Greek Recipes

 It was a day filled with family, great Greek food, fun, and custom; we look forward to many more days filled with the same. A serving of my Gigantes with bacon and Cretan Graviera cheese - Click to enlarge image In the spirit of ushering in a New Year with something novel, I offer my own spin on one of the classic dishes of Greek cookery: a baked bean dish that we call “ Gigantes ” (pronounced ‘YEE-ghan-dess’) after the name of the extra large runner beans that are its main ingredient. Five varieties of Gigantes beans have been registered as PDO/ PGI produce within the European Union by the Greek government. Gigantes beans are cultivated primarily in the area of Lake Prespa, in the north-western part of the Greek region of Macedonia, but they are universally enjoyed throughout Greece. Dried Gigantes beans - Click to enlarge image Many of the local dishes in the northern Florina prefecture include variations on a red pepper theme. In particular, the spicy red “Florina ...

Gigantes Tiganiti … Pan-Fried Giant Beans make an excellent appetizer dish. Since time immemorial beans and legumes have figured prominently in regional dishes throughout Greece. Dried Gigantes beans (pronounced YEE-GAN-DES) are a staple of Greek cookery and can usually be found in Greek specialty shops and bakeries, or most well-stocked supermarkets around the world. Also referred to as Elephant beans, Gigantes are about 1 inch long or roughly twice the size of conventional lima beans, and are a variety of runner bean . Cultivated largely in north central Greece, these beans can be prepared and served as an appetizer, as part of a salad, or as a main course. Indeed, this bean is so popular in Greece that five varieties of Gigantes/Elephant beans have been recognized as Protected Designation of Origin ( PDO ) / Protected Geographical Indication ( PGI ) produce by the European Union. The extraordinarily meaty and buttery texture of this extra large bean has served to make them a ub...