My decision was made easy when I discovered my local greengrocer brimming with cyprus potatoes. Bright with the distinctive red soil still clinging to their skins, these are a fantastic variety of spuds and I look forward to them coming into season. They're earthy in flavour, pale and fluffy when cooked – they make terrific mashed potato.

With creamy smooth and garlicky top of my gastronomic checklist, my skordalia ticked all the boxes. Served at room temperature, this pale whippy dip was demolished by all three daughters. A respite from hummus, but for how long?

(Serves 4 as mezze/side dish)

500g floury potatoes, such as cyprus, washed but not peeled
2 cloves of garlic
140ml olive oil (and 10ml extra for serving)
Juice of a small lemon
Salt & pepper
80g finely crushed toasted flaked almonds or walnuts to sprinkle on top (optional)

Skordalia must be absolutely smooth – use a potato ricer to mash the potatoes or push the cooked potato through a sieve with the back of a spoon.

Boil the potatoes with their skins on in plenty of salted water. Once cooked, drain and, when cool enough to handle, peel them from their skin.

Crush the garlic with a pinch of salt into a paste. Push the potatoes through a sieve, mouli or a potato ricer and add the garlic paste.

Beat in the oil and lemon juice – bit by bit – into the potato mix. Check the mix for salt and pepper.

If the skordalia is a bit too thick (it should be the consistency of hummus) thin with a bit of hot water.

If using the nuts, spread the skordalia onto a plate or bowl and sprinkle the nuts on top.

Add the extra trickle of olive oil to serve.

By Claire Thomson

theguardian.com

So, inspired by the pine honey, hot peppers, and dark raisins of Ikaria, the latter of which were once a prized agricultural product on the island, I set out, in my Athens kitchen, to make chutney because I wanted to serve it with a simple feta-phyllo pie, tyropita.

I call this my pleated tyropita recipe, because of the way you have to fill and scrunch up individual sheets of feta-cheese-stuffed pastry before baking. It’s a technique I learned a few years ago, and I’ve made the recipe a little healthier, by replacing the butter with extra virgin Greek olive oil. 

Serve it with the chutney, of course!

To get the recipe, please visit dianekochilas.com

By Diane Kochilas

 

Ingredients

• 2 pounds of lamb or kid offal (liver, heart, lungs, and other organs)
• Intestines from 2 lambs or kids
• juice of 2 lemons
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 5-6 green onions, finely chopped
• 1/3 cup of olive oil
• 2-3 rounded tablespoons of fresh dill, finely chopped
• 2 heads of romaine lettuce, well washed and finely chopped
• sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons of short-grain rice, well rinsed

For the Avgolemono (Egg & Lemon) Sauce:

• juice of 2 lemons
• 3 eggs at room temperature, separated
• 1 tablespoon of water

To read more and learn how to prepare this soup, please visit: The Spruce Eats

 

The Kalamata olive is a dark brown little gem that are meaty and come with pits. They are divine and olive oil made with these tend to be considered some of the best in the world.

This recipe really brings out their flavors in a simple way.

I have been consuming this dip ever since I can remember. It’s so simple and goes great with bread.

To read more, please visit blogs.visitgreece.gr

Kenton Kotsiris is one-half of Lemon & Olives, a Greek food blog exploring Greek cuisine, culture, travel, and Greek inspired dishes. He is also the Greek Food Expert for About.com

 

 

 

 

Ingredients

• caul fat of 1 lamb (large)
• 1 lamb liver
• 4 cloves of garlic, grated
• ½ tea cup of parsley, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon oregano
• salt
• freshly ground pepper

Method

Rinse the liver and cut into small pieces. Place it in a bowl, add the garlic, parsley and oregano and season with salt and pepper. Dip the caul fat into warm water, spread it onto your working surface and remove the thick, hard parts.

Then, cut the caul fat into oblong pieces. Place 1 teaspoon of the filling on each piece and then roll it over to give it a sausage shape. When you have made them all, fry them in hot olive oil for 2-3 minutes each side. Drizzle with lemon juice.

Alternatively: You can, if you wish, bake the frigadellia. Place them in a baking pan, seam down and bake at 200ºC for 35-40 minutes. Make sure to turn them over, so that they become golden brown on all sides. When you serve, drizzle with lemon juice.

portions 12 - Preparation Time 15 minutes - Baking time 6 minutes


www.argiro.com.gr

Ingredients

2 tbsp extra - virgin olive oil
2 large leeks (only the white and very tender green parts), washed and coarsely chopped (2 cups)
1 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
450 g frozen spinach
Salt and freshly ground pepper
450 g Greek anthotiro or fresh ricotta cheese
3 large eggs
1/2 cup Kalamata olives, pitted and halved
1 puff pastry sheet, defrosted in the refrigerator

Instructions

Heat the olive oil over medium heat, in a large frying pan. Add leeks and onion, and sauté for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally until wilted. Stir in the garlic and continue to sauté for about 1 minute. Add spinach and cook for about 2 minutes, until wilted and softened. Add the olives. Remove the mixture from the heat. Adjust seasoning to taste.
Meanwhile, combine the cheese with 2 eggs in a large bowl. Fold in the vegetables mixture until all ingredients are well combined.
Preheat oven to 375 F/ 190ºC.
Unwrap the puff pastry sheet onto a clean, lightly floured surface and using a rolling pin roll it open a little, so that it is larger than the periphery or circumference of the tart pan you are using. Cover the tart pan with parchment paper. Transfer the dough into the tart pan. Roll the excess puff pastry dough around the circumference or periphery of the pan to form a rim. In a small bowl, whisk the remaining egg and brush the uncovered part of the filling.
Bake for about 45 minutes, until the dough turns golden and sets. Remove the tart from the oven and let it sit for 10 minutes before serving.

By Diane Kochilas

dianekochilas.com