Thyme Scented Mushrooms (Αρωματικά μανιτάρια με θυμάρι)

Greeks take pride in serving up quality appetizers/mezedes for their friends and relatives. Like most of you, we are in full festive season gear with friends dropping by and dropping in on friends.

One thing you'll notice about the hospitality of the Greeks is that one never gets the sense of being rushed.

In good mood? Pull up a seat, let me whip up a couple of appetizers and let's have a few drinks...let's share your infectious good mood.

In the dumps? What better than to vent, discuss, analyze what's got you down, what's pissing you off.

Regardless of the situation..."mi casa, sou casa"...make yourself at home and never feel (or act) like a stranger in a Greek's home.

Greeks love to talk. Greeks love to eat and often some kind of fuel is required. That is to say some alcohol! Greek wine is now thoroughly enjoyed at the Greek table but the Anise-flavoured Ouzo still gets fair use and regional homebrews of Raki, Tsipouro and Tsikoudia or in Cyprus, Zivania also fill up our glasses (and egos)!

I think many of us are over-thinking appetizers - making them too complicated. There's nothing wrong with hosting a more formal dinner but let's not get carried away and start prepping the type of appetizers one would find in a hotel.

Conversely, I cringe at the sight and taste of those processed, frozen & baked, "I'm too lazy to whip up a few appetizers for my guests" -type of commercial appetizer.

Instructions:
"Keep frozen until use, place on a baking sheet and pre-heat oven and bake for 15 minutes"

OR

"Set your microwave to high and cook for 5 minutes"

YIKES!

Here's a simple rule to follow when making appetizers...offer a few, make'em simple, make them well.

Today we're going to nibble on mushrooms. Mushrooms are a food item I've enjoyed since a child...always liked them - always will.

I recently ordered a new Greek cookbook from Dimitra Vergou titled "Mushrooms - From the Forest to the Kitchen.

Dimitra is from the northern Prefecture of Grevena and although mushrooms can be found all over Greece, Grevena is considered the "capital" of Greece's mushroom industry.

As far as I know, this book is only available in Greek but if it sells well, perhaps an English edition will be published.

In the meantime, I patiently await the arrival of my new cookbook but in the meantime, allow me to share a simple, deliciois side dise and meze of mushrooms.

Remember...keep them simple but do it well!

Thyme Scented Mushrooms (Αρωματικά μανιτάρια με θυμάρι)

4 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 tsp. fresh ground pepper
3 bay leaves
1 Tbsp. good red wine vinegar
12 oz. of button mushrooms, halved
3 sprigs of fresh thyme
coarse sea salt to taste
1 Tbsp. of water (optional)

1. In a small, heavy saucepan, combine half the olive oil, the ground pepper, bayleaves and half the vinegar and warm over very low heat.
2. Now add the mushrooms, some salt and 2 sprigs of thyme and holding lid in place, shake the pan to swirl and coat all the mushrooms. Continue simmering the mushrooms in their own juices for about 10 minutes or until they just start changing colour.
3. Stir occasionally and if too try, add some water into the mix.
4. Add the remaining vinegar and olive oil and and set aside for another hour. Adjust seasoning with sea salt and serve with a sprig of thyme as a garnish and serve with some bread and a glass of Greek wine or my current fave...Tsipouro.
   

Roasted Red Pepper and Potato Salad (Πατατοσαλάτα με πιπεριές Φλωρίνης)

I hope you enjoyed my travel and food journey through New York over the past couple of weeks. There have been many times since my return where I wished I could jet off each weekend, see some new friends again and sample more of the city's great food.

I'm thinking New York could become a yearly thing and I have some ideas for the next time! I have one more (final) post to add about my New York stay but I'll delay that one for a bit as I'm kinda hungry to get back into my regular blogging step.

I'm most comfortable creating or trying new dishes, photographing it (quickly as possible as my food photo subjects are also meal subjects) and ultimately sharing the dish with you.

This dish involves two of my favourite ingredients...potatoes and red peppers. Potatoes are filing, potatoes taste great and potatoes are versatile. Potatoes can be boiled, friend, baked, steamed and used in both sweet and savory dishes.

Peppers...Oh how do I love thee pepper. As the son of two parents from the northern Greek prefecture of Florina, it's almost by default that I would adore peppers. Greeks by and large enjoy peppers but I think the Greeks in the north love them just a little bit more.

My dad will have peppers in some form or the other in his meal. My father also has a thing for hot peppers. We're not talking spicy but hot, blow your head-off, speaking in tongues /I think I see God kinda-hot.

I had an uncle who was so enamored with peppers (especially hot ones) that he would bring small chilis with to a wedding reception and snip some into his banquet dinner!

Red peppers all across Greece are referred to as "Πιπεριές Φλωρίνης" or "Florina Peppers. Yes folks, we're that fond of peppers that the red ones are associated with the Prefecture of Florina!

As most of your will agree, tomatoes around this time of suck. Well, most of them. Here in Canada, we have quite the hot-house industry for growing vegetables indoors and I even saw some imported Ontario "on the vine" tomatoes at Whole Foods in New York!

I usually stick with cherry tomatoes in the winter as they are the only option for anything with taste but don't give up - there's an alternative....make the red pepper your winter tomato!

Red peppers have more vitamin C than an orange and so on a health aspect, you want red peppers in your winter diet and some of you might even have a phobia about scurvy. Eat red peppers!

The best way to roast red peppers is on a gas or charcoal grill. Us Canadians are crazy that way (we'll grill all year 'round) but we're also realists....standing for hours charring peppers is a sure way to get sick.

Each September, my family roasts bushels of sweet and hot peppers for the long Canadian winter. If your don't have a charcoal or gas grill, use your stovetop to char your peppers but be prepared for a hearty post-charring clean-up...it will be messy.

Bushels of peppers get charred/blackened on the grill and then they are placed on a large tray and covered so that they can "sweat" before being preserved.

My family's favourite method for preserving roasted peppers is to freeze them. In one of my earliest blog posts, I go into detail on how we do this but the short story is...bag them in zip-lock bags and freeze them for up to the next summer.

When you freeze your peppers, leave the charred skins on. The skins will provide added protection to your peppers from freezer burn and when thawed, the skins peel off rather easily, leaving you with perfectly roasted peppers that are ready for a salad or side dish as part of your winter meal.

Today, I'm going to show you one of my favourite combos, that is to say roasted red peppers and boiled potatoes. Here, I've also added some roasted red garlic, extra-virgin olive oil, chopped fresh chives, parsley and briny capers.

Roasted Red Pepper and Potato Salad (Πατατοσαλάτα με πιπεριές Φλωρίνης)
(for 2 or as a side dish)

1 large Yukon Gold potato
1 large red bell pepper, skins peeled and cut into ribbons
3 cloves of roasted garlic
(or 1 raw clove)
1 Tbsp. capers
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
1 Tbsp. chopped chives
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
red wine vinegar (optional)
sea salt
fresh ground pepper

1. Place a small pot of water on your stovetop and bring to a boil. Add some salt to the boiling water and carefully place the potato (with skin on) into the water and reduce heat to medium and boil until fork tender. Place under to cold water to cool the potato until you're able to comfortably handle the potato (you still want it to be warm).
2. Using the dull side of a knife, peel of the skin of the potato. Now carefully slice your potato into slices and set aside.
3. Wrap each slice of potato with a ribbon of roasted pepper and plate in a circular, overlapping pattern.
4. In a small bowl, add roasted garlic and mash it into a paste with a fork. Now add the olive oil and whisk the two ingredients until blended.
5. Sprinkle some sea salt over your roasted red pepper and potato salad and pour the olive oil and garlic mixture over the salad.
6. Grind some fresh black pepper over the salad, garnish with chopped fresh parsley, chives and capers and drizzle a little wine vinegar (optional) as a finishing touch.
7. Serve with grilled or fried fish or some good, homemade sausages.
   

Artichoke Pie (Ταβερνίσια αγκιναρόπιτα της Τήνου)

Another island in the Cyclades of Greece is Tinos. Tinos is the island just before reaching party-central Mykonos.

The contrast in vacationers that attend both islands is that of the late nights of Mykonos, loud thumping Techno & House and all-nighters and the more normal Tinos with vacationers seeking the beach, idlyllic town life, a fine taverna and it's popular religious attraction of Church of Panagia (Virgin Mary).

One of the holiest days in the Greek-Orthodox calendar is August 15th and many pilgrims visit Tinos to crawl up it's long incline of steps in hopes of being one of the blessed with a miracle from the icon of Panagia.

Tinos is also famous for it's artichokes and in keeping with the Greeks' natural ingenuity, taverna owners have come up with creative ways to showcase this local produce in an array of dishes.

I found an interesting recipe from Diane Kochilias who has written many cookbooks on Greek and Mediterranean cuisine.

She describes this dish as being inspired by the taverna owners' many renditions of their Artichoke pie. The Greek island of Kefallonia (on the Ionian side of Greece) also has their own Artichoke pie but we'll chat about that another time.

This dish stood out for me because one of the main ingredients here is bread slices. I have a feeling the origins of this dish are very peasant and in keeping with the Greek tradition of stretching your ingredients to utmost limit.

I'm sure day-old bread was used to make Artichoke Pie (you can too) but I've found that lighter, less dense bread works best here for absorbing moisture and flavour in the end result.

In this dish I used preserved, jarred artichoke hearts, some grated Graviera cheese (sheep's milk Grueyere), Bechamel sauce and some fresh thyme.

This dish is easy, great offering for a buffet, part of a light lunch or serve a wedge as a snack. It also came in handy as I was able to use up a jar of artichokes staring at me in the fridge and it hit the spot for wanting a light lunch with a salad on the side.

Artichoke Pie (Ταβερνίσια αγκιναρόπιτα της Τήνου)

a buttered 13X9X2" bakiing dish
1/4 cup olive oil
3 large onions, diced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 large loaf of rustic bread, crust removed & cut into thick slices
2 tsp. of fresh thyme
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground black pepper
approx. dozen artichoke hearts, cut into bite-sized pieces (poached if fresh, I used jarred)
1 1/2 grated Graviera cheese (Gruyere is fine)
3 cups of Bechamel Sauce (or 1/2 of my recipe)
thyme sprigs for garnish

1. Melt the olive oil in a large skillet and add your onions and garlic and saute over medium-low heat for about 20-30 minutes or until soft and translucent. Add your fresh thyme and season with salt and pepper. Allow to cool and set aside.
2. Pre-heat your oven to 400F. Now make your Bechamel sauce as per my instructions with the 1 cup of grated Graviera and set aside and keep warm.
   
3. Spoon some Bechamel Sauce on the bottom of the baking dish and lay your first layer of bread slices. Now spoon half of your sauteed onions over the bread, followed by half the artichoke pieces, some Bechamel sauce and some grated cheese. Repeat with the remaining ingredients in the same order.
4. Bake until tender and the top is golden-brown, about 30-40 minutes. Allow to cool slightly, slice into portioned squares and serve.
   

Thanksgivin' Fixins'

One of the great things about hosting a special meal is that attention to the side dishes is given and people always talk & ask about those recipes.

"What's in the potatoes? How did you make the sauce? What spices did you use?"

All those questions will be answered here.

First up was the mashed celery root and potatoes with butter milk and thyme. Celery root is a vegetable used alot in Europe and from speaking to relatives, it's enjoyed in the winter by Greeks as well.

When considering using celery root in mashed form, you have to add some starch, otherwise the dish will just be runny. Potatoes come to the rescue, acting as the binder, a whole head of roasted garlic heightens the dish, butter milk (another Greek favourite) gives the dish a tangy bottom and fresh thyme and chives round out the flavour.

The other side dish that figured prominently in the dinner was the roasted root vegetables. Your choice of vegetables is according to your tastes but I chose a mix of butternut squash, carrots, turnips and parsnips with some baby onions to finish the mix.

The key to this dish was the fresh sage and spices. I used my coffee, er spice grinder to help create a blend of fennel seeds, cinnamon nutmeg and then added the chopped fresh sage.

I tossed the veggies in olive oil, seasoned with salt and pepper and tossed the spices to coat all the veggies.

Besides the aroma of the roasting turkey, the smell of these root vegetables roasting away in a blanket of aromatic spices had my guests entering the kitchen and eventually, tasting the piping hot root vegetables...they smelled & tasted that good!

Finally, what's a Thanksgiving without cranberry sauce? Cranberries are native to North America but here I injected some Greek ingredients in keeping with the Hellenic theme.

Making your own cranberry sauce is easy. One only has to add some liquid (I used orange juice), some sugar, orange zest and I spiked it with grated ginger and a pinch of ground cloves.

The aroma and flavour kept my guests guessing and this sauce was a natural pairing with the roasted turkey.

Stay tuned, tomorrow I'll present the Bougatsa with poached quince and almonds.

Warm Green Bean Salad (αμπελοφάσουλα)

For those not in the know, today is Thanksgiving Day here in Canada and it's Columbus Day in much of the US. You might find blogging traffic a little slower and these two holidays are probably part of that absence today.

Regardless, I find myself wanting to share more food and travel experiences from my recent trip to Greece.

You will recall that I visited the island of Sifnos and that as a food enthusiast, one of the criterion I chose when picking a travel destination is it's food.

Sifnos did not disappoint. I had one of my most memorable meals on the last night of my stay in the island.

Picture this:

I had just finished a full tan of swimming and tanning, I had a light lunch and for those that swim alot will know that one's appetite is increased after a good swim.

I plopped myself into the seat of a seaside taverna, covered to protect us from still hot sun, Greek music playing in the background, the sounds of other Greeks eating, cracking jokes and dreading their return to the city.

I order grilled & stuffed calamari, a baked feta with tomato and hot peppers and I had ordered a plate of vlita. Al this would be accompanied by the day's fresh baked bread and a carafe of Tsipouro (raki).

The waiter-dude comes back and tells me there's no more vlita but that I should try the "αμπελοφάσουλα" or, warm bean salad. "It's good with seafood", he assures me.

Myself, tired and hungry - I comply.

This one of food's weird, surprising and most enjoyable food finds. It's so simple yet when the ingredients are fresh, the easy preparation only heightens the taste and overall eating experience.

Essentially, this warm bean salad is boiled in salted water to an "al dente"stage, it's then shocked in an ice bath (to retain it's vibrant green colour) but strained quickly enough to keep the beans very warm.

In my research, this warm bean salad is served with Skordalia - a Greek aioli if you will. In my instance, it was served warm, obviously tasting of lots of garlic, tossed in extra virgin olive and fresh lemon juice and seasoned with sea salt.

Vlita or boiled wild greens are a favourite accompaniment for many Greeks but "ampelofasoula" will give them a run for their money.

That last dinner in Sifnos was most memorable and I'd have to say this warm bean salad was truly the highlight for me.

Warm Green Bean Salad (αμπελοφάσουλα)

Approx. 1lb. of green beans, trimmed
3 cloves of roasted garlic
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
juice of 1/2 lemon sea salt
black pepper

1. Take a whole bulb of garlic and just cut the top off with a knife. Place inside some aluminum foil, drizzle with olive oil, wrap it up with foil and place in a pre-heated 400F for 30-40 minutes. You now have roasted garlic - reserve.
2. Place a large pot of water on your stove top and bring to a boil. Add a good amount of salt and drop your green beans inside. From the time the water returns to a boil, count 5 minutes and your beans are done. Blanch in an ice bath or pass under cold water but you still want to keep the beans warm. Strain and place in a large bowl
   
3. Add 3 cloves of roasted garlic with the beans, along with the olive oil and lemon juice. Toss to coat and adjust seasoning with salt & pepper.
4. Serve warm as a side dish to your favourite seafood.

Fennel Gratin

In keeping with the maxim that one should use up an entire ingredient, I also made a potato & fennel gratin with the my leftover fennel from the latest Royal Foodie Joust.

I've grown to really like fennel and I've also learned it mellows when cooked or sliced/shaved thinly.

I used Ina Garten's gratin as a reference but if you compare the two, I've taken quite a few departures.

I've added thyme into the mix, kept the skins on the potatoes, used Yukon Golds and rather than mix the gratin ingredients in a bowl, I layered the filling so as to have a more evenly distributed final dish.

If trying fennel in a potato gratin for the first time, don't tell anyone else what's in it. Your family or guests will love the flavour but won't exactly be able to pinpoint the ingredient. Fennel mellows when cooked and in a very nice way.

Potato & Fennel Gratin

2 small fennel bulbs
1 medium-to large onion, sliced
1/4 cup olive oil
2 lbs. Yukon Gold potatoes
1 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1 cup cream
1 cup whole milk
4 sprigs of thyme
2 1/2 cups grated Gruyere cheese
(1/2 cup reserved for topping)
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground black pepper

Pre-heated 375F oven

1. Butter the inside of a 10 X 15 X 2" baking dish
2. Remove the stalks of the fennel and the bulbs in half. Remove the cores and thinly slice the bubs crosswise (making approx. 4 cups). Saute the fennel and onions in the olive oil and butter on medium-low heat for about 15 minutes or until soft and translucent. Reserve.
3. Using a mandoline, thinly slice your potatoes and mix them in a bowl with your cream, milk and fresh thyme. Arrange an alternating layer of potatoes and then some onion & fennel, sprinkling a bit of salt and pepper and then some grated cheese. Repeat potato layer, onion and fennel, salt and pepper then grated cheese.
4. Pour enough of the cream/milk mixture to just cover the gratin and then press down to smooth the potatoes. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup of Gruyere on top and finally your bread crumbs.
5. Bake for 90 minutes, until the potatoes re very tender and is browned and bubbling. Allow to rest for 10-15 minutes before serving.
   

Caper Salad (Καππαροσαλάτα)

I had every intention of writing and sharing about my vacation and food experiences in chronological order but it's my prerogative to change my mind. This is a food blog afterall...no place here for orderly behaviour!

This year I visited three islands in the Cyclades. The Cyclades are the most famous of Greek islands which are located in the Aegean Sea, southeast of Athens.

I stopped by Naxos, Paros and Sifnos. If one looks to a map you'll see that each island is quite close to each other but from ancient times, the waters made travel between the islands seem worlds apart.

It was comforting to see that each island had retained it's own character, feel, sub-culture and style.

One common food theme I found was the heavy use of capers in the islands' cuisines. Order a Horiatiki (Greek) salad and you'll likely see the addition of capers in the mix.

One dish that was new to me was the Caper Salad. I sampled two versions: one being a stewed onion based dip with peppers and a faint presence of capers and the second one being a plate of whipped mashed potato (cold) with the bold presence of capers in it.

I preferred the second Caper Salad and it's one I'm going to share with you.

Again, simplicity dictates this dish with the use of few fresh ingredients, all local and of course, delicious.

Offer this up at a picnic, as a dip with bread or as a side alternative for your starch.

It's easy, it's delicious and it will transport you to the Greek Islands each time you take a bite!

Caper Salad (Καππαροσαλάτα)

3 large potatoes
3 large Tbsp. of capers (drained), finely chopped
2-3 green olives, coarsely chopped
3 cloves of garlic, miced
2 Tbsp. wine vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup red onion, finely diced
1/4 cup chopped fresh chives + some for garnish
1/4 cup chopped fresh dill
1 tsp. dried oregano
salt and pepper to taste

1. With the skins on, place your potatoes in water and bring to a boil. Add a generous amount of salt and cook until fork tender. Remove from the heat and cool until the potatoes are safe to handle. Peel the skins and mash the potatoes in a bowl.
2. Add your minced garlic, vinegar, minced capers, olives, diced onions and mix in until incorporated. Now slowly add your olive oil until you've achieved your desired consistency.
3. Add the chives, oregano and fresh chopped dill and mix in as well.
4. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper and serve room temperature or cold with a garnish of some chives and whole caper berries.
   

Braised Lentils With Olive Rouille

Us Greeks commonly use lentils to make an oft' enjoyed soup called Fakkes. Yes, it sounds like you're swearing so, practice saying it...Fakk-es...Fakk-es...Fakk-es. Okay, lesson over.

When I recently met up with Judy of No fear Entertaining, I had a braised lamb shank that sat on a bed of braised lentils and I had a craving for it again.

One of my recent food book buys was "Olives, Cooking With Olives and Their Oils", by Ford Rogers. If anyone wants a primer on olives, picking, curing and of course, cooking with them - then this book's for you. It's inexpensive and it actually has some decent recipes , like the one I'm about to show you now.

It's a simple braised lentil dish, good warm or room temperature and it made a fine bed for my red snapper of yesterday.

The process is simple, lots of flavour gets coaxed out of the lentils but what makes this a standout is the accompanying red sauce called a Rouille.

A Rouille is a spicy French paste that's usually made to accompany a fish but contains no olives. This version provides the flavour and depth and it was reminiscent of a Romesco sauce.

If you're looking for a healthy, flavourful and guilt-free side dish, try these braised lentils and don't forget the Rouille!

Braised Lentils With Olive Rouille

3 Tbsp. olive oil
1/4 cup finely chopped shallots
1/2 cup finely chopped celery
1/2 cup finely chopped carrots
2 cups of dried lentils, rinsed and drained
4 cups of chicken (vegetable) broth
1 bay leaf
a few sprigs of fresh oregano
a few springs of parsley
salt and pepper to taste

For the Rouille
2 Tbsp. of red wine vinegar
2/3 cup of soft bread crumbs
2 cloves of garlic, smashed
1/2 cup of pitted green olives
2 red chili peppers
1 small roasted red pepper
4 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
splash of balsamic vinegar

1. Heat the oil in a pot over medium-high heat and then add your shallots, carrots and celery until soft and translucent (about 2-3 minutes.
2. Add the lentils, herbs and broth and bring to a boil. Now cover and reduce to simmer for about 30-40 minutes or until almost all the liquid has evaporated. Discard the herbs and adjust seasoning with salt & pepper.
3. While the lentils are cooking, make the rouille by combining the all the ingredients in a food processor except for the olive oil.
4. Process to chop everything and scrape down the sides to ensure all the ingredients get blended well. With the machine running, pour in the oil in a slow & steady stream until it's all incorporated and smooth.
5. Serve lentils with a small dollop of rouille on each serving.
   

Tomato Salad With Fried Feta

Last night I had a few friends & cousins over for a backyard party but the weather Gods were not compliant. It was my birthday this past Friday and I'm a fabulous 41!

Rain was forecast for most of the day and we packed up and headed indoors...twice!

Regardless, after settling indoors I was able to commence the onslaught of dishes to my awaiting guests.

I served up a combo of dishes that were sure people pleasers and with just enough uniqueness to evoke the "Ooooohs & Ahhhhs" from the dining room.

One such dish is a tomato salad on a bed of greens with fried feta. This time I used a Mesclun Mix of greens, some firm Greek feta cheese, a mildly sweetened vinaigrette made with honey and extra-virgin Greek olive oil.

Frying cheese can be a tricky task but here's a few of pointers:

• Seek a firmer feta cheese. Some crumble easier than others. A firmer variety works best.
• Chill your feta before frying. My good friend Sam of Greek Food - Recipes & Reflections shared this tip and it definitely helped my feta cubes keep their form during the frying.
• Shallow fry your cheese in a non-stick pan with an oil like sunflower oil.
• Coat your cheese simply with beated egg and flour.

This salad immediately catches the eye, my Greek guests were in awe of the Greek cubes of feta and when I was prepping the next course in the kitchen, I thought I heard them meditating with what sounded like a chorus of "Ohmmmmmmmm" - it was really a "Yummmmm"!

Tomato Salad With Fried Feta
Serves 4

Vinaigrette
juice of 1 lemon (1/4 cup)
2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 tsp. of honey
2 tsp. dried Greek oregano splash of good balsamic vinegar
1 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. black pepper

1-2 ripe tomatoes, sliced
4 large handfuls of Mesclun (Spring) mix
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
Greek black olives
7oz/200 gr. Greek feta, cut into cubes
1 egg + splash of milk
some all-purpose flour
sunflower oil for frying

1. In a small Mason jar, add your vinaigrette ingredients and close lid and shake well. Taste and adjust seasonings and set aside.
2. Prepare the salad by arranging the tomatoes, onion, Mesclun mix and olives on individual plates or one large serving platter
3. Cut the feta cheese into cubes. Beat the egg and some milk in one bowl and have another separate bowl set up with some flour. Toss the cheese first in the egg, shale off excess and then dredge in flour. Place your dredged feta cubes in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to chill.
4. Heat the sunflower oil in a large, non-stick pan and fry (in batches) over medium heat, turning over the cubes of cheese until they are golden brown on all sides.
5. Scatter the fried feta over the salad and give your jar of vinaigrette a shake and spoon over the salad. Serve while feta cubes are still warm.
   

Strawberry Salad

After experiencing a longer and colder winter than usual, it comes as no surprise that Ontario's seasonal produce is appearing later on the shelves.

Local field strawberries are appearing in the markets and one bite into them reminds me that local is always best.

No need to steep these in sugar or any other flavour enhancer - a simple bowl of strawberries after dinner is fine by me.

Or I also like strawberries as part of my salad. The sweet and tart flavours of a strawberry play well against savory in a salad.

Here, I pretty much winged this salad, used what was on hand and I think I came up with a harmonious mix of ingredients, seasonal fare and as always, delicious.

When you're ready to eat this salad, hunch your back over, turn away from the others and protect yourself and the salad...the last time I made this, someone else's fork just dived into my salad and stole a forkful!

Strawberry Salad
(for 4)

4 large handfuls of Spring Mesclun Mix
1/2 pint of strawberries, sliced
1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese
1/3 cup chopped walnuts
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh tarragon

Vinaigrette
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 small clove of garlic, minced
4 Tbsp. raspberry balsamic vinegar 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

1. Wash & rinse your salad greens and ensure most of the water has been removed from the leaves and reserve.
2. In a large bowl, add the mustard, garlic and vinegar and start whisking the ingredients until a paste has formed. Now continue whisking while adding a slow and steady stream of olive oil until you get a creamy, emulsified mixture. Taste and adjust seasoning and add salt and pepper according to taste.
3. Add your salad greens, strawberries and tarragon into the bowl and gently toss to coat all your salad leaves.
4. Divide your salad and top with the walnuts and crumbled blue cheese.

Happy Birthday Canada

July 1st is Canada Day or our nation's birthday. Tomorrow this young country will turn 141 and I'm every bit a proud Canadian as I am Greek.

Canada is a nation of the Native peoples, the French and English majority and the multicultural mosaic that's made up of all the other ethnicities.

I'm grateful for the opportunity Canada gave to my parents and my family to begin a new life where hard work was rewarded, that one could achieve any goal if they set their mind to it, a country full of tolerance, peaceful and safe.

Jasmine of Confessions of a Cardamom Addict emailed me to see if I was interested in participating in a food event that captured the essence of Canadian flavours and foods.

Canada has some of the best that International cuisine has to offer and this is large part due to the rich tapestry of ethnicities within our borders.

After asking my parents and brother what food(s) captured the essence of Canada's food...a unanimous reply was French Fries and Gravy.

What's unique about Canada's fries & gravy is the Montreal specialty of Poutines. Poutines are basically a dish of french fries, cheese curds and gravy.

This dish will NOT appear on the menu of any diets currently being exercised but you only live once, life's not a dress rehearsal and Poutines are too damn delicious to not indulge in every now & then.

Cheese curds have the combined texture of Mozzarella and Halloumi and although widely available in Canada, some difficulty will be had in finding them elsewhere.

What you need here are french fries, cheese curds (Mozzarella is the closest alternative) and a deep brown gravy made from a rich beef stock.

There's no real recipe here other than to do your French Fries properly, seek out cheese curds and make a kick-ass, deeply flavourful and thick beef gravy.

Happy Canada Day!

More Zucchini and Some Shout Outs

Earlier this week I received an email from Foodbuzz that announced the winners of their contest to see which food blogs could increase their traffic the most.

It was a pleasantly surprise to find out that I had come in third place, right behind Emiline of Sugar Plum and Allan of Eating Out Loud.

I'd like to extend my congratulations to both of them and I would like to thank all of you, my regular readers who made this possible.

My love affair with zucchini continues. Last year, I too made a Zucchini Carpaccio and a Zucchini Linguine AND during last year's vacation in Greece, I even surprised my friends and relatives with this refreshing salad.

Although zucchini is a much enjoyed vegetable in Greece, Greeks aren't the keenest on rare meats, seafood or certain vegetables like...zucchini. Conventional Greek cooking calls for them to be cooked.

Much to my surprise (and theirs), they enjoyed "raw" zucchini. Surprise your guests with a zucchini salad (or carpaccio).

Here, I've gone with the more rustic approach and I've sliced ribbons of zucchini with a vegetable peeler. Some of you might have seen Jamie Oliver make his own zucchini salad in his latest series, Jamie At Home. He's not the first nor the last one to make a salad of raw zucchini.

Herb-wise, I'm using what's available in my garden - chives and the new addition of lemon thyme. Play around and make this salad your way. Add some summer squash for colour, try different herbs, flavoured vinegars, add some berries. You'll add another salad to your roster and impress the heck out of your guests with little effort at all!

Salad of Zucchini Ribbons
(for 4)

2 green zucchinis
juice and zest of 1/2 lemon
1 fresh chilli, finely chopped
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
coarse sea salt
2 tsp. chopped fresh lemon thyme
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh chives

1. Using a vegetable peeler, slice your zucchini lengthwise to make long, thin ribbons of zucchini and drop them in a bowl.
   
2. Just minutes from when you're ready to serve your meal, add the lemon zest and a good sprinkle of coarse sea salt and allow the citrus and salt to "marinate" the zucchini for about 5 minutes.
3. Add approx. 1/2 cup of extra-virgin olive oil, your chilli and chopped fresh herbs and toss to coat. Adjust salad according to your tastes with salt, lemon juice or olive oil.
4. Serve immediately.