One of the absolute classics of Greek summer, but also delicious year-round, green beans yiahni are an easy, luscious casserole of fresh beans slowly cooked in olive oil, with tomatoes, onions, potatoes and herbs. All you need is a chunk of feta and a bit of good bread to complete this wonderful vegetarian main course.
The simplest of dishes like this one, which is essentially nothing more than tomato paste mixed with capers and olive oil, rely on the best ingredients. In this case, the tomato products and capers from the volcanic terroire of Santorini, one of Greece’s most unique islands and major tourist destinations.
This classic caper topping is a signature dish of Santorini and nearby Therasia, but the combination of capers and fava is savored all over the Cyclades.
It’s difficult to choose one recipe among the many for yellow split peas throughout the Cyclades and Dodecanese. The small yellow legume is a local hero, the stuff of sustenance but also of imagination; despite its humble nature it has become the main ingredient in countless local specialties, married with herbs and spices such as […]
This is one of the best-known dishes from Syros, a meze reminiscent of Italian pesto, minus the nuts and cheese and made with parsley instead of basil. There are numerous renditions, with stale bread and potatoes or egg yolk, all of which give the dip body. Some versions also contain garlic and/or capers.
Beets and Feta are natural partners in the kitchen. I love the easy elegance and ensuing “wows” this dish inevitably inspires, using some of the most accessible ingredients available. You can buy delicious, crunchy, healthy Aegina pistachios here.
Arugula, called roka in Greek, with its peppery bite and refreshing flavor, is one of the favorite salad greens in Greek cooking. It is often paired with shaved cheese and fruit. With a drizzle of extra-virgin Greek olive oil and a splash of Greek balsamic, this salad makes the perfect foil to a rich meal, […]
Mushrooms are always an elegant addition to the table, no matter the occasion. This makes a great side dish to festive and everyday main courses. You could even serve them over Greek fava, for something extra special.
Perhaps no other combination of meat and vegetable best represents the cooking of northern Greece more than the duet of leeks and pork, which appears in pies, sausages, ground meat dishes, and main courses alike. Here is a classic meze called tigania, because it’s typically made in a tigani, or skillet. The dish can easily […]
One of the great strengths of Greek island cooking is its wealth of unusual vegetable dishes. Even banal winter vegetables such as cauliflower and potatoes are turned into tasty meals with the help of great olive oil and local tomatoes. To find some of the artisinal Greek products you’ll need to make this, visit my […]