Transcript What do the Greeks eat at Summer?

What do the Greeks eat in
Summer?
Keep reading and you will find
out…
Summer…
• Crete attracts thousands of tourists every
summer because of the wonderful
beaches, the sunshine, the music and the
vivid and pleasant people as well. …
However, there are much more things that
bring visitors here. The summer food
habits of Cretan people are very
interesting and delicious .
• The weather is warm, the sun shines and the
gardens are full of miracles. Fresh and juicy
vegetables, like tomatoes, cucumbers, wild
spinaches, aubergines, and fruits such as
peaches, melons, watermelons, figs are the
main ingredients of Cretan cuisine.
• Religious celebrations are also a main
factor that determines the food habits in
Crete, in the hot months of summer. Most
of them take place during the celebration
of the Virgin Mary's Assumption, on the
15th of August.
• From the first day of August and for 14
days Christians follow severe fasting and
they don't eat any meat, fish, oil, e.t.c.
The 15th of August is a closing day,
which people honor with family
gatherings. There they eat roasted lamb
with potatoes. There is also an exception
concerning the fasting, on the 6th of
August, which is the Jesus' celebration,
and people consume fish.
• Another important summer celebration is that of
Saint Ioannis, which is also accompanied with
fasting. The older people believe that if someone
doesn't fast will be punished. However such
beliefs consist prejudices from the past.
• Despite of the religious celebrations, Cretan
people prefer eating light and delicious food with
oil during summer days. An ordinary and
favourite dish is “gemista“, vegetables filled with
rice and various spices. Gemista is often
accompanied with “dolmades”, which are
vineyard's leaves with the same filling.
• A very simple and delicious meal that we
can enjoy in summer evenings is “dakos”.
It is prepared with tomato, rusk, skim-milk
cheese and oregano.
• And of course every meal goes with cretan
wine!!
Gemista (recipe)
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6 tomatoes (for being filled)
6 green peppers (for being filled)
3 red peppers (for being filled)
3 aubergines (for being filled)
3 courgettes (for filling)
3 green peppers (for filling)
3 red peppers (for filling)
3 onions (for filling)
1/2 bunch of parsley (for filling)
mint (for filling)
salt, pepper
olive oil
2 1/2 cups with rice
1 ½ kilo of potatoes
Instructions
• Prepare the vegetables to be stuffed and reserve their pulp.
• Place the rice in a bowl.
• Add the onions, the fresh herbs, the shredded tomato or aubergine
or courgette pulp and any reserved juices or pulp, half the olive oil.
• Season with salt and pepper and mix well.
• Place the prepared vegetables in a deep baking dish, tightly packed.
• Fill each vegetable with the prepared stuffing, but only threequarters full, leaving room for the uncooked rice to expand.
• Cover with the reserved sliced round tops.
• Pour the rest of the olive oil on top of each vegetable.
• Pour into the bottom of the dish the grated fresh tomatoes, mixed
with the water, season with salt and pepper all over and bake in a
pre-heated oven, gas no. 5 (375 grades F/190 grades C), for 1.5
hours.
• Baste the vegetables at least twice, in order to keep them moist on
the top.
Grilled octapus (Htapodaki sta
Karvouna)
Ingredients:
• 4 1/2 pounds of octopus, fresh or frozen
(defrosted)
• olive oil to coat
For the sauce:
• 1/2 cup of extra virgin olive oil
• juice of 2 lemons or vinegar (about 4
tablespoons)
To garnish:
• crushed Greek oregano (rigani)
Instructions:
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Place the whole octopus (cleaned) in a pot with enough boiling water to to
cover generously. When it resumes boiling, cook for 10 minutes. Remove
from heat, and drain. When cool enough to handle, rub the octopus with
your hands under running water to remove the dark outer membrane. This
comes off fairly easily, and if it doesn't all come off, that's all right.
Place the octopus in the pressure cooker with enough water to cover. Bring
to a boil, seal, and when pressure is reached, lower the heat and cook for
10 minutes. Use quick pressure release, remove the octopus and drain.
When the octopus is cool enough to handle, cut off the tentacles, and cut
the head sac into 1/2 inch strips. Brush with olive oil (or brush the grill) and
grill over low coals for about 45 minutes to 1 hour (test for tenderness).
Just before serving, cut tentacles into 3/4 to 1 inch pieces (on a diagonal),
and make the sauce: whip the oil and lemon juice or vinegar in the blender
until it thickens (a few seconds). Pour over the octopus, sprinkle with
oregano, and serve.
Another taste: Serve grilled octopus with slices of lime.
Htapodaki sta karvouna (grilled
Octapus)
Feasts
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29th of August
We celebrate the feast of Saint John
Everybody eats fava
The History of the Fava Bean & Recipe is as old as the hills. Fava could be
found in public taverns since time began, it finally made a triumphant
entrance to the living rooms of the 'well to do'. Such is the mystery of the
delectable fava, that tracing its origin has become an impossible task.
From Bean to Lentil:The only thing we know for sure is that its name
originated from the word "favus" which is the Latin word for the broad bean.
It is known that the fava dish was originally made with the broad bean. And
that much later on, the broad bean was replaced with an easier version, the
yellow shelled lentil.
Particularly tasty, (and hard to find as well as expensive) is the fava of
Santorini, used by the locals as Italians use pasta. We are talking about a
basic food which is served is various different ways, depending on the time
of year.
Summer fava is made with red sauce capers and is named 'married'. Winter
fava is sauted with fried 'kabourma' (smoked pork).
Fava
• Ingredients
• 1 cup of fava to 2 - 2 1/2 cups water
approximately
• 1 1/2 small onion
• extra olive oil
• 1/2 a lemon
• salt
Instructions:
• wash the fava lentils well
• set to boil in a large non-stick cooking pot, (mediumheat) adding
enough water to create a thick paste.
• keep checking in case the fava has dried out
half way though cooking time add a roughly chopped
• small onion & 2 tablespoons of olive oil (optional)
• salt to taste
• when the fava is cooked, remove from fire & allow to cool
• blend or mash the mixture well
scoop the amount you want into a serving dish
• place the remainder of the mix in the fridge to use later
• SERVE with an extra lashing of olive oil, half a squeezed fresh
lemon & 1/2 a roughly chopped onion to dress
• Fava dip can be served warm or cold
Tomato & Feta Salad
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For 4 servings you need:
4 medium organic tomatoes
1 cup feta crumbled
some fresh oregano
freshly grounded pepper
some extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
• In a bowl, place the tomatoes cut into bite
sizes.
• Add the feta and sprinkle some pepper
and oregano.
• Sprinkle some olive oil on top.
• To get the best taste from the fresh
oregano, put the leaves under some hot
water before chopping them (it releases
the oils).
Classic Cous Cous Salad
INGREDIENTS
• 4 fl oz (125ml) olive oil
• 8 fl oz (250ml) luke warm/tepid water
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1 and half teaspoons of dry yeast ,1 lb (450g)
whole meal flour
• 1 teaspoon of sea salt ,2 onions finely chopped
• 10 pitted olives ,1 tablespoon rosemary
INSTRUCTIONS
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1) Place water in a bowl and add honey, stir until
dissolved
2) Add the yeast, set aside for 10/15 minutes until foamy
3) Add in 3 tablespoons of olive oil, mix and add salt
4) Sift half of the flour into a bowl
5) Make a well in the center and add the yeast mixture,sift in
remaining flour or enough to make a firm dough
6) Turn out onto lightly floured board, knead for 10 min.
7) Knead into a firm dough
8) Set aside to rise for 2-3 hours, until double in size
9) Add 3 tablespoons of olive oil to a pan, heat
10) Add the onions and fry over low heat until golden, set aside
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11) Add the olives to boiling water and blanch for a few
seconds
12) Drain olives and pat dry with paper towel, finely chop
13) Add olives and rosemary to onions, and toss together
14) Add to dough and knead for 1/2 min. make into a rounded
mound
15) Grease a baking tray with olive oil, flatten dough on
the tray
16) Cover lightly with a towel and set aside for 1 hour
17) Preheat oven to (190°C), (375°F),(Gas Mark 5)
18) Bake for 10 minutes, reduce oven to (180°C), (375°F),
(Gas Mark 4)
19) Coat with olive oil and bake for 30 minutes until golden
Thanks for watching…
Made by:
Tania Ginevraki
Klio Voutsadaki
Debbie Kontoroucha