Food Blog

Gazpacho

July 12, 2023

Cold soups – such as gazpacho- embody summer—inexpensive fresh ingredients to conjure up a quick, easy, light, but filling dish. Buoyed by a wonderful trip to Madrid – I am having a Spanish moment. Where better place to start than the gazpacho recipe, a traditional Andalusian dish popular throughout Spain. In Madrid, we were treated to cold glasses of this gorgeous soup with nearly every meal. Preparing Gazpacho It only takes a few minutes to prepare, a big bonus during

Tuna and Fennel Salad

May 26, 2023

A lovely simple tuna salad to make the most of the new season’s fennel. This is perfect when you want something light for lunch, but an average salad will not do! That kind of feeling that says I need a good relationship with my swimming costume this summer but don’t want to eat boring salads. I’ve paired the wafer-thin fennel and apple slices with a hint of mild chilli and mirin seasoning. I used the Pilafa apple, which is grown

Elizabeth David’s Gâteau au Chocolat

May 25, 2023

Sorry, these are not great photos; obviously in a rush.😍 They certainly don’t do this Gâteau au Chocolat justice—a gem of a recipe adapted from Elizabeth David’s French Provincial Cooking. I’ve been cooking this for ……….. at least 30 years – it’s deliciously simple, relying on fresh eggs and good-quality chocolate. A rich, super chocolatey and moist but not heavy cake. Perfect as a dessert or a damn fine chocolate cake with coffee! Afterwards, you can flavour it with orange,

Greek-style Citrus Salad with Honey Dressing

May 10, 2023

This Greek-style citrus salad with a honey dressing is an ode to our local honey man, who sadly passed away earlier this year. There are, of course, many fabulous Greek honey producers. However, he has been a constant in all our lives, always in the same spot, winter or summer, rain or shine. Many a pilgrimage has been made on a market day to gather precious jars of honey for friends and family to take home: our cure-all and a

Slow-Cooked Lamb in Adobo Sauce

April 7, 2023

Greek Easter is still a week away; it’s such a special time of the year; everyone ‘al fresco’ cooking in outside ovens, roasting the lamb on a spit or over the grill and serving all the traditional side dishes, tzatziki, Greek salad, cabbage salad, perhaps locally foraged wild greens and endless mezze for our local tsipouro. However, for most of you, Easter is now this weekend! So here are some very last-minute thoughts on Easter menus and some inspiration for

Flapjack

March 30, 2023

Flapjacks are wonderfully easy and quick to create. The perfect sweet kick for coffee. This dark and moody date flapjack recipe breaks the classic golden mould ……. but with plenty of room for manoeuvre should you need to return to the golden flapjacks of your childhood 😉! Rather than using golden syrup – I have used date syrup and honey combined with either soft brown or rapadura sugar (jaggery). Using these ingredients gives the flapjack a moreish, chewier and richer

Cheesy Leek Tart

March 28, 2023

I am usually not a great fan of overtly cheesy recipes. However, this cheesy leek tart got a ten out of ten from the sous chef. 😃 It was a last hurrah to the humble leek – the staple of the winter vegetable garden. Crucial to its success is cutting the vegetables – wafer thin – which is easier in a food processor – you can also make the dough in the same bowl. Alternatively, use a mandolin, and make

Classic Seville Marmalade

February 10, 2023

Seville trees grow everywhere in Greece. They are often wild or planted next to roads, especially in the cities where they decorate the streets. The orange blossoms are used for blossom water, the unripe fruit for ‘glyko’ and the juice as a secret ingredient in lemony Greek potatoes. Known as Nerantzi, they are not bitter but fragrant, sour and tangy. I often opt for Nerantzi juice to sweeten sauces or make orange curd. But, for now, I’m thinking hot buttery

Pasta Soffritto

February 9, 2023

So many good things start with a good soffritto, this magical base of onion, celery and carrot is the starting point for ragus, tomato sauces, lasagne and many stews. But also with the addition of a handful of cherry tomatoes, it makes a delicious pasta sauce. Easy to make for a mid-week supper when inspiration is lacking or when you need something easy and comforting. Pasta soffritto ticks all the boxes. There is nothing complicated about soffritto – all the

Wild Boar Ragu

February 9, 2023

Following on from my previous post. The next stage of my wild boar cooking extravaganza. Conchiglie grandi stuffed with wild boar ragu. A ragu made with wild boar is gorgeous, a rich sauce which you don’t need much of. Begin with a classic soffritto and then gently braise with the marinating ingredients, orange peel and rosemary. It must cook very slowly until the meat begins to fall off the bone. Ease the meat off the bone with a fork, return

Wild Boar Goulash

February 8, 2023

We were given a massive parcel of local wild boar at the beginning of the year, which as I take it out to defrost, I realise is a lot of meat, and I need to decide, rather quickly, what to cook. Wild boar makes a very delicious goulash – so I’ve decided to dice all the tender meat into large bite-sized cubes and go down the goulash route. I will slowly braise the meatier bones for a rich wild boar

Black-Eyed Bean Salad

January 27, 2023

Black-eyed beans are eaten in the Southern States of America on New Year’s day to bring luck and prosperity, but here in Greece, they are eaten all year round. Very nutritious, the beans are an excellent source of complex carbs, fiber and many essential vitamins and minerals; they are also inexpensive and easy to prepare. What’s not to love? Black-eyed bean salad is super easy, with loads of options that evolve with the seasons: a go-to mezze or quick lunch.

Gigantes Bean and Orange Salad

January 20, 2023

Western Macedonian giant-coloured elephant beans (Gigantes) are the star of this giant bean and orange salad. Rich in flavour and repudiated to be full of antioxidants – these gorgeous beans are cousins to the classic white Greek Gigantes bean but have a much earthier flavour. They are delicious in salads and taste of chestnut and sweet potato, which is gorgeous with oranges. Ideally, soak the beans overnight in water with a pinch of bicarbonate of soda and then boil them

Pear and Celeriac Soup

January 19, 2023

Pear and celeriac – a fabulous combination for soup and super quick and easy to make. Our version of this classic adds a little cardamom and green peppercorns for a hint of spice and a parmesan rind to create a slight creaminess. I used chicken stock, but if you want to make this pear and celeriac soup vegan – lose the parmesan and change the chicken stock for a homemade vegetable one. Start by sauteing onion and leek in a

Carrot Korma Soup

January 18, 2023

Food fusion at its best – combining classic winter carrot soup with one of the most popular curry dishes, korma. The key to a perfect korma is sealing and then slowly braising the meat in a chicken or vegetable stock, often with yoghurt, to achieve a rich, creamy sauce. And, as it so happens, a perfect technique for soup. Many carrot soups call for the carrots to be roasted in the oven – to preserve and seal in the flavour.

Fragrant Root Vegetable Tagine

December 13, 2022

If you don’t already have a tagine in your kitchen armoury – I highly recommend adding it to your Christmas list. Yes, you can use a shallow Dutch oven, but it doesn’t steam and cook the vegetables or meat the same way the tagine does. It’s quick, super easy to use, and so helpful in making an original and inexpensive mid-week meal. The original clay versions take a long time and need careful handling, so the modern cast iron version

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Gazpacho

Tuna and Fennel Salad

Elizabeth David’s Gâteau au Chocolat

Greek-style Citrus Salad with Honey Dressing

Slow-Cooked Lamb in Adobo Sauce

Flapjack

Cheesy Leek Tart

Classic Seville Marmalade

Pasta Soffritto

Wild Boar Ragu

Wild Boar Goulash

Black-Eyed Bean Salad

Gigantes Bean and Orange Salad

Pear and Celeriac Soup

Carrot Korma Soup

Fragrant Root Vegetable Tagine

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Gazpacho

Tuna and Fennel Salad

Elizabeth David’s Gâteau au Chocolat

Greek-style Citrus Salad with Honey Dressing

Slow-Cooked Lamb in Adobo Sauce

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