 more minutes.

Remove from heat place in a dish and serve with plain yogurt as a topping.

For more information, visit www.stgfest.org or www.facebook.com/stgfestival.