FAVA Revuelto or Strapatsada

Tuesday June 9th, 2015Sunday July 26th, 2015 aglaia Leave a comment

I substituted my garden’s fava pods for the elegant green asparagus in David Tanis’ brilliant Spanish Asparagus Revuelto; the result is a humble, yet deliciously satisfying dish of scrambled eggs with fava and garlic.

1-fava-strapatsada1-small

2-fava-strapatsada-ingred-small

Inventive Mediterranean cooks use any seasonal vegetable, herb or green, and combine them with eggs to make frittata or froutalia —the Greek version. I am thrilled to discover revueltos, the simple Spanish stir-fry of vegetables and eggs, similar to what we call strapatsada in Greece –from the Italian uova strapazzate(scrambled eggs). (more…)

Lazarus’ Breads

Tuesday June 9th, 2015Friday April 7th, 2017 aglaia Leave a comment

On Saturday before the Holy Week, in many parts of Greece women used to bake anthropomorphic breads called ‘lazarakia’ to celebrate St Lazarus’ resurrection.

According to the old customs groups of girls called lazarines used to go around the village from home to home carrying baskets decorated with spring flowers and aromatic herbs, singing Lazarus’s carols and announcing the coming Easter feast:

“…Wake up Lazarus today is your day of joy {…}
Tomorrow is Palm Sunday and we’ll eat mackerel
but next Sunday we will feast on Easter lamb!” (more…)

Geese as Guard Dogs…

Tuesday June 9th, 2015Sunday July 26th, 2015 aglaia Leave a comment

The large and rich-flavored goose eggs are just an extra bonus!

1-goose-egg-fried-small

Our neighbor’s coop was repeatedly attacked by martens, the small European wild predators that seem to thrive on the island. Twice in the winter they have nested inside the engine of our pickup truck and we had to shower them with the hose because we couldn’t otherwise scare them enough to make them leave. They somehow manage to get into the coops, even if they are well-fenced with strong wire on all sides, and kill the chicken severing their heads. (more…)

Leftovers from the Winter Garden

Tuesday June 9th, 2015Tuesday October 13th, 2015 aglaia Leave a comment

The last of the broccoli braised with potatoes and plenty of garlic, just before we uprooted the flowering plants.

1-broccoli-potatoes-red-plate-small

Although slugs and snails feasted on our broccoli, we had quite an abundant crop this year; certainly more than we could possibly eat. I froze a couple of bags, gave to friends throughout the winter, and now that the time has come to free the space to plant zucchini and the first tomatoes, I decided to make a quick lunch with these very last sprigs. Even Costas enjoyed this extremely simple dish, although he told me he is fed up–he was never a broccoli enthusiast, anyway. (more…)

The Tradition Revisited

Tuesday June 9th, 2015Monday October 1st, 2018 aglaia Leave a comment

To follow the Greek tradition I cook bacala –salt cod– on March 25 (Annunciation day). But instead of the usual cod fritters that most people prepare, I decided to roll chard leaves around a multi-colored stuffing of fish and vegetables.

1-bacala-stuffing-ingr-small

Salt cod was called ‘mountain fish,’ or ‘poor people’s fish,’ in Greece because in the old days it was cheap and affordable all over the Mediterranean, even in the remotest villages. Imported from Norway or Iceland it has now become a kind of delicacy, especially the best pieces. In Barcelona’s spectacular Boqueria market there are many different kinds of salted cod, sold already soaked and boned. In Genoa, in the maze of the old Medieval neighborhood I came across this spectacular shop where salted cod was soaking in marble basins! (more…)