Fava, Parsley and Lemon Spaghetti

Saturday April 9th, 2022Saturday April 9th, 2022 aglaia Leave a comment

A fast, plant-based pasta dish that we cannot stop eating these days. I cooked the spaghetti first, al dente, the traditional way, then added it to the briefly braised fava pods flavored with onion, garlic, lemon juice, and plenty of wonderful parsley that we happen to have in the garden.

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 (more…)

Spring’s Cold Beginning

Monday March 21st, 2022Friday April 8th, 2022 aglaia Leave a comment

Although we passed the spring equinox, it still feels like we are in the heart of winter. Northern winds bring a humid cold to the Aegean, and it is expected to last into the end of March.

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. (more…)

Savory Cake (or quick bread) with Olives, Cheese, and Pine Nuts

Friday March 18th, 2022Friday March 18th, 2022 aglaia Leave a comment

This is a quite lovely meze-cake to enjoy in the garden, accompanied by crisp white or rose wine in the first sunny spring days. On this olivewood stand that I asked our friend, the brilliant wood-carver Panos to make for me the cake looks even more sumptuous. The basic idea comes from Les Cahiers de Delphine, the always interesting weekly newsletter.

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 (more…)

Strawberry Cake with Raisins and Almonds

Thursday March 17th, 2022Thursday March 17th, 2022 aglaia Leave a comment

This is my new, spring version of our beloved Quince Cake that started from a recipe of an apple cake/sharlotka by Darra Goldstein. This very easy, wonderful cake has become our go-to winter treat and I was making it all the time.

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 (more…)

Yogurt, Spinach, Parsley & Beet Salad (borani)

Wednesday March 9th, 2022Tuesday May 3rd, 2022 aglaia Leave a comment

In this recipe both cooked spinach and fresh parsley and cilantro are mixed together. It is my adaptation of an Armenian dish.

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

beet-yogurt

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. (more…)