You can enjoy kolokotes as snack, complemented with yogurt, labne, or fresh cheese; drizzled with honey, date or any fruit molasses they become a lovely dessert. 

Marilena Ioannides’ recipe is by far the best I have tried –and I did try lots over the years. She bakes the pies on camera –speaking Greek with no subtitles, unfortunately; but consulting my recipe below you can easily follow and understand how to make these simple, exquisite pies.

To collect the old, traditional dishes she included in her book Cyprus Food Treasures, Marilena traveled all over the island, even to the remotest villages, and managed to find some incredible dishes! Often they are the missing link between age-old foods we read about in old manuscripts and the more recent variations we still encounter in parts of Greece or in other parts of the Eastern Mediterranean.

NOTE in the video as she prepares the pies leisurely, in real time, she weighs all ingredients –even the olive oil and water– as she adds them, one by one in the bowl of the mixer, zeroing her electronic scale just before adding a new item. This is a wonderful trick that helps cooks use a minimum of  bowls and other measuring utensils. 

My recipe is adapted from Marilena Ioannides’ Kolokotes. I have increased the amount of raisins and doubled the pepper; also substituted fennel seeds for the fresh wild fennel she suggests.

Makes 6 large pies

For the DOUGH:

1 pound bread flour or a combination of pasta flour and all purpose flour

1 teaspoon sea salt

70 grams olive oil

250 grams very hot or boiling water —the secret to make smooth, elastic dough

For the FILLING:

2 pounds butternut squash, peeled and seeded

1 1/2 teaspoon sea salt

100 grams bulgur (medium not fine)

150 grams raisins

30 grams olive oil

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 -1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper (I like it peppery)

1 teaspoon coarsely ground fennel seeds

Make the dough tossing the flour, salt, and olive oil in the bowl of a standing mixer. With the motor running pour in the hot water on the side, and work to obtain a soft, slightly sticky dough. Wrap in oiled plastic wrap and set aside. You can make the dough the previous day, refrigerate, wrapped, and bring to room temperature before proceeding further.

For the filling cut the squash in very thin slices, then in small cubes, matchsticks, or any kind of tiny bits. Add salt, olive oil and the raisins, then work with your hands to somewhat soften the squash.

Stir in the bulgur, cinnamon, pepper, and fennel seeds, and toss well to mix. 

Divide the dough into 6 pieces. (Marilena makes 7 pies but I find it difficult to divide the dough into an even number; I only use the scale for the filling).   

Preheat the oven to 150C  (about 300F) in convection mode. 

Roll each piece into roughly a 25 cm round, and place one sixth of the filling in the center, weighing all the filling  dividing the number into 6, then portioning and weighing 1/6th for each pie. Stir the filling each time before you take a portion as the moisture tends to go to the bottom.

Fold the round of dough to cover the filling; seal and crimp the edge, making sure the pie is completely closed so that the squash, bulgur etc. bake and steam inside the crust. Place the pies carefully on baking trays lined with parchment paper, and bake in the middle of the oven for 45 min to 1 h –until lightly colored on top and bottom.

If you bake both pans at the same time, change positions after 30 minutes, turning also the pans back to front.

Let the kolokotes cool on a rack or on thick kitchen towels before cutting to eat.

The flavor is infinitely better after they are completely cold, and I find that it is even better the next day! 

Keep on the counter for 2-3 days, if you manage to resist devouring them. You can also freeze and slowly reheat any leftover pies. 

The post Kolokotes: Squash-raisin-and-bulgur Hand Pies from Cyprus appeared first on Aglaia's Table οn Kea Cyclades.

Served with or without ice cream, this is a seriously addictive dessert.

SERVES 8 – 10 

The CARAMEL

4 tablespoons/58 grams light olive oil

¾ cups/175 grams granulated sugar

4 ounces (120 grams) soft cream cheese (see NOTE)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

½  teaspoon salt (see NOTE)

THE FRUIT

1 small quince, halved, seeded and cut into 1 -inch chunks

5 medium apples, about 1 kilo, 2 green, the rest red—somewhat sweet—each seeded and cut into 1 ½ -inch pieces

½ cup crystalized ginger, minced

2 tablespoons lemon juice

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1 teaspoon cinnamon

The TOPPING

1 cup rolled oats

½ cup whole-wheat breadcrumbs

½ cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon cinnamon

¾ cup blond or brown sugar

Zest from 1 lemon

½ teaspoon salt

1 cup (120 grams) walnuts, coarsely chopped

½ cup light olive oil

½ cup orange juice

Vanilla Ice Cream, optional for serving

Heat the oven to 375F (180C)

Prepare the caramel: Add 2 tablespoons water and the oil to a 12-inch oven-safe skillet with high sides. Sprinkle the sugar in an even layer over the bottom of the pan. Turn the heat to medium-high. Cook the sugar without stirring until bubbles start to appear. Now swirl the pan very carefully to help the sugar brown evenly. Once the caramel is dark amber, after about 6 minutes or a bit more, remove from the heat.

Let the mixture cool for 1 minute and then add the cream cheese, stirring until fully combined (the mixture will bubble rapidly). Add the vanilla and the salt.

Prepare the fruit: In a large bowl, toss together the quince, apples and ginger, lemon juice, cornstarch, and cinnamon.

Make the topping: In a medium bowl, combine the oats, breadcrumbs, walnuts, brown sugar, lemon zest, and salt. Add the olive oil and orange juice and toss together until all the dry ingredients are evenly moistened.

Add the fruit to the caramel in the skillet and toss to combine. Sprinkle evenly with the topping.  

Bake until the caramel is bubbling in the center, the fruit is tender, and the topping is browned, 35 to 40 minutes.

Let cool slightly before serving.

NOTE:

Instead of the usual, imported, generic cream cheese, I like to make this crumble with our local cream cheese or fresh myzithra, which is much more flavorful, and somewhat salty, so I omit adding extra salt.   

The post Apple and Quince Crumble with Caramel appeared first on Aglaia's Table οn Kea Cyclades.

Scroll down to see the variation with roasted vegetables, which makes the pie more substantial.  

Read more about the pie and our adventures to get the recipe.

Serves 4-6

2 sheets of home-made phyllo or 4 sheets commercial phyllo pastry

Filling :

1 1/2 cups crumbled feta cheese

1 cup crumbles myzithra or ricotta

2 eggs, 1/2 cup milk

Pinch of chopped fresh oregano or thyme (optional)

Good pinch Aleppo or red pepper flakes, to taste (optional)

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 C).

Brush a 9 x 13 inch flameproof baking pan (or an equivalent round one) with olive oil or butter, then lay one home-made phyllo sheet, or two commercial sheets, lightly brushing with olive oil. Sprinkle with half the feta and myzithra cheeses.

Beat the milk and egg together and pour half the egg wash over the feta. Sprinkle with herbs and pepper flakes, if you like. Lay the second phyllo sheet (or 2 commercial sheets of phyllo) and generously brush with olive oil. Spread the rest of the cheese and drizzle with the remaining egg wash.

Bake for 20 minutes at the bottom of the oven. Check if the bottom is golden brown, lifting the pie with a large spatula. If not, continue baking for 10 more minutes, or as needed. Then, heat the broiler and bake the pie a few minutes right under the broiler, until golden brown and crisp.

Transfer to a wooden board and cut pieces to serve very hot.

VARIATION

Together with the feta cheese you spread over the first layer ( or layers) of phyllo, scatter about 2 cups diced olive-oil-rubbed, oven-roasted eggplants, peppers, zucchini, squash, or any combination –as I describe for the white eggplants. Then pour over the egg wash, and finish the pie with the second layer of phyllo etc. as described above. 

The post Kiki’s or ‘Lazy Woman’s Pie’ (Pita tis Tembelas) appeared first on Aglaia's Table οn Kea Cyclades.

It is adapted from Martha Rose Shulman’s recipe, as published in the NY Times Cooking.

Makes Two 10-inch tart shells

2/3 cup whole-wheat flour

1 cup all purpose flour (more as needed)

1 cup finely ground almonds or walnuts

2 teaspoons instant dry yeast

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons sugar, if you use in sweet tarts, or ½ teaspoon for the savory ones

1 large egg, at room temperature, lightly beaten

¼ cup olive oil

A few tablespoons water, as needed

In a bowl toss the flours and ground nuts together with the yeast, salt, and sugar.

Add the egg and olive oil and stir the dough with a wooden spoon or transfer to a mixer and combine the ingredients using the paddle.

Work the dough until it comes together in a coherent mass, adding more flour or a 1-2 tablespoons water, as needed.

Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface, and knead gently for a few minutes, adding flour as necessary, just until the dough is just smooth; do not overwork it.

 Shape into a ball. Place in a lightly oiled bowl, cover the dough tightly with oiled plastic wrap, and allow to rise until doubled in size, about one hour.

OR you can place in the refrigerator and leave to rise slowly overnight. Take out of the refrigerator 2 hours before shaping, so that the dough comes to room temperature.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead gently a couple of times. Divide into two equal pieces –or as directed in the pie you are making.

For a round tart, shape each piece into a ball without kneading it further. Cover loosely with plastic wrap, and let rest for five minutes, then roll out into thin rounds or long strips, as directed in the recipe, to line pans.

NOTE:

If you are not using the crust right away, freeze the rolled, thin dough to prevent it from rising and becoming too bready. The dough can be transferred directly from the freezer to the oven. The rolled out dough will keep for a month or more in the freezer if it’s well wrapped.

The post Olive Oil, Whole-wheat, Yeasted Pastry appeared first on Aglaia's Table οn Kea Cyclades.

Adapted from Dorie Greenspan

I have only medium-small eggs –from our neighbors’ hens– so I increased the milk to 2\3 cup, and used the goat’s milk we drink with our coffee. Also, forgot to get parsley from the garden, so I omitted it –will add it next time. 

Rosemary and thyme, as well as the tangerine zest give it great aroma and complement beautifully the sweetness of the figs. “If you’d like, use olives or dried tomatoes instead of figs, basil instead of parsley, lemon instead of orange,”  Greenspan suggests;

she also notes that one can “experiment with other cheeses,” and this is exactly what I did.

“The loaf is pleasantly crumbly, and best enjoyed cut into thick slices,” she concludes.

Serves 8

4 moist, plump dried figs (such as Kalamata), cut into 1/4-inch bits

⅓ cup/20 grams finely chopped fresh parsley (optional –forgot to add it and didn’t miss it)

1 ½ teaspoons finely chopped fresh rosemary

½ teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme

1 ¾ cups/225 grams all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

½ -1  teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

3 medium eggs, at room temperature

2/3 cup/80 milliliters whole milk, lukewarm (I used goat’s milk)

⅓ cup/80 milliliters olive oil

1 tablespoon honey

4 ounces/115 grams feta cheese cut in small dice

Zest of 1 clementine or 1/2 tangerine, or small orange

Center a rack in the oven and heat the oven to 350 F (180 C). Line with parchment paper an 8- to 9-inch loaf pan.

In a small bowl, toss together the figs, parsley, if using, rosemary and thyme; keep at hand.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and pepper. Working in a medium bowl, whisk the eggs until blended, then whisk in the milk, oil and honey.

Pour the wet ingredients over the flour mixture, and, using a sturdy spatula, stir until the dough is almost blended. You’ll still see streaks of flour, and that’s fine. Scatter the fig mixture over the dough, along with the feta cheese. Grate the zest of the clementine or tangerine over the cheese. Using as few strokes as possible, stir everything together. Once again, it might not be perfect, and, once again, that’s fine.

Scrape the dough into the pan, and use the spatula to poke the dough into the corners and to even the bumpy top. Bake for 34 to 38 minutes or until the top is golden, the cake has started to pull away from the sides of the pan, and, most important, a tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.

Unmold the cake onto a rack, turn it right side up and let it cool. You can serve the cake when it’s slightly warm (it’s not so easy to cut then, but it’s delicious) or when it is at room temperature. Cut into thick slices. Wrapped well, the cake keeps well for 3-4 days, if you can stop eating it…

The post Feta, Fig, and Herb Savory Cake, or Quick Bread appeared first on Aglaia's Table οn Kea Cyclades.

Instead of broccoli you can use spinach or any chopped greens adding lots of scallions –previously wilted in olive oil– and dill or other herbs. Scroll down to see the Variation.

READ more about the stuffed bread.

Makes 8 individual pies

2 ½ cups broccoli stems and florets, blanched or steamed until tender

1 ½ cups crumbled feta cheese

1 cup coarsely grated Metsovone or smoked Cheddar cheese

1-2 teaspoons Maras or Aleppo pepper flakes, to taste

3  eggs

¼ of my bread or laganes dough, or the dough for Ka’ak Savory Cookies that has doubled and is ready to be shaped

(use the rest to make breadsticks)

About 3 tablespoons nigella seeds, or sunflower seeds, sesame, poppy seeds or a combination

In a bowl mix the broccoli, the cheeses, the pepper and 2 of the eggs.

In a cup beat lightly the remaining egg with 1 tablespoon water.

Preheat the oven to 375 F (200C).

Divide the dough into 8 pieces. Flatten one piece on a lightly floured board, making a disk about a 5-6 inch. (15 cm.). Divide the broccoli mixture into 8, and add one part in the center of the disk. Brush the board with the egg mixture and lift the dough to cover the stuffing and create an oval bread, brushing with the egg mixture as you press the dough to seal on top.

Continue stuffing the rest of the dough. Alternatively, you can stick together two pieces of dough and flatten them to get roughly a 11 X 5 inch. rectangle. Make a line with two parts of the staffing in the middle, then lift the sides and ends to make a baguette-like bread, brushing with the egg mixture as you seal the dough on top.

Cover loosely with an oiled plastic film and let rest for 20-30 minutes.

Add the seeds to the remaining egg and stir. With the brush divide the seed-egg mixture among the breads. With scissors make small cuts along the seal, on top of each bread.

Bake for 25 minutes or more, until deep golden brown on top and bottom. Let cool and serve.

VARIATION: 

Spanakopita-like Bread: Stuffed with Spinach, Scallion, Herbs and Cheese 

For 2 loaves

3 cups chopped scallions –white plus most of the green part

1/4 cup olive oil, plus more for the pan

2/3 pound (350 grams) spinach leaves and most stems

1/2 cup chopped parsley

1/3 cup chopped dill

1 tablespoon dry mint

2 tablespoons dry coriander

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 cups grated, aged graviera or pecorino 

1/2 cup aged smoked cheddar

Salt to taste

¼ of the dough for Ka’ak Savory Cookies that has doubled and is ready to be shaped

2-3 tablespoons breadcrumbs

Make the filling: In a heavy, deep skillet add the olive oil and sauté the scallions for 2-3 minutes in medium high, and as they start to sizzle reduce the heat to very low, cover the pan and cook the onions until soft, about 8-10 minutes, stiring avery now and then. 

In the meantime cut the spinach and their stems to about 1/2 inch pieces, transfer to a bowl and knead with your hands to  wilt a bit.  Add them to the skillet with the onions and toss with 2 spatulas to half-cook and reduce. 

Remove from the heat and add the parsley, mint, coriander, and pepper. Toss well and stir in the cheeses and mix. You can taste the stuffing and add a bit of salt if you think it needs it –I don’t, as the cheeses are quite salty.

Preheat the oven to 375 F (180 C) 

Form the stuffed breads: Briefly knead and the dough and divide in two. On a lightly floured board flatten and roll one piece to make an oval, roughly 16-inch (about 40 cm) long. The dough is very forgiving and elastic so don’t be afraid to stretch  it and make it quite thin, as it will expand quite a bit in the oven.

Add half the stuffing in the center of the oval and with a spoon spread it to make a line, leaving about 2 inches from the two small sides, but at the top and bottom leave about 4-5 inches dough to cover well the stuffing. Turn the dough to cover the stuffing and pinch to seal. 

Spread a baking sheet with parchment paper and drizzle with 1-2 teaspoons olive oil. Transfer the stuffed log to the baking sheet and continue stuffing the second in the same way.

Brush the breads with olive oil and sprinkle well with water. With scissors mace cuts all along the seam on top of the breads, and sprinkle with some breadcrumbs.

Bake for about 45 min or more, until golden brown on top and bottom. Turn off the oven, open the door slightly and leave the breads in another 10 minutes.  

Let cool well before cutting to serve. Actually these breads taste better the next day, either served room temperature, or reheated in a low oven, loosely wrapped in parchment paper. 

The post Spicy, Stuffed Bread with Broccoli or Spinach and Cheese appeared first on Aglaia's Table οn Kea Cyclades.

It was the day we devote to bread and the different, sweet and savory variation one can create with just one basic dough; I had just happened to see Cali Doxiadis’ recipe and decided to try it with some of our leftover dough, after we made loaves, the cheese-stuffed buns, and the tomato or pepper-topped lagana (flat breads) we usually make.

Cali recently shared the FaceBook photos had posted ‘6-years ago’ during my very first try on the Harvest Tart.

In her recipe Cali writes: “…the original inspiration for this sweet and somewhat savoury tart is an Italian recipe for Schiacciata con Grappoli d’Uva, but several adaptations later, it is nearly unrecognisable. It has become a sort of crisp but chewy round flatbread, or sweet peppery pizza…”  In that first harvest tart my bread crust –I did not use Cali’s recipe– was OK, but not ideal, as the fruits were not well-incorporated on top, while the bottom was somewhat soggy. But it accompanied ideally the aged cheeses we served it with, especially the particularly spicy Sifnos Manoura, which ages in wine sediment.

When I made the tart again I chose to use instead of bread or pizza dough, the olive-oil-and-orange pastry that is so wonderful in my vegan olive pies. I had gotten the recipe many years from Zoe Evangelou, a lady I met at my friend Roxani Matsa’s winery, in Kantza; later I encountered very similar crust and olive pies in Cyprus. It is an easy and delicious crust that can easily accommodate both savory and/or sweet filling or topping.

Cali had recently shared the FaceBook photos I had posted ‘6-years ago’ during my very first try on the Harvest Tart, reminding me to try once again this simple Mediterranean treat which I had almost forgotten….

TO MAKE THE TART:

Follow the ingredients and instructions for crust of the Vegan Olive Pie, halving the recipe (2 instead of the 4 cups of flour) for a 25-30 cm. pie. Line the pan with parchment paper and stretch the dough to cover the pan, then sprinkle with sugar, preferably light brown, and follow Cali’s recipe for the grape and fig topping,  preferably choosing various kinds of grapes and more figs, if you happen to have plenty, as I do these days.

Sprinkle with some sugar on top of the fruit and bake in a 200 C oven for 30 minutes or more, until the crust is done and starts to color and the fruits wilted and bubbly.

As it is obvious the baked Harvest Tart is not as spectacular as the raw one, but it will be delicious! Trust me, and also my old friend Cali Doxiadis who lives in Corfu –on the northwestern part of Greece–  enjoying her spectacular garden, and of course cooking!

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 Photo by Anastasios Mentis from my ‘Mediterranean Hot and Spicy’

Serves 6

2 tablespoons orange zest

1 1/4 cups sugar, or more to taste

6 tablespoons cornstarch

1 1/2 cups freshly squeezed orange juice

1/3 cup sweet white wine, preferably Samos

6 slices dried orange (recipes follows), to decorate

In a bowl mix the zest with the sugar and let stand for 1-2 hours at room temperature, stirring every now and then.

Pour 1 cup water over the sugar, add the cornstarch and stir to dissolve it. Transfer to a saucepan over medium heat and cook stirring until sugar is completely dissolved. Add orange juice and wine and continue stirring until the mixture thickens.

Pour in 6 individual glasses, let cool and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight. Top with the dried orange slices and serve.

Dried Orange Slices

With a special citrus knife, or a good serrated knife cut one or more oranges in half, and each half in very thin slices. Spread the slices on a baking dish lined with parchment paper and place in a very low oven (about (180º F). Let the slices dry for about 3-5 hours, depending on their thickness. Let cool, and store in a bag in the freezer.

The post Oriental Orange ‘Cream’ appeared first on Aglaia's Table οn Kea Cyclades.

In an earlier version, I made a large pie that I baked in the oven. It was good, but difficult to divide into portions. Paula Wolfert suggested small fried “packets,” which worked much better. Now I propose something in between: individual little pies, baked in tartlet pans or shallow muffin tins. When finished under the broiler, the grape leaves caramelize beautifully! Serve with risotto or any grain pilaf.

My friend, David Tanis has created and published in the New York Times his own brilliant version of the recipe using chard leaves instead of the grape leaves.

Serves 6

1  1/2 pounds (680 g) thick Greek-style yogurt

1/3 cup (50 g) cornmeal

2/3 cup (65 g) finely chopped scallions

2/3 cup (40 g) finely chopped dill

2/3 cup (40 g) finely chopped fresh mint leaves

1/2 to 1 teaspoon minced jalapeño or other fresh chili, or black pepper, to taste

Salt

15 to 20 vine leaves, fresh or frozen

About 1/3 cup (80 ml) olive oil, as needed

Preheat the oven to 375˚F (190°C).

In a bowl, combine the yogurt and the cornmeal; add the scallions, herbs, salt, and pepper and stir well.

Oil six 4-inch (10-cm) mini tartlet pans or shallow muffin tins. Line each pan or tin with 1 large or 2 small grape leaves, making sure they amply cover the bottom and sides. Brush liberally with olive oil and divide the yogurt mixture among the pans. Top each with a leaf, tucking the edges inside to make a neat package, and brush liberally with olive oil. Bake for about 30 minutes, until the mixture is set and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

Preheat the broiler. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and invert the pans onto it. Place the pies under the broiler for a few seconds to caramelize the leaves.

Serve hot, warm, or at room temperature.

The post Yogurt and Herb Pies Wrapped in Grape Leaves appeared first on Aglaia's Table οn Kea Cyclades.

Makes 8 muffin-size tartelettes, or one 9-inch tart

1            cup thick yogurt

2            tablespoons cornstarch,   diluted in 2 tablespoons milk

1  1/2     cups sheep’s milk ricotta (or regular ricotta) or homemade myzithra –drained in a cheesecloth-lined colander if watery

1/2         cup crumbled feta cheese

1            teaspoon grated lemon zest

1/2 – 1    teaspoon ground pepper

Packed 1/3 cup fresh mint leaves, plus more leaves to decorate

Salt to taste

2            medium eggs, or 1 large egg and 1 egg white

TO SERVE: Yahnera–braised mixed greens, or grilled Green asparagus (brushed with olive oil and grilled on a ridged stove top griddle, then sprinkled with finishing salt).

Preheat the oven to 375°F (190 C).

In a food processor, combine yogurt, the cornstarch mixture, the ricotta, the feta, the lemon zest, the pepper, the mint and some salt, then pulse to blend. Taste and adjust the seasoning. With the motor running, add the eggs, one at a time. Process for a few seconds, until creamy.

Divide the filling evenly in 8 paper-lined muffin tins, topping each with a mint leaf.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until the it just starts to color and is almost set but still a little wobbly. Turn off the heat and leave in the oven for 5 minutes.

Cool for about 15 minutes on a rack before serving warm or at room temperature with the braised greens and/or the grilled asparagus.

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