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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But even in this wintry weather certain plants thrive, triumphantly marking the beginning of spring.  

Most of the flowers this time of year are yellow, and only our favas break the rule with their delicate whitish blossoms.

Next to them, native to Greece but easily cultivated all over the world, grows Cheiranthus cheiri, a kind of wallflower that thrives in rocky areas. We have the yellow brown version with its discreet sweet scent that some find reminiscent of anise or vanilla.  

Our very aromatic irises are yellow too, as are the blooms of the huge Euphorbia dendroides that fills the southern slopes of Kea, along with the imposing Ferula communis that reaches the blue of the clear windy skies up above.  

The rhizome Asplenium ceterach sprouts out from slots in the calcareous rocks and stonewalls of our property.  Not impressive but with a strong character, you can admire their unassuming presence only if you know where to look for them.  

Next to it, the tiny fern Allosurus acrosticus gently unfolds its new stalks.  They will dry up in the hot summer months, and with the first rains and the return of humidity they will become green again, impressing us with their inconspicuous grace.

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Of course, I made quite a few changes, using local green olives instead of the black from Provence, and scallions, instead of the chives that are not available here. As I always do, I substituted olive oil for the butter, and grated aged graviera cheese for the parmesan, I increased the amount of pine nuts and sunflower seeds and added rosemary which gave a lovely aroma to the cake.

I baked it in a pan with a hole in the center, but you can of course use a loaf pan, or a simple round 8-inch pan. This meze cake is best slightly warm, or just cooled.

At least 8 generous appetizer pieces

2 cups (250 grams) all-purpose flour

1 ½ teaspoon baking powder

½ cup olive oil

5 eggs, lightly beaten to mix

1/3 cup white wine

150 grams grated parmesan, or aged graviera or cheddar

About 1 cup (180 grams) pitted, sliced green olives –you can use black, if you like

5 scallions, white plus most of the green, finely chopped

1 small red pickled pepper chopped (optional)

About 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary leaves, or more, to taste

1/3 cup (about 50 grams) toasted pine nuts

½ cup sunflower seeds

Line the pan you intend to use with parchment paper. And preheat the oven to 375 F (200 C).

In a bowl toss the flour with the baking powder. Add the olive oil, the eggs and the wine and stir with a wooden spoon or spatula, just to incorporate.

Add the cheese, the olives, the scallions, and the pepper, if using, along with the rosemary. Keep some pine nuts to top the cake and add rest to the mix, along with the sunflower seeds. Stir a few times to mix all the ingredients together, and transfer to the prepared pan.

Even the top with a spatula, sprinkle with the reserved pine nuts, and bake for about 35 minutes or more, testing with a knife to see if it is done, as you do with the sweet cakes.

Let cool on a rack for 10-15 minutes, before unmolding and cutting to serve. This meze cake is best slightly warm, or just cooled. But you can wrap the leftover in plastic wrap and refrigerate, then warm a bit in a low oven covered with parchment paper.

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Now that strawberries appeared in the market,  I adapted Darra’s basic recipe for this early spring fruit.

For a 9-inch round cake –or equivalent square, or 1 large or 2 small loaves 

700 grams strawberries, stemmed and sliced, plus a few more for decoration the cake

Olive oil for rubbing the pan

1 cup coarsely chopped almonds

4 eggs

1 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon sea salt (or kosher salt)

1 tablespoon vanilla essence

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cup raisins

Grand Marnier Liqueur (optional)

Strawberry jam (optional) 

Coarsely chopped pistachios

Place the rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350F degrees (180 C).

Line with parchment paper the pan (or pans) that you will use for the cake, and lightly rub with olive oil, then sprinkle with half the almonds.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, or in a large bowl if using a handheld mixer, beat the eggs, sugar and salt on medium-high speed until thick and pale yellow, about 5 minutes. Beat in the vanilla extract.

Gradually add the flour into the egg mixture, and gently fold with a spatula until just combined and no flour streaks remain. The batter will be quite thick.

Mix the sliced strawberries with the raisins and the rest of the almonds.

Spread half the strawberries in an even, compact layer at the bottom of the pan. Cover with half the batter and use an offset spatula to spread the batter evenly over the fruit. Repeat with the remaining strawberry and batter. Gently tap the pan a few times against the counter to get rid of air bubbles, and transfer to the oven.

Bake for about 50 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out almost clean and the top of cake is golden brown.

Let the cake cool in the pan for about 10-15 minutes, then gently run a knife around the perimeter to loosen and carefully invert the pan on a platter and let cool completely. 

Sprinkle with some liqueur and then spread a layer of strawberry jam over the cake, if you like. Decorate with the reserved strawberries and sprinkle with pistachios before cutting to serve.

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In Israel you will most often find the vivid pink ‘borani’, made with beets and beet greens instead of spinach (see variation). 

As an alternative to the traditional pita bread, I prefer to spread it on toasted whole wheat or multi-grain bread, rubbed with a clove of garlic.

It can also be a side dish, accompanying poached or grilled fish or chicken.

Makes about 3 cups.

1 1/2 pounds spinach leaves, washed and coarsely chopped

1 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

½ cup cilantro chopped

3 cups thick yogurt

2-3 garlic cloves, minced, to taste

1-3 jalapeňos, finely chopped

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1/2 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped (optional)

Borage flowers, and mint (optional) 

Place the spinach in a saucepan over high heat, cover, and let it wilt without adding more water than what clings on the leaves. It needs only 2 to 3 minutes. Toss once or twice while cooking, and be careful not to let it burn. Remove the spinach from the heat, place in a colander, and let cool and drain. Press with your hands to remove as much liquid as possible. Chop finely.

In a bowl, combine the spinach with the parsley, cilantro, yogurt, garlic, and chilies, stirring well. Add a little salt and taste. Adjust seasoning with more salt and a little black pepper. Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or overnight.

Spread on toasts, sprinkle with walnuts and serve as an appetizer, or transfer to a serving dish and sprinkle with walnuts, or decorate with borage flowers and mint.

VARIATION:

Pink Borani with Beets

Dice 4-5 large cooked and peeled beets (together with their cooked stems and greens, if you like) and mix with the garlic, yogurt and jalapenos (as above).

Omit the parsley and cilantro, and flavor with ½ cup chopped dill, some chopped fresh mint, and the zest of ½ lemon. Sprinkle with sumac, if you like. 

I add 2-3 tablespoon lemon juice, as beets are quite sweet for my taste, but you may not agree with me…

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As I was writing this, I remembered another carrot salad, that one a classic from North Africa: The Tunisian Carrot Salad is also laced with lots of lemon juice, and unexpectedly scented with caraway seeds. Dietician will tell you that lemon makes you absorb all the wonderful nutrients of carrots; but this is an added bonus to the really brilliant combination of sweet and sour, that we, in the Mediterranean, adore!

Note the beautiful stoneware ceramic bowl my dear friend Hara Bahariou has created. I am so happy to have many of her exquisite creations in which I serve my dishes; makes such difference at the table!

Serves 4-6

1 ½ pounds carrots (about 6-7) peeled and very thinly sliced, preferably in the mandolin –very carefully!

1 small thick-skinned lemon, most outer peel removed with potato-peeler, then halved, seeded, and thinly sliced

About 4 tablespoons lemon juice, and maybe more for the dressing

½-1 teaspoon salt, to taste

1 teaspoon coarsely ground fennel seeds (in a mortar)

1 medium-small finocchio, outer leaves removed (frozen for soups and broths) thinly sliced

2 cups coarsely shredded iceberg lettuce

2 – 3 cups arugula, preferably baby arugula, coarsely chopped

A handful fresh mint leaves

DRESSING:

The lemon marinade

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard –or more, to taste

2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses

1-2 teaspoons honey, to taste

1/3 cup very fruity olive oil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

In a glass or stainless-steel bowl that holds them snugly, toss the carrot and lemon slices with salt, lemon juice, and the fennel seeds. Mix well, preferably with your fingers, then cover with plastic wrap and let marinate for at least 1 hour on the counter; if you have time, it is best to let the carrots marinate overnight in the refrigerator.

When ready to serve the salad, drain the carrots and lemon slices, reserving the juice, and transfer to a nice salad bowl, adding the finocchio, iceberg lettuce, arugula, and mint leaves, coarsely torn –reserve a few for garnish.

In a bowl whip the marinade juices with mustard, molasses, 1 teaspoon honey, some pepper, and the olive oil; taste and add more honey, salt and pepper, as needed.

Pour the dressing over the salad and toss well to mix. Decorate with mint leaves and serve.

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

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.

Ubiquitous all over Greece and on Kea, the pale yellow mustard greens’ blossoms, add a delicious kick to the salad, while the pink rose geranium, and the purple rosemary blossoms and sprigs add extra fragrance to the crunchy greens and herbs. 

It’s important to cut the greens at the last moment and to slice them very thin. If they are coarsely cut, the salad will taste different.

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! 

RECIPE:  Green, Winter Salad, and the Flowery, Spring Version

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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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If you would like to make this a main course add some olive-oil-fried eggs.

Serves 4-5 as first course or side-dish

About 1/4 cup fruity olive oil, divided

1 pound thin asparagus trimmed –chop the hard base and freeze, to use in Green Pasta

2 medium red bell peppers, preferably long

2 medium zucchini cut in 1/4-inch (0.5 cm) slices

Finishing salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

1-2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme (optional)

Start by halving and seeding two medium red sweet peppers, preferably long. Cut in 1/4 inch strips and fry in the a smell skillet with the olive oil, until tender, and just starting to char. Remove with tongs and keep the strips warm on kitchen towel.

Add the pepper-oil to the larger skillet where you will grill/fry the asparagus and warm in medium-high heat. Lay the zucchini slices on the skillet, cover with parchment paper and a piece of aluminum foil. Lay a pot lid over to press the slices in place. Cook for about 5 minutes or a bit more, until brown spot form on the slices. Turn and cook on the other side; remove with tongs, spring with salt and keep warm. 

Add the rest of the pepper oil to the skillet and lay the asparagus on it, turning to oil them on all sides. Cover with parchment paper and a piece of aluminum foil; lay a pot lid over, to press the slices in place. Cook for about 5-6 minutes or a bit more, and turn with tongs when brown spots form on the bottom side of the asparagus. Cover again and cook for another 4-5 minutes, until done.

Serve on a platter along with the zucchini and peppers, sprinkling with finishing salt and freshly ground pepper, and with fresh thyme, if you like. 

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