Black-Eyed Pea, Ground Lamb, and Chard Stew

Tuesday June 9th, 2015Monday December 28th, 2020 aglaia 1 Comment

The one-pot meals of the eastern Mediterranean ingeniously combine seasonal vegetables, herbs, and greens with small amounts of meat to create delicious dishes that seem to be designed by a modern nutritionist.

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Photo by Anastasios Mentis.

Aifer Unsal calls this stew borani—not to be confused with the vegetable and yogurt salads with the same name in the Middle East. Aifer is an outstanding cook and food writer from the Gaziantep—the part of southern Turkey that borders Syria. Apparently the Turkish term borani is used for various stews and salads. This recipe is my adaptation of Aifer Unsal’s borani, from the book Délices de Turquie, which has been translated into many European languages, including Greek.

Makes 4 servings

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Patatopita, Potato Pie

Tuesday June 9th, 2015Monday January 18th, 2021 aglaia 2 Comments

Based on Athanasia Moraitis’, my late mother in law’s, recipe, which, according to Costas was a dish his grandmother taught his mother to make. It resembles Gratin Dauphinois, or a potato frittata with olive oil and feta cheese. It is addictive and because we cannot stop eating it, we don’t make it often…

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Serves 8-10

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Patates Riganates – Roasted Potatoes with Garlic, Lemon and Oregano

Tuesday June 9th, 2015Monday January 18th, 2021 aglaia 1 Comment

Few people can resist these potatoes, which are capable of stealing the show from any food they accompany, even from the roasted lamb —so make sure you have plenty for seconds. Although it is served all over Greece, this dish is particularly good on islands like Naxos, or here on Kea, where the local potatoes have exceptional flavor.

Adapted from Foods of the Greek Islands (Houghton Mifflin)

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On the special days when a leg of lamb or a chicken is roasted, the potatoes may also be cooked in its juices. If you want to cook this dish using small potatoes there is no need to peel them, but I suggest that you halve them, because they taste best when they can absorb the sauce.

Makes 4 to 6 servings

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Nettle Soup with Mushrooms and Yogurt

Tuesday June 9th, 2015Sunday August 7th, 2022 aglaia Leave a comment

Traditional nettle soup from the north of Greece is thick and creamy with a fair amount of toasted flour to make it a nourishing winter dish. I prefer this much lighter first course which can be served cold in the summer, if you keep wilted nettles in your freezer, as I do. If nettles are not available, make the soup with just the outer leaves of Romaine lettuce, some spinach leaves, and plenty of parsley.

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Serves 4-6

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Potato and Olive Stew in Tomato Sauce (Patates Yahni me Elies)

Tuesday June 9th, 2015Tuesday February 2nd, 2021 aglaia Leave a comment

In a rich tomato sauce scented with bay leaves, this simple vegan dish is part of the traditional Greek foods we cook during Lent, hence the late, brilliant Martin Brigdale chose to photograph it at Meteora, the breathtaking site in Central Greece for my first book The Foods of Greece.

Serves 2 as main course, and 4 as side dish

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