Greek Recipes

Stuffed tomatoes are called gemistà in Greek. Red, ripe tomatoes with their natural sweetness can turn this humble dish into a wonderfully flavored summer meal. As a kid I remember we would cook this dish at home, mostly in August, when the tomatoes from our garden were ideally ripe. Rice and finely grated vegetables together with herbs is the classic stuffing for gemistà. In some parts of Greece, raisins and pine nuts are used to give a festive touch to the dish.  Another version calls for minced meat in the stuffing, but it’s not nearly as popular.  Gemist à    c an describe not only tomatoes but also other stuffed summer vegetables such as aubergines, green peppers, and zucchinis. Serves 4 8 medium sized ripe tomatoes 150gr round grain rice or rice for risotto 1 small zucchini grated  2 tbsp chopped parsley 5-6 mint leaves finely chopped 1 cup olive oil (200gr) 1 medium onion chopped salt and pepper to taste 3 medium size potatoes, peeled and cut length-wise into thick wedges. 100g

     Eggplants and tomato; tomato and feta!  Add some basil or oregano and this chain reaction can give an explosion of taste in your mouth.      Slices of eggplant covered with tomato sauce, and topped with feta can easily become a filling summer dish, served either as a first or as a main course.      In Greece we season tomatoes with oregano, but basil is a classic Mediterranean companion for tomato as well;  so  it’s up to you. Cooking this dish, won't take you more than 20-30 minutes. For the tomato sauce: (my favorite pasta sauce) 300gr peeled and diced ripe tomatoes (canned tomatoes work fine too) 4 Tbsp olive oil 1 garlic clove crushed 1Tbsp sugar salt and pepper to taste    In a saucepan, over medium heat, add all the ingredients and simmer for 10 min until the sauce thickens. Set aside. Meanwhile prepare the eggplants: 3 medium eggplants (about 300gr) 1 cup olive or vegetable oil  salt to taste      Peel the eggplants (optional), and on a cutting board cut them in 1cm th

     Zucchinis are widely available in summer and since they are quite popular for their light fresh flavor, many dishes are based on them.     At this time of the year we usually have more time for cooking but we prefer spending time eating instead, so easy and fast recipes like omelets are always popular.     This frittata with zucchinis, which on Aegean islands is called sfougàto  (spongy), is easy to make and quite filling. Serves 4 (for a 27cm round baking pan) 5  eggs 500gr thinly sliced zucchinis( about 3mm) 150gr grated kefalotyri cheese 1 cup vegetable or olive oil (225gr) 3 Tbsp olive oil for the baking pan salt and pepper to taste some chopped parsley or mint for flavor (optional)      Put a cup of olive oil In a frying pan over medium heat and when hot enough fry the zucchini (in batches if needed) until lightly browned, or to taste. Remove the pan from the heat and carefully transfer the fried zucchinis onto kitchen paper to drain well. In a bowl beat the eggs, add the kef