Greek Recipes

In my education of all things Greek, this year (so far) has been the year of the olive. The Greek word for olives is elies, ελιές, pronounced el-yes and they are without question the essential element of the Greek diet. Olives can make the simplest mezede and every meal is accompanied by a plate of beautiful glossy olives on the table.  My father in law has over 70 years of experience growing olives and for the sixty years of their married life, my mother in law has preserved the autumn crop. Their home preserved olives really are a team effort. Living in a sunny corner of Sydney's inner west has not hampered my in law's passion for home preserved olives. So, a few weeks ago, Mr K and I were part of the small team of harvesters in the Autumn sunshine. As we sat picking the olives from the branches, Dad (Ba in Greek) recalled stories of how he had harvested olives with his family in a small village in the Peloponnese during the 1930s.  Ba tells me that the best, most tastiest, ...

The use of alternative flours in Greek cooking goes back to a different era, when wheat flour (now more commonly used in Greece) was expensive or difficult to obtain. The buckwheat bread and flour used in this dish imparts a subtle 'toasted bread' flavour. Of course you can use wheat bread and flour in this recipe if you prefer, or experiment with a half/half mixture of wheat and buckwheat flour.  Gluten-free zucchini fritters (κολοκυθοκεφτέδες - χωρίς γλουτένη) Serves 4-5; Preparation time: 30 mins; Cooking Time: 25 minutes Ingredients 1 kilo of zucchini 1 medium onion (not a sweet variety) 1 egg 1 cup gluten free bread crumbs (I used toasted buckwheat bread) 1 teaspoon of gluten free baking powder  3/4 cup of grated kefalotiri or kefalgraveria 1/2 bunch of mint or parsley, finely chopped Buckwheat flour Salt and pepper Olive oil for frying Method 1. Clean and wash the zucchini well and then grate the zucchini using the coarse side of the grater. Place in a mesh sieve. ...

There are about a thousand different recipes for Μελιτζανοσαλάτα (Melitzanosaláta or eggplant spread). From the Greek kitchen, but also from the Levantine, such as the famous baba ganoush, patlıcan salatası from Turkey, salat ḥatzilim in Israel and Kashk e bademjan in Iran. This Greek recipe differs from recipes in neighbouring regions as it does not usually include the addition of tahini or whey. It's all about the eggplant and just a few simple ingredients that make the eggplant flavour really shine.  The delicious smokiness of the char-grilled eggplant, combined with punchy garlic and grassy olive oil makes this dish of my favourite mezedes. It is also "fasting" friendly and a dish that can be eaten through the period of Great Lent in the Greek Orthodox tradition, where m eat and animal prod­ucts (cheese, milk, butter, eggs) and fish (meaning fish with backbones) cannot be consumed. A strict fast also rules out  olive oil and wine, which can only be consumed ...

A variety of beans are used in Greek cooking. Small beans, such as haricot beans are used in fasolada soup or chilled summer salads. However, giant white beans, known as 'butter beans' in English are the sole contenders for being baked in the oven in a classic dish called "gigandes plaki " also spelled gigantes or yigandes (γίγαντες πλακί). While many there many different regional recipes for this dish, most commonly the beans are first cooked in water to soften them and then baked in fresh tomato sauce with carrots and celery. In some areas, particularly in northern Greece, a more hearty winter version of the dish calls for spinach, sausage or even spicy whole chili peppers to be added. In our family, my mother in law's Zakynthian origins shine through in this recipe with a classic Ionian style freshly grated tomato sauce, flavoured with plenty of parsley and garlic. You can reduce the amounts of these in the recipe if you prefer a more mildly f...

A change from the usual watermelon, this super quick, cooling summer meze uses melon. Any type of melon works for this recipe too - depending on the season. As this salad is really quick to throw together and very simple, it does rely on having an absolutely ripe melon that is full of flavour. If there is no aromatic scent from the melon - choose another one! A spicy but smooth Greek feta, made from a blend of sheep and goat's milk is also important for this dish. The piquant saltiness of good Greek feta works so well against the sweet melon. However, the success of this dish depends on a really good quality black pepper, freshly ground, and a very peppery, green young olive oil - any extra expense will be worth it! Serve outdoors on a warm summer night as a simple starter or along with a few other small  mezedes, accompanied of course by a very chilled glass of ouzo.  Melon and feta salad (Σαλάτα με πεπόνι και φέτα) Serves 6 Ingredients  1 ripe melon (honeydew or rockmel...

While artichokes will always remain my true love of springtime, broad beans come a very close second. This recipe is inspired by my father in law, who while working as a grocer in his store in Dulwich Hill would often make himself a quick lunch of flash fried young broad beans in between customers. Ba would lightly dust the young tender broad beans in seasoned flour and fry in Greek extra virgin olive oil (EVOO). He says this quick lunch reminded him of the ones his mother, Ekaterini, would make when he was a young boy in his family villaged, called Diasella,  in the Peloponnese.  My twist to the recipe is to enrich the batter a little and add a dash of ouzo. This makes a great light springtime dinner, with a little smoked trout or (for the more robust taste buds) Greek herring called Renga (Ρέγκα) and some punchy, garlicky skordalaia. This light spring time meze is best accompanied by a chilled glass of ouzo. Broad beans fried with ouzo (κουκιά τηγανητά με ούζο) Serves 4...

Surprisingly, 'swiss chard'  isn't native to Switzerland. It’s homeland is the Mediterranean and it has been a revered vegetable (particularly for its medicinal qualities) since Ancient times. The Greek philosopher, Aristotle wrote about chard in the fourth century B.C. Today, swiss chard continues to be a much loved vegetable on the Ionian island of Zakynthos, where it is known in the local dialect as ‘seskala’. In the rest of Greece it is  referred to as seskolo. The Zantiots prize the flavour of seskala, which is similar to spinach, but with a stronger, more assertive (some think, bitter or earthy) flavour. The fantastic variety of phytonutrients in seskala is quickly recognizable in its vibrant colours, from the rich dark green leaves to the rainbow of reds, purples and yellows. Sekala is rich in vitamin K, A, C as well as iron, magnesium, potassium, and manganese. It also has lutein, shown to help with eye health. Although seskala is available throughout the...

The arrival of spring always signals the start of salad days in our home. The days are longer, the weather is pleasantly warm and you can smell jasmine in the air. Apart from salad, the other great delight that I associate with spring is our cephalopod friend, the octopus. In Greece, octopus is a traditional fasting food, popular during lent, which falls during the springtime. Anecdotally, I have often been told that in Greece, the best season for the tastiest octopus is also the spring time. Whether there is a best season for octopus, I remain unsure. However, here in Australia, whatever the season octopus is consider a resilient and sustainable seafood option - just one more reason to make this satisfying salad. Inspiration to make this salad struck me recently on a trip to Tasmania. In between commitments, the a small old fashioned neighbourhood grocer caught my eye with a chalk board promising 'locally grown new season potatoes' amongst a range of other Tassie treats. I qui...

Naxos is well known for its incredible culinary heritage and its reputation rests largely on the amazing produce of the island. This super easy to make meze, which hails from Naxos, can be easily recreated outside of the island, with produce from your local farmers market. We enjoyed this meze in Naxos recently ( you can read more in my guide to Naxos ). The recipe comes from a small fisherman's taverna, which sits right on the main ferry port. It was the perfect start to a leisurely evening meal, accompanied by a very chilled ouzo, set against the spectacular backdrop of the sun setting over Naxos' famous Porta. This was one of those holiday dishes that was really going to stay in my memory and I just had to ask for the recipe. I could have seen myself back in Sydney regretting a missed opportunity if I had not asked. Luckily the taverna cook was more than happy to oblige and the recipe was shared, along with the secret tip to use plenty of fresh herbs - a common theme in much...

In the lead up to Greek Easter, on Palm Sunday in fact, Mr K and I enjoyed lunch along with the rest of our extended family at my sister in law's parents house. Our host Mrs A, who is originally from Crete, is an incredible cook. The Palm Sunday table was absolutely heaving with what seemed like one hundred beautiful vegetarian and seafood dishes - including the traditional bakaliaros, skordalia, chargrilled octopus, stuffed mussels and more including some Cretan specialties that I had not tried before, such as calamari slow cooked with green olives, tomatoes and fennel. One of the absolute highlights on the table was, however, Mrs A divine Kalitsounia (καλιτσούνια). A small hand folded pie filled with wild greens and herbs - they were deceptively easy to eat!! Taking inspiration from Mrs A's kitchen, I recently tried my hand at making some cheese filled kalitsounia.  On our last visit to Crete, we tried some very savoury kalitsounia, stuffed with the local fresh mizithra and ...

In a few of the recipes I have posted recently, I have used mizithra cheese. Mizithra is an incredibly popular cheese in Greece and it comes in both dried and fresh versions. In Greece, mizithra is made from either goat, sheep or cow’s whey to which whole milk is sometimes added. Mizithra is one of the simplest cheeses to make: milk is brought to a slow boil for a few minutes and then curdled by adding rennet or whey from a previous batch or an acidic substance such as lemon juice, vinegar or - in some cases, a fresh broken sprig from a fig tree. As soon as curds have formed they are poured into a cheesecloth bag and hung to drain. The whey dripping out of the bag can be used to curdle the next batch of mizithra. A fresh chalky white colour, this slightly sweet cheese is perfect with honey, fruit and nuts. It is also used to fill all manner of small pies, such as the kalitsounia of Crete. The fresh version of mizithra cheese may also be salted and hung to dry from cheese cloth, in the ...

I love making a range of Greek style pickles - called toursi (τουρσί) in Greek. They are especially great in summertime, when after a day spent at the beach you get that urge for a chilled ouzo and meze. It's so nice to know that you have little jars of toursi tucked away in the fridge or the pantry and the only effort required is opening the jar! The pickle recipe I am sharing today is for calamari toursi (καλαμάρι τουρσί). It makes for a great meze spread with a little feta dusted with riagni, some simple fava (a yellow split pea dip) topped with sweet red onion and capers - and a little fresh, crispy salad on the side, such as a purslane and marinated olives. Pop open the jar of calamari and in minutes you have some lovely mezethes to enjoy with a chilled ouzo in the garden on a warm, dusky summer evening. If you skip the feta you also have a Greek Orthodox fasting friendly meal for those few weeks before Christmas - or Easter. If you are interested in making other Greek style p...

So it's the first day of Summer here in Sydney - and is shaping up to be another 30C+ day. When it's so hot, I rarely feel like cooking much in the evening after a day in the office and a steamy city commute. However, my efforts can stretch to chopping a few tomatoes and whipping out the fry pan for a batch of tomato fritters, called domatokeftedes (ντοματοκεφτέδες). These brightly coloured delights are a speciality of Santorini and they are traditionally made with the island’s native tomato.  Santorini is also home to amazing fava (yellow spilt peas), capers and wine. Happily you can now buy the crisp white wines from Santorini easily in Australia - and it's a perfect match for these domatokeftedes. Another essential for a warm evening and eating outdoors! My version of domatokeftedes uses very ripe Roma tomatoes and I have flavoured them with plenty of mint - both dry and fresh. I use a dried wild mint from Greece, which is incredibly aromatic (You can buy a similar wild ...