Iceberg is a very recent addition to the Greek salad greens, and as it is very crunchy and almost tasteless, it pairs beautifully with our quite pungent arugula.

Serves 3-4

1 small or half a large head iceberg lettuce, coarsely shredded

1 bunch arugula, discard only the hard tips of stems, wash and spin-dry or press into a tea towel, then coarsely chop

A handful of fresh mint leaves, torn into pieces

2-3 small, slightly hot pickled red peppers

DRESSING

1 tablespoons cider vinegar

2 teaspoons pickling brine from peppers (optional)

1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses

2 tablespoons finely chopped scallions –white plus most green

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

2 teaspoons maple syrup, or 1 teaspoon honey

1/4 teaspoon fine salt or more if you have not used the brine

4 tablespoons fruity olive oil

Freshly ground black pepper

In a large mixing bowl add the iceberg and arugula and toss with your fingers to mix.

Make the dressing: In a jar with lid add the vinegar, brine if using, pomegranate molasses, scallion, mustard. Syrup or honey, salt, and a few grindings of pepper. Close the jar and shake well to mix all ingredients. Taste and correct the flavor with more salt, pepper or molasses.

Drizzle most of the dressing over the salad and toss briefly, then transfer to a serving platter and top with the mint leaves and peppers, drizzling with the rest of the dressing just before serving.  

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Traditionally we boil the beets in water until tender, cooking the greens and stems separately, before assembling them in a salad, which is often complemented with Skordalia (garlic sauce).

Serves 6-8

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

1 1/2 pounds beet greens cooked in boiling salted water until tender, and drained

Dressing

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

3-4 tablespoons cider or red wine vinegar, or more to taste

5-6 tablespoons fruity olive oil, or more, to taste

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

1/2 cup toasted walnuts, coarsely chopped 

Leaves of 3-4 fresh mint sprigs, torn into pieces 

Assemble the salad: Arrange the cooked beets, stems and greens in a bowl or platter.

Make the dressing combining the mustard, vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper in a jar with well-fitting lid, and shake for a few seconds to fully combine.

Taste and adjust the flavor, then pour over the beets. Sprinkle with the walnuts and mint.

Serve warm,  or at room temperature. 

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The green salad I describe is inspired from the traditional Lesbos winter salad as I adapted it from the recipe in my book The Foods of the Greek Islands.  

In the spring, though, we often add all kinds of edible wild flowers to the basic mix, plus any fragrant sprigs and leaves we find in the garden (scroll down for the VARIATION).

From the first October rains up until the end of April, the greengrocers of Mytilini, the capital of Lesbos, used to sell each head of romaine lettuce tied together with two or three sprigs of borage (often with its little blue flowers), two or three scallions, several sprigs of peppery arugula, four or five sprigs of dill or fennel fronds, a few sprigs of peppery wild cress and either fresh mint or a little wild celery. Once home, these essential ingredients for the local green winter salad are thinly sliced and tossed with a simple vinaigrette.

For the spring version we often create “a multisensory food experience,” as Mind Body Green proposes. “When flavor, texture, appearance, fragrance, and beauty come together on your plate—the result is sheer culinary delight.” 

About the very common, slightly bitter dandelion blossoms —Taraxacum officinale — we read that “the golden blossoms are nutritious edible flowers beloved by herbalists, gourmets, and culinary devotees alike. Their bioactive chemical compounds have been touted for diuretic, liver-supporting, and anti-inflammatory benefits, among others. Some research has even found the dandelion plant may increase Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium, two valuable types of probiotics associated with gut health, ” the article point out.

WORD of CAUTION: Not all flowers are edible; unless you are sure what exactly you are foraging, be careful because many flowers may be toxic! 

Makes 4 servings

3–4        tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2–3        tablespoons red wine vinegar

Freshly ground black pepper

1            small head romaine lettuce, cored and leaves separated

1            bunch arugula, trimmed and finely chopped

3–4        sprigs watercress, finely chopped

3            scallions (white and most of the green parts), thinly sliced

4            sprigs fresh dill, finely chopped

3–4        sprigs fresh mint, tough stems removed, thinly sliced

3–4        sprigs borage, coarsely chopped (optional; see Note)

1            small fennel bulb, trimmed and very finely chopped or grated

Salt

1/4         cup toasted pine nuts (optional)

3-4        kumquat thinly sliced (optional)

In a small bowl, whisk together the oil, vinegar and plenty of pepper. Set aside.

Stack half the lettuce leaves, roll them up and cut crosswise into thin slices. Repeat with the remaining lettuce leaves. In a large bowl, combine the lettuce and other greens, scallions, dill, mint, borage (if using) and fennel.

Whisk the dressing again and pour it over the salad. Add salt to taste, toss, and sprinkle with the pine nuts and/or kumquat, if using.

VARIATION:

Flowery Spring Green Salad

Omit the kumquat and pine nuts, and add all or any of the following flowers: 

Dandelion blossoms —Taraxacum officinale — the very common pale yellow mustard greens’ blossoms which add a delicious kick to the salad.

Also for their aroma the pink rose geranium, the purple rosemary blossoms and sprigs and of course the most spectacular and crunchy borage flowers, which unfortunately dry out early in the spring on Kea. 

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In Greece we traditionally boil cauliflower and broccoli in plenty of water, but the small tender ones we get today taste better steamed, I think. This saves us from the terrible stink that was pestering our kitchen in the winter whenever my mother boiled cauliflower to make father’s favorite salad. Although he loved cauliflower, as well as boiled cabbage, their smell as they cooked always made him furious; he yelled at mother that she had forgotten to use celery, or vinegar in the water to eliminate the smell — although she kept trying both ‘remedies’ with no success.

When I started cooking in my own kitchen I was determined to adopt the more advanced techniques, so instead of boiling, I roasted my cauliflowers. After a few years and many tries –roasting the cauliflower covered, wrapped in parchment paper etc.– I finally decided that it could never be as tender, succulent, and silky as the boiled or steamed one.

Later I discovered that restaurants usually grill or fry the already steamed or boiled cauliflower florets.

The oversized cauliflowers have almost completely disappeared, although we occasionally find some here, on Kea.

The Maroulis’ farm stand in the winter of 2008.

At the small Otzias valley, nearby, the Maroulis family cultivates seasonal heirloom vegetables feeding the soil with manure from their sheep, goats, and hens, and saving seeds from one year to the next. Their crops depend very much on the elements, as they never use any kind of pest repellents, mainly because they don’t want to waste money; now they heard it is cool to be ‘organic’ they started to advertise it, of course. Maria, the younger daughter, proudly explains to the vacationers who stop to buy vegetables from their stand that the far from perfect tomatoes, or some strange-looking cucumbers and zucchini are better than the supermarket’s. Unfortunately, this fall’s unusually warm weather that extended the summery beach days almost completely ruined their delicious huge cabbages that I was looking forward to enjoying. They were devoured by slags and rotted; I suspect the same happened to their cauliflowers.

Our garden is hopeless, as I often repeat, with stony soil that needs lots and lots of expensive compost and manure if we want to get even a few vegetables. But greens and herbs we do manage to get, and I decided to forgo even lahanides, the old-fashioned kale-like leaves I used to plant with little success. We have never managed to get a decent cabbage, but once, a few years back, we got a couple of small, yellow and purple cauliflowers around the end of winter; they were grown from heirloom southern Italian seeds I ordered online. Unfortunately, we never managed to repeat the achievement, although we used the exact same seeds the year after.

I must admit that the old huge cauliflowers were somewhat intimidating so I don’t particularly miss them; they had less tender florets and more stems, which are fine for the gratin dish I propose, but if you love a simple salad the small ones are the best.

I often buy two cauliflowers and use for the gratin the stems from both, but only a few of the florets. The fragrant Rosemary-scented Cauliflower salad I serve steaming the florets is simple and delicious.

RECIPES:

Cauliflower Gratin with Garlic and Feta

Rosemary-scented Cauliflower salad

The post Cauliflower stories appeared first on Aglaia's Table οn Kea Cyclades.

Serves 3-4

1 head cauliflower (about 3 pounds)

Salt

The Vinaigrette:

4 tablespoons fruity olive oil

2-3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (to taste)

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard (optional)

2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary leaves

Rosemary blossoms (optional)

1 -2 tablespoons Nigella seeds

Red pepper flakes (optional)

Pare the hard stem of the cauliflower, discarding only the outer layers along with any wilted green leaves. Quarter the cauliflower, separate the florets from the stem and arrange the florets in a basket or colander that can be fitted over a pot (or a steamer, if you have one).

Place the stems in a pot and add water to cover. Sprinkle with some salt and bring to a boil. Place the florets on top, cover and steam for about 15 minutes, or until the florets are tender. The stems should be tender too. If not, boil a few minutes more.

Drain well on paper towels and transfer to a bowl.

Prepare the dressing: In a jar add the olive oil, lemon, mustard, if using, and add a good pinch of salt and pepper, as well as half the chopped rosemary leaves. Close the jar and beat to mix the sauce and pour over the warm cauliflower. Sprinkle with the rest of rosemary and the blossoms, along with the nigella seeds and red pepper flakes, if you like, and serve.

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The dressing is inspired by a recipe I got from the island of Kythera, where it was used on vlita(blanched amaranth shoots). It is a wonderful dressing for blanched broccoli, cauliflower or any kind of blanched greens.

Serves 3-4

1 pound tender green black-eyed peas, or green beans, trimmed

Salt

TOMATO VINAIGRETTE
1 garlic clove

1 small vine-ripened tomato, cored and quartered

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice, or to taste

1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

3-4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Salt and freshly ground pepper

Bring a pot of water with a good pinch of salt to a boil add green black-eyed peas or green beans and boil for 3-5 minutes, or until just tender. Be careful not to over-boil, as green black-eyed peas get stringy and mushy. Drain and pass the sieve under running water for a minute.

In the bowl of a blender add the garlic, tomato, lemon, vinegar, mustard and olive oil and pulse to get a thick sauce. Add salt and pepper, taste and adjust seasoning.

Transfer the green black-eyed peas (or beans) to a platter, pour the sauce over and toss well. Serve immediately.

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