>> In our climate, the leaves sit there through our colder winter with 25 to 50 inches of rain and periodic snow and through the high temps of our summer.
That's what I would do: pile them exposed to rain and worms, and let them compost as much as they are willing to.
>> In years past, I've never had an issue in the garden when I did use fresh oak leaves, but they were shredded when I put them down,
>> I have a no-till garden,
My guess is that that adds a few months to the time it takes for them to reach the deeper soil. If there is any reason to fear tannin in oak leaves (and I have no reason to think there is), that extra time may be protecting you.
But maybe the only "danger" is that the tanin makes them break down slower than they otherwise would. If so, composting or aging them for 8-10 months still seems sufficient.
My own stubborn, unfounded prejudice is that things "should" be composted before being turned under. In a no-till garden, you're mulching with them, so my prejudice doesn't even apply.
i like the fact that everyone has "their own way", and they all work.
