(Real) GREEK VILLAGE SALAD

I've been posting recipes on this blog for a few years now, and I just realized I've never shared a recipe for a traditional Greek Village Salad with you yet. Hard to believe since it's a salad I grew up eating and which I enjoy so very often every summer. Please note I said summer. That's because this is a summertime salad, the time when tomatoes, cucumbers, and peppers are in season and when they taste good. Nothing kills me more than eating in a Greek restaurant in January and being served this salad made with bland tasting imported  un-ripe tomatoes and flavourless cucumbers. As with all good food from around the world, the key is to eat seasonally and locally for optimum nutrition and flavour. Period.

I just realized I forgot to add some olives to this salad. No worries, it's still a great salad without them!

GREEK VILLAGE SALAD

ripe organic tomatoes, cut into wedges

fresh local organic cucumbers, cut into pieces

fresh local organic green peppers, cut into pieces

fresh organic red onion, cut into thin pieces (optional)

fresh or dried organic Greek oregano

organic feta cheese

Greek black olives

Greek extra virgin olive oil

sea salt and pepper

Method: Place all the cut vegetables in a large plate. Crumble the feta cheese on top. Sprinkle with cut fresh oregano, or sprinkle with dried Greek oregano. Season to taste with sea salt and pepper. Add a few olive. Then drizzle liberally with olive oil. Stir gently and allow to marinate for at least 30 minutes before eating a with a nice hunk of sourdough bread. Don't forget to mop up all the olive oil with bread too.

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TODAY'S TWEETABLE: As with all good food from around the world, the key is to eat seasonally and locally for optimum nutrition and flavour. Period.

DINNER PARTY

     I guess you could say I am pretty excited spring is here. I can't stop barbequing! It also seems that we are nearing the end of our stash of pork because all I have left are the cuts that I've been saving for special occasions (like the ribs we bbq'd the other day). I've been excited to use one of our big shoulder roasts for souvlaki. The return of one of our friends who'd been away for 9 months seemed a good reason to celebrate and break into that roast. The minute the skewers hit the grill I was transported back to Greece, the smell filling me with memories of sitting in a seaside tavern enjoying souvlaki on the beach.

PORK SOUVLAKI

1 organic pastured pork shoulder roast, cut into 1"cubes

1 organic lemon

1/4 cup organic olive oil

1-2 Tbsp dried Greek oregano

2-3 cloves organic garlic, grated

sea salt and pepper

Method:  In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients except the salt and allow to marinate for no more than two hours. While the meat does it's thing, soak about 28 wooden skewers in warm water. When the time is up, salt the meat well and skewer it onto the sticks. You may want to salt them lightly once they are made too, as souvlaki tastes really good with salt. Light a charcoal BBQ, and when ready cook the souvlaki until the meat is no longer pink. Serve with Greek Lemon Potatoes and  Greek Salad.

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GREEK SALAD

"Maroulosalata"

1 large head organic romaine lettuce, cut into very thin strips

4 organic green onions, cut finely

1/2 bunch organic dill, chopped finely

1 package organic feta cheese

organic extra virgin olive oil

juice of 1/2 organic lemon

sea salt and pepper

Method: In a large salad bowl combine the lettuce, onion, dill and feta.  Drizzle with some olive oil and the lemon juice. Sprinkle with sea salt and pepper. Toss and serve.

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FORAGED FEAST

     I've felt quite like a bee these days, frolicking in the fields, zig zagging my way round the farm from flower to flower.  It's summer, and the hot sunny days have been the perfect time to collect the wildflowers and herbs that grow on our land.  Once back into the house (which is a cool shady respite from the blazing sun), the herbs are then hung to dry or steeped in vodka, olive oil or apple cider vinegar for various herbal preparations.  The dehydrator has also been getting a workout drying the lovely red clover blossoms that grow in abundance this time of year.  It is such a joy to see my house transformed into an herbal production site - bunches of herbs dangling from the ceiling, sunny window sills and dark cupboards lined with jars of steeping herbs.  There is nothing more rewarding than going outside with an empty basket, and coming back with so many wild herbs.  Mother nature is so great, and provides so much.  There are so many wild plants growing here - and so many more that I can't wait to learn to identify.  

     One plant that I learned about recently is Lamb's Quarters - otherwise known as Wild Spinach.  This plant grows so abundantly in gardens, that most people recognize it as the weed they are always getting rid of.  After having our field plowed this Spring and then planted with Red Clover as a green manure, I was delighted to discover Lamb's Quarters growing, well, like weeds, all over the field.  They especially grow well in the huge pile of composted manure we have up in the corner of the field.  I have been harvesting baskets and baskets of this nutritious plant all week in an effort to stock our freezer full of it for the coming winter.  

     When my husband arrived home last night with a huge container of feta cheese which my mother bought for us, I was inspired to make a pan of Spanakopita with the wild greens.  Lamb's Quarters are a far superior green for this dish for a number of reasons: they taste better, have less water and so yield much more once steamed, and they are free.  What more can you ask for?

     A while back my mother shared her recipe for Greek Spanakotiropita which is the one I always use, only this time I substituted wild Lamb's Quarters for the chard and spinach.  Once you try homemade filo dough, you will never want to use the store bought stuff again.

WEEDING

If you look closely you will see that the dandelion greens are sprouting up everywhere, including in my perennial fruit and vegetable garden.  The whole bed needs to be weeded, and what better way to begin than by harvesting the dandelion greens for supper?  Eating dandelions may seem foreign to many people, but not me.  Growing up in a Greek family means you eat wild dandelion greens every spring.  I have vivid memories of my mother and cousin foraging for dandelions when I was a child, and then serving them for dinner.  They are definitely an acquired taste, and luckily I have that.  The bitterness of the dandelion is a powerful spring tonic for your digestive system, stimulating your liver to detoxify.  Which is a really good thing after a long winter of heavy foods.

I remembered to grab my camera on my way out the door yesterday morning so I could show you how I harvest spring dandelion greens.  When you are ready to try this yourself, just be sure you pick them in clean and unpolluted areas.  That means no digging for dandelion on the side of the road!  As tempting as that may be, it is a really bad idea.  Which is too bad because dandelions love to grow on the gravelly soft shoulders of roads.

GREEK BOILED DANDELION

If you are ever driving around on a nice spring day and see a woman bent over in a field with a plastic bag in one hand and a knife in the other, odds are it's a Greek woman picking dandelions for supper.

 3 lbs young wild dandelion greens
1 Tbsp sea salt
about 2 Tbsp extra virgin Greek olive oil
the juice of about 1 organic lemon
sea salt and pepper to taste

Method:  Wash the greens well before cooking and trim any coarse stems.   Discard any brown leaves.  Soak the dandelion in a clean sink with plenty of water.  Any sand or debris will eventually sink to the bottom while the greens float on the surface of the water.  Remove the greens from the water and place in a colander to dry.

Bring a large pot of water to boil and add the salt.  Carefully submerge the greens in the pot and boil gently for about 20 minutes or until the thickest parts of the stems are tender.  Do not overcook.  Drain the greens well in a colander over the sink.  Really squeeze the liquid out with the back of a spoon.  Place greens in a bowl and drizzle with olive oil, lemon, salt and pepper.  Serve warm or at room temperature.

IT MUST BE SUMMER.....another way with Chard

I had grand plans to make spanakotiropita with some of the chard that keeps growing in our garden.  It's so great that we have more than enough to eat now while it is fresh, and plenty to prepare and freeze for the winter.  I thought this recipe was the perfect opportunity to use of one of the many packages of phyllo in my freezer than need to disappear.   I don't know what happened though.  When I opened the pack I had defrosted it was all stuck together and pretty useless so I tossed it out and had to come up with a plan, quick.  I had already prepared the chard and feta filling and had a house full of people expecting dinner at some point.  Then it hit me, CALZONES!  Yes.....so I whipped up a batch of pizza dough, grated some mozzarella cheese, and dinner was on it's way.

Rather than repeat myself, feel free to check out the recipes for Spanakotiropita and Pizza Dough on my blog.

TYROPITA - Phyllo Cheese Triangles

I am addicted to the Real Women of Philadelphia contest......here is my second submission...

TYROPITA - Greek Phyllo Cheese Triangles

2 eggs

4 ounce(s) of organic Cream Cheese

1/2 pound(s) of feta cheese
1/4 cup(s) of fresh parsley, finely chopped
3 tbsp. of fresh chives, finely chopped
1/4 tsp. of freshly ground black pepper
1/8 tsp. of fresh grated nutmeg
1/2 pound(s) of whole wheat or regular phyllo
1/2 cup(s) of extra-virgin olive oil
11 ounce(s) of fresh spinach or other salad greens
1 1/2 cup(s) of grated carrot
12 sprigs fresh oregano
12 fresh whole chives
1 cup(s) of extra virgin olive oil
9 tbsp. of fresh lemon juice
3 pinch of sea salt
3 pinch of freshly ground black pepper
4 tbsp. of finely chopped fresh oregano

Method:  Preheat oven to 350* F.  Beat the eggs with a mixer until fluffy.  Add room temperature cream cheese and continue to blend until well incorporated and creamy.  With your hands, crumble in the feta and stir.  Add the fresh parsley, chives, pepper, nutmeg and stir to blend.  

     Place the large phyllo sheets horizontally on your counter, so that the shorter edges are to the right and left.  Cut the phyllo sheets, (making vertical cuts) in strips, about 3 1/2" wide with a very sharp knife.  Stack them on top of each other and cover with wax paper, and then a clean kitchen towel to prevent them from drying out.  Using a clean pastry brush,  brush each strip with olive oil.  Then place 1 heaping tsp of cheese mixture at one end of each strip.   Lift a corner of the strip next to the filling and fold it over the filling so that it touches the opposite long side and forms a triangle enclosing the filling. Continue to fold up the pastry, maintaining the triangular shape. Fill and fold remaining strips.  Place the triangles on a greased baking sheet, and lightly brush each triangle with some olive oil.  Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, about 20-25 minutes.

     In a small bowl make the salad dressing by whisking together the 1 cup of olive oil, lemon juice, the 4 Tbsp chopped oregano, sea salt, and pepper.  To plate: Place a handful of fresh spinach on a serving plate. Sprinkle with some grated carrot. Drizzle with some salad dressing, top with 2-3 cheese triangles, and then garnish with a sprig of oregano and a chive. Enjoy!

GREEK MEATBALLS

I had the whole house to myself today.  Unfortunately, I spent most of the day baking and making food for the Farmer's Market.  I did manage to fit in a much needed yoga practice and some serious spring cleaning though.  It is amazing how much you can get done when you have no distractions! I was alone for dinner tonight and had some ground beef that needed to be made into something delicious, so I decided to make Keftethes, otherwise known as Greek Meatballs. Those crispy delicious potatoes you see are the same ones I made for Easter, so if you're interested in those, take a peek at that earlier posting.

KEFTETHES - GREEK MEATBALLS

1 organic egg

1/2 cup fresh whole wheat breadcrumbs

1 small organic onion, minced

1/2 lemon, juiced

1 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley

1 Tbsp chopped fresh mint

1 tsp sea salt

freshly ground organic black pepper

1 pound organic ground beef or lamb

organic flour for coating

olive oil for frying

Method:  Beat egg lightly in a mixing bowl.  Stir in breadcrumbs, onion, lemon, herbs and seasonings.  Leave for 10 minutes.  Add the meat and blend lightly and thoroughly, mixing with your hands if necessary.  With moistened hands, shape into balls about the size of a small egg. Roll in flour and flatten to a thick patty.  Shallow fry in hot oil in a cast iron skillet until nicely browned, about 3-4 minutes each side.  

MY MOM'S KITCHEN: GREEK STYLE BBQ RIBS

     Anastasia's in-laws were in Toronto visiting with Scott's sister so it was a perfect opportunity to invite them over for dinner. The weather was exceptionally good so I decided on a greek-style barbeque.  I found some great back ribs from a farm called le Breton, hormone and antiobiotic free, and quail that comes from Northern Ontario. I forgot to take pictures of the quail but managed to find one straggler, needless to say they were very popular.

ROASTED VEGETABLES

5 organic carrots

1 large organic red onion

5 or 6 cloves of organic garlic ( jackets on)

1 small organic turnip

1 small organic butternut squash

balsamic vinegar and extra virgin olive oil

sea salt and pepper to taste

fresh organic thyme

Cut vegetables into serving sizes, place in cast iron pot with lid, 

drizzle with balsamic vinegar and olive oil, sprinkle with sea salt and 

pepper, and the whole thyme sprigs which can be removed after cooking. Roast on 

grill with lid closed until tender.

GREEK STYLE GRILLED BACK RIBS AND QUAIL

4 racks of organic and/or pasture raised natural pork back ribs

6 quail, (sliced up the back and flattened)

Tom's spice (available on Anastasia's Etsy store)

Mariande: equal parts of fresh lemon juice and extra virgin 

olive oil

crushed fresh organic garlic

sea salt

freshly ground black pepper

My Mom's Kitchen- Post #3 SPANAKOTIROPITA

The year that I spent in my huband's Greek village years ago taught me many 
great cooking lessons. My most difficult and most treasured one was 
how to make filo dough. After many trials and errors I finally 
mastered it, since then I rarely  buy the manufactured one. Lately 
I've been trying to stay away from wheat so I decided to try it out 
with spelt flour. I was very pleased with the results.

SPANAKOTIROPITA ( Greek Spinach and Cheese Pie)

Filo:
4-4 1/2 cups organic spelt or wheat flour
1 tsp sea salt
1 1/2- 1 3/4 cup warm water
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp cider vinegar or lemon juice
Make a well in the centre of the flour, add the remaining ingredients 
and combine. Let sit for at least 1 hour, then separate into 4  
equal balls cover while you prepare the filling.

Filling:
1 bunch of organic swiss chard
2 bunches of organic spinach
2 large organic leeks
1/2 cup fresh dill chopped
8 oz feta cheese crumbled
1 /4 cup extra virgin olive oil
sea salt to taste ( if your cheese is salty you may not need it)

Chop the vegetables and wilt in a large pan. Squeeze out as much 
liquid as possible set aside to cool. Add the dill, feta, olive oil 
and sea salt, and combine.
Roll out one of the filo balls as you would a struedel dough, very, 
very thin. Place in the pan spray with e v oil then cover it with a 
cloth while you roll out the other one. Place the 2nd filo on top, 
fill with spinach, cheese mixture, using the overhanging filo, cover 
the filling. Repeat with the remaining 2 balls of filo. Tuck in the 
edges, brush more e v oil on top and score. Do not cut right through. 
Bake in a pre heated 375 oven for about 1 hour or until golden. When 
done you can cool slightly and the cut through to the bottom. Enjoy!

Soup Season has Begun

When I was speaking to my mother this morning she was in the process of making this soup which inspired me to copy her.  A hearty Greek dish that reminds me of my childhood meals that mom always lovingly prepared for us.

FASOLADA (fasolatha)

2 cups  dried organic navy beans 

water

2 tbsp olive oli

1 onion, chopped

3 large tomatoes diced or 1 1/2 Tbsp organic tomato paste

2 stalk celery, chopped

2 carrots, chopped

2 cloves garlic, smashed and finely chopped

6 cups stock or water

1/4 cup parsley

about 1 tsp salt and black pepper

Method: Soak beans in water overnight or for at least 6 hours.  Drain the water and either precook in a pressure cooker until soft or boil in a pot for a couple of hours until soft.  Drain the beans and reserve.  

In a large soup pot saute the onions, carrots, and celery in the olive oil.  Add the garlic, beans, stock or water, tomatoes, salt and pepper.  Bring to a boil and then lower to a light simmer and cook for about 30 minutes or until the soup thickens and the beans are nice and soft.  Add parsley in the last 5 minutes, reserving some for garnish.  Serve with feta cheese and a hunk of really good bread.

Prep Time: once the beans are soaked it takes 10 mins to pressure cook the beans.  Otherwise the actual soup takes about 10 minutes prep time.