Makes 4 meze servings
12 zucchini or squash blossoms (see note)
2 ounces feta cheese, cut into 12 pieces
12 large fresh mint leaves, plus 1-2 sprigs for garnish
Batter (more…)
Recipes
Pickled Tsagala (Green Almonds)
You need tiny green almonds that are crunchy but tender —before their shells have started to harden. My marinade is sour-sweet (agro-dolce). inspired by the pickling-liquid Italians in Liguria use for their tiny unripe peaches, which look and taste very much like green almonds.
Makes two 1/2 pint jars (more…)
Rice and Herb Stuffed Grape Leaves (Dolmades Nistisimi)
Most Greek women use fresh or home frozen grape leaves and this makes all the difference. During our spring and early summer Keartisanal cooking classes we pick them from the garden. This is one of the very first dishes we cooked together with our guests when we started our programs on Kea and it is still one of our guests’ favorite; much like all over the Eastern Mediterranean, this is often prepared by a group of family and friends, as it is somewhat time consuming.
The vine leaves toughen as the days get hotter, though, so later in the summer we use our home-frozen ones which work equally well. If you can get hold of even a few fresh grape leaves, use them as flavoring, placing them between the dolmades. Fresh leaves need to be blanched for about 3-5 minutes, while frozen tender leaves can be used directly after thawing, or need to be blanched just for a few seconds.
Make the dolmades one or two days in advance, let them cool in the pot, and then store in the fridge. They taste better the next day.
To serve 8-10 as an appetizer
Fried Olives with Onions (Elies Tiganites me Kremydi)
Serves 8-10
1 pound black salt-cured Greek olives, (‘throumbes’, often called ‘Thassos’ in the US) or juicy black olives, such as Pelion
Olive oil for sautéing
1 large purple onion, sliced
1 tablespoon rosemary leaves, or a mixture of dried oregano and thyme
Fresh whole-wheat or toasted bread slices, to serve
Slices of Manouri or Ricotta Salata cheese, to serve (optional)
