Serves 2

2-4 fresh green chilies, minced

1-2 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon dried mint, crumbled, or 3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint leaves

2-3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

4-5 tablespoons fruity extra-virgin olive oil

Salt, to taste

1 whole sea bream, branzino, porgy, or gray mullet (about 1 1/2  pounds), or any other head-on fish suitable for grilling

A few grindings of black pepper

1/2 cup finely diced peeled and seeded fresh tomato, drained

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

In a bowl add the chilies, garlic, mint, lemon juice, and olive oil.  Sprinkle with a little salt and mix thoroughly, then taste and adjust the seasonings.  It should be spicy.  Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes to 2 hours.

Broil the fish on both sides, or grill over a charcoal fire, turning once, until firm, almost done, about 15 minutes.  Remove from the heat and cover with aluminum foil. Let stand for 5 minutes.

Mix the sauce with the chopped tomato.

Serve the fish with the sauce on the side, or cut the fish open, remove the central bone and transfer the fillets to a heatproof platter.  Pour half the sauce over the fish, sprinkle with some pepper, and place under a very hot broiler for a few seconds before serving. 

Pass the rest of the sauce separately.

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Lemon zest and plenty of coarsely ground pepper give the dish a lovely kick, while crumbled feta adds a very welcomed tanginess.

This is the more conventional and elegant way to make the dish, besides the One-pot version with Fava, Asparagus, and Spinach that I posted last year.

Serves 3-4

About 1/3 cup (70ml) fruity olive oil, more for drizzling

3 spring onions (scallions) –white, plus most of the green part, thinly sliced

3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

About 1 ½  pounds fresh fava pods, cut into 2 cm (1-inch) pieces; shack  the larger pods, keeping only the very fresh fava pods whole

2 tablespoons ground coriander seeds

1 cup white wine

Salt, to taste

2 ounces (360 grams) linguine or spaghettini

A good bunch flat-leaf parsley, coarsely chopped –leaves and tender stems

3-4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice or more, to taste

Zest of  ½- 1 lemon

½-1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper, or more, to taste 

Crumbled feta cheese, for serving (optional)

In a deep skillet or sauté pan warm the olive oil over medium-high heat and briefly sauté the scallions and garlic. Add the fava, toss and sauté for 5-8 minutes, stir in the coriander and gradually add the wine and a little water, just half a cup or so, until the fava is almost cooked. If it is tender, like ours it does not take long.

Until this point you may prepare the pasta ‘sauce’ a few hours in advance.

About 20 mnutes from the time you plan to serve, bring a pot of salted water to a rolling boil and cook the pasta at least 2 minutes less than the recommended ‘al dente’ time.

Keep the skillet with the fava over low heat, and ass soon as the pasta is ready, transfer with tongs to the fava, or drain it, reserving 2 cups of the cooking water before dropping it to the fava, adding the parsley, lemon juice and 1 cup pasta water. Toss over medium heat, adding salt and pepper, along with half the lemon zest. Taste and if you think it needs to cook more, add more pasta water.

Correct the seasoning, drizzle with fruity olive oil and serve at once, sprinkling with the rest of the lemon zest, and crumbled feta, if you like.

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A humble leftover lentil soup becomes a delicious vegan pasta with complex flavor, while in my Mediterranean Vegetarian Feasts  I created the Lebanese-inspired Linguine with Spicy Lentils and Caramelized Onions. 

Our plant-based, vegan dishes are not contrived, but created by the women who had to bring a delicious, filling dish to their family’s table.

More than twenty years ago, in my Foods of the Greek Islands I included the delicious Pasta with Olive Oil, Onions and Spices from the island of Karpathos, which is very similar to my later, Lebanese-inspired one.

I often make pasta with greens and lemon. Recently I found a recipe for pasta with green olives and feta in the NYT which was very close to what I often whip up.

But I wanted to try and make a completely plant based dish, with no cheese at all.

I was intrigued by a vegan pasta with greens and lemon in Food and Wine: It had white miso to add umami, but this ubiquitous Asian component is not part of our everyday ingredients, so I decided to use sliced Kalamata olives, the Mediterranean umami equivalent…

The resulting Olive and Greens Pasta with Garlic and Lemon is truly delicious, even for non-vegans like us!

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The cooking is a variation of my usual risotto with leafy greens, but on this occasion I prefer to cook the grains with a more substantial green, like kale or cabbage. 

A few years back we managed to grow some Russian, as well as Tuscan Kale in the garden; but unfortunately we have not been able to grow these wonderful greens again, so I use cabbage for my hearty grain risotto.

See also Kapuska: Cabbage with Ground Meat and Cabbage.

Serves 4-6

1/3 cup olive oil

1 medium onion, thinly sliced

4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

Salt to taste

2 cups dry white wine

1 pound green or red kale or cabbage: Separate, and thinly slice the stems, and coarsely shred the leaves

1 tablespoon turmeric

3 teaspoons Maras or Aleppo pepper flakes

2 cups pre-cooked pearl barley, farro, wheat berries (see NOTE) OR 1  1/2 cup farro or barley plus 1/2 cup Basmati rice, soaked in water for 3 minutes and drained

1  1/2 cups vegetable broth or water

1/4 cup lemon juice, or mote to taste

2-3 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley

Fruity olive oil for drizzling

Crumbled feta, or thick yogurt, for serving

In a sauté pan warm the olive oil and cook the onions and garlic for 5 minutes, stirring, until they start to soften. Add salt to taste and 1 cup of the wine to the pan, toss and add the kale or cabbage stems. Toss, cover and cook for 5 minutes.

Add the the kale or cabbage leaves to the pan, toss, cover and let the leaves wilt for 5 minutes. Uncover, add the rest of the wine, the pepper as well as the Basmati rice, if using, and toss, then add 1  1/2 cups warm broth or water, and  the pearl barley or  farro; toss, cover and cook for about 10 minutes, until the grains are fully cooked. If need be add a bit more broth or water.

Uncover, toss, and add the lemon juice. Taste and adjust the seasoning.

Serve in bowls sprinkling with parsley and drizzling with fruity olive oil.

Serve the feta or the yogurt on the side.

NOTE: I always have in my freezer half-cooked grains, as well as chickpeas and beans.

Add one pound pearl barley, farro or wheat berries in a pot, and cover with water that should come about 4-inches above the grains. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt, bring to a boil, lower the heat to medium-low, and simmer for about 10-20 minutes, or until the grains are almost tender but still hold their shape.

Drain and let cool completely in the colander, then transfer to a zip-log bag and store in the freezer.

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I slightly adapted Tanis’ recipe, basically omitting the celery, because Costas is not fond of it. Kale is not available here, but the beets come with their greens which I used; you can alternatively add chard, kale, or any other green you like.

I simply top the wonderful soup with thick strained yogurt instead of the cream and freshly grated horseradish, which would be fantastic, if only we could get it on Kea!

In his introduction to the recipe, David Tanis talks about “…the long-gone resorts of the Catskills, in the so-called Jewish Alps. During their heyday, in the 1940s, ’50s and ’60s, these summer resorts hosted generations of Jewish Americans, at a time when virulent anti-Semitism prevented their admittance to non-Jewish resorts. Families would spend the whole summer in these mountains enclaves to escape the sweltering city. There were daily activities and nightly entertainment. Comedians who worked the circuit called it the Borscht Belt. And quite a lot of cold borscht was served in that era before air-conditioning.”

Serves 6

3-4 tablespoons olive oil

1 large onion, diced (about 1 1/2 cups)

1 large leek, diced (about 1 cup)

Salt and pepper

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 teaspoon paprika

½ teaspoon caraway seeds

1 bay leaf

1 thyme sprig

½ pound starchy potatoes (about 6 potatoes), peeled and cut in 1-inch chunks

2 pounds medium beets, peeled and cut in 1-inch chunks

½ pound medium carrots (about 4 carrots), peeled and cut in 1-inch chunks

3 cups coarsely chopped beet greens, chard leaves or kale

1 cup coarsely chopped flat-leaved parsley

1 tablespoon apple-cider vinegar, or to taste

1/2 -1 teaspoons freshly ground pepper, to taste

Thick, full-fat yogurt (Greek) for serving

 A handful of cilantro leaved, coarsely chopped (optional)

Put olive oil in a heavy-bottomed soup pot or Dutch oven over medium-low heat and add the onion, and leek, stir to coat, and season with salt and pepper. Cook for about 8-10 minutes, stirring often, until the onion has softened. Add the garlic, tomato paste, paprika, caraway, bay leaf and thyme, and cook for 1 minute, stirring.

Add the potatoes, the beets and the carrots, 6 cups water and salt to taste. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a brisk simmer. Simmer with lid ajar for about 20 minutes, or until potatoes, beets, and carrots are fork tender.

Add the greens, most of the parsley –keeping some for topping the soup– and vinegar and stir to distribute. Taste the broth and adjust the seasoning, adding freshly ground pepper. Simmer briefly until the greens are done.

To serve, ladle into soup bowls, and garnish with parsley, and cilantro, if you like. Pass the thick yogurt at the table.

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Photo by MANOUSOS DASKALOGIANNIS 

I got the recipe from the North of Greece and I particularly love to bake it in the winter, but also all year round, as I am fed up with the common baked gigantes in tomato sauce that all taverns serve.

From my first book The Foods of Greece

Serves 6 

1-pound gigantes, extra-large beans

2 tablespoons dry oregano, preferably Greek

2/3 – 1 cup good olive oil

2 onions, coarsely chopped

½ – 1 teaspoon Aleppo pepper, or red pepper flakes, to taste

6-8 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped (as many as you like)

1 1/2 cups chopped dill

1 cup dry white wine

Salt

Soak the beans in water overnight. Drain, place in a pot and cover with plenty of cold water. Bring to a boil, skim, reduce the heat, sprinkle with one tablespoon of oregano, and simmer for 40 min or more, until the beans start to be tender.

Drain, and keep the liquid.

Preheat the oven to 300 F (150 C).

Heat the olive oil in a skillet and sauté the onions for about 8 min. until translucent. Add the Aleppo, or pepper flakes and the garlic, the rest of the oregano and the wine, and cook, stirring for 1 minute then remove from the heat. Add 1 ½ teaspoons salt and pour the sauce into an ovenproof glass or clay casserole. Add the beans and toss with half the dill, and about 1 ½ cups of the bean cooking water.

Cover with the lid or with double aluminum foil and bake for about 1 hour, until the beans are very soft, and most of their liquid has evaporated. Check once during cooking, and if need be, add more cooking liquid.

Uncover the beans, drizzle with olive oil and bake another 10-15 minutes to caramelize the top, then sprinkle with the rest of the dill and serve warm, or at room temperature.

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Skordalia is served traditionally with fried or grilled fish and seafood; also with fried or grilled vegetables. On its own it is a popular meze served with toasted bread, barley rusks or crackers, and with crudités.

HERE read how I make the Sour Grape condiment.

Makes about 4 cups

8 to 12 large garlic cloves (to taste) peeled, or 3-4 green garlic –white plus most of the green part– coarsely chopped

1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt

1 cup blanched, or unpeeled almonds, soaked in water for about three hours and drained

1/2 cup  homemade sour grape juice, or Middle Eastern Verjuice, or 4 -5 tablespoons lemon juice, or more, to taste

1 cup country bread, crusts removed, soaked in water and squeezed dry

1 cup mashed potato

1/2 to 1 teaspoons freshly ground white pepper, or more, to taste

1/2 cup light olive oil or sunflower oil

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 cup thick (drained) yogurt (optional)

1 teaspoon fine lemon zest (optional)

Put the garlic, salt, almonds, and sour grape juice or lemon in the bowl of a food processor. Process to a sand-like texture.

Add the bread, potato, and pepper. Process briefly. With the motor running start slowly pouring in the light olive oil and then the extra virgin, until you have a thick creamy paste.

Transfer to a bowl cover, and refrigerate for a few hours or overnight, so that the flavors have time to blend.

Taste and adjust the seasoning with more sour grape juice or lemon, salt, or pepper. Just before serving, stir in the yogurt and the lemon zest, if using.

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Serves 4-5

One 3-4 pounds (1 1/2-2 kilos) chicken or 3-4 whole chicken legs

6-7 rosemary sprigs

2 heads garlic; peel the cloves from one, and cut the other in half, horizontally

3-4 pieces preserved lemon or more, depending on the size

2 large, naval oranges, halved. Juice the three pieces, and thinly slice the remaining orange half

3 tablespoons Dijon mustard

2-3 teaspoons Maraş or Aleppo pepper or 1/2-1  seeded fresh jalapeño peppers, to taste 

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 tablespoon turmeric

2 teaspoons ground allspice 

1/4 cup olive oil

1/2 cup white wine

Finishing salt (optional)

Line the Dutch oven with parchment paper and scatter a few of the rosemary sprigs at the bottom.

Preheat the oven to 400ºF (200ºC)

Make the paste: In a blender or small food processor add the peeled garlic cloves, the preserved lemon–without rinsing the pieces, the orange juice —reserving the slices— the mustard, the pepper, the cumin,  turmeric and allspice. Pour in the olive oil and the wine and process to get a somewhat chunky, but runny paste.

Place the chicken over the rosemary sprigs and wearing gloves massage it all over, inside and out with the paste, carefully lifting the skin and inserting some of the paste under it, especially on the breast, to give it more flavor. Turn the chicken and rub the other side as well and then rest it on its back and place the orange slices over the breast and drumsticks—if they slide, secure them in place with toothpicks.

Place the halved garlic next to the chicken and scatter the rest of the rosemary around the bird. Cover loosely with a piece of parchment paper and the lid and place at the bottom half of the oven.

Roast for 30 minutes, then reduce the heat to 280ºF (135º C) and roast another 45 minutes. Check to see if it is cooked through by inserting a knife into the thickest part of the upper leg: the juices should be clear, not pinkish. If it is not cooked, cover and continue roasting another 15-20 minutes, until cooked through.

Increase the heat to 480ºF (250º C), uncover and lightly spray the chicken with water, then let it roast another 10 minutes, or until nicely browned.

Serve immediately and carve, pouring sauce from the pan over each piece and sprinkling with finishing salt, if you like. Preserved lemons are usually very salted so additional salt is probably not needed.

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See also the unusual Pelion skordalia with unripe grapes or verjuice.

Serve the salad as a first course or as a side dish with grilled or fried fish.

Adapted from The Foods of the Greek Islands (Houghton Mifflin)

Makes 4-6 servings

THE GARLIC SAUCE (Skordalia)

2-3 medium potatoes, halved –depending on how mild you want the skordalia

Two 1/2-inch-thick slices sturdy white bread, crusts removed, soaked in water until softened, and squeezed dry

1/2 cup blanched whole almonds, soaked in water for at least 2–3 hours, or preferably overnight, and drained

3–5 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice –or more, to taste

3-6 garlic cloves (to taste)

Salt

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Freshly ground black pepper

1/2-1 cup thick, Greek yogurt, preferably full fat (optional) 

THE SALAD:

6 beets of any color, cooked in boiling salted water until tender, peeled and sliced

1 1/2 pound beet greens, chard, amaranth shoots, or tender green beans, cooked in boiling salted water until just tender, and drained

2–3 tablespoons red wine vinegar 

Extra-virgin olive oil

3 scallions (green parts only), thinly sliced

For the garlic sauce: In a large saucepan of boiling water, cook the potatoes until tender, about 30 minutes. Drain and mash the potatoes. Set aside. (you can cook the potatoes up to 1-2 days before making skordalia. Mash and refrigerate, covered until needed. 

Place the bread, almonds, 1 to 2 tablespoons of the lemon juice, the garlic (use 3 or more cloves according to how strong you like the sauce) and salt to taste in a food processor and process into a smooth paste. In a medium bowl, combine the almond mixture, potatoes, oil, the remaining 1 to 2 tablespoons of the lemon juice and a few pepper grindings. Taste and adjust the seasonings. If the sauce is too thick, stir in a few tablespoons of water and if you like, just before serving, fold in some thick yogurt.

To assemble, serve the chopped beets and greens on a platter, passing the garlic sauce around in a bowl.

Alternatively, mound the garlic sauce in the middle of a serving platter and arrange the beet slices around one side of it and the greens or beans on the other. Sprinkle the vegetables with the vinegar and drizzle oil over the garlic sauce. Sprinkle with the scallions and serve.

VARIATION: Instead of greens or beans, you can use steamed cauliflower or broccoli.

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