COOKING WITH GREECE
Methods & Healthy Lifestyle
"Food is more than a meal, it's the story behind it."
Ioanna Ledaki
The weekly markets can be found in every community in Greece. You don't have to be rich to get the absolute freshest produce and seafood available. Everyone has access to the best quality here at a very affordable price. These markets are not just a place to buy food, they are a celebration and a big part of what makes up the Ef Zin (quality of life) here. No matter what age, the whole community shows up each week with their roller carts, having walked there from home to do their shopping.
In the states, we talk about eating seasonally and locally as if it's a thing because it doesn't matter what time of year it is, you can get anything you want. And if a store doesn't have it, you usually get angry at them and go somewhere else. In Greece, if it's not in season, it's not available. This seeming inconvenience, aside from being the most healthy practice, gives you an opportunity to celebrate the arrival of seasonal foods you may have been missing.
Local produce from small farmers is not only another healthy practice, it's a much safer supply chain. When you get your oranges from California and you live in Alabama, the produce is not only less tasty and older, it may be more expensive depending on the price of gas. And what happens when there is a strike, a flood or any other interuption when your food comes from way across the country?
Seeing your neighbors at the market makes you feel like you're living in a small town. Yes, the local market is much more than just a place to buy food, it's part of the glue that keeps the community connected.
EAT REAL FOOD
Right from the Tree
Almost everyone returns from the weekly farmer's market with a big bag of oranges. There's no such thing as frozen orange juice in Greece. Many homes have orange and lemon trees in the yard as we do.
In Greece oranges come directly from many small local farms, just a short truck ride to the market. So oranges don't get refrigerated, stored, dyed or anything else that can impact the full nutrition it was meant to provide.
I don't think I knew what an orange really tasted like until now...
Slow boil a fresh octopus covered in water with bay leaf and 1/2 cup red wine vinegar with tight lid for 40 minutes until tender.
Grill on a medium high flame just enough to get a light crust. Turn so that it does not become hard or dry. Do not over grill. 1.5 min each side.
Plate with drissled olive oil, capers, olives and bits of red pepper. Sprinkle with a little dried oregano, salt and a squeeze of lemon.
Octopus is a Greek staple. You see it at every market. So fresh and so healthy. Great appetizer and easy to prepare and plating is beautiful. You can add some sprigs of fresh oregano to make it even more beautiful.
There are as many varieties of feta as there are blades of grass in Greece. Of course all of it is produced right here. Since I am more of a country girl than a city girl, hearing the sound of goat bells makes me feel like home.
Marinated feta is a great appetizer but you cn also just cut a block of it, pour a little olive oil over it and a sprinkle of oregano and you're done.
You can add many things to your mix. Let it marinate in the fridge a couple of days and enjoy.
Olive oil
Fresh Oregano
Lemon slice
Capers
Garlic
Simple is always better when ingredients are fresh. Be sure to grill a variety of colors and types. No need for oil until afterward. Just pop them on the grill and don't worry if they look a little burned. A great side dish or tapas.
Just add a little garlic or garlic salt and olive oil.
Ef Zin...
The Greek Way of Living Life
The words ‘’Ef Zin’’ mean a life that is characterized by quality and completeness in ancient Greek.
There are so many aspects to Ef Zin. We will be exploring these in each issue. I have noticed that Greeks are much less concerned with impressing anyone than pursuing the things that produce a quality of life. This is translated by their sense of well-being more than by what people may think.
Work be damned! The whole country goes on vacation for the month of August every year. Busineses close down, government slows and even finding a pharmacy open can be challenging.
The sea is an important part of life here. Greeks believe that swimming in the sea is essential for good health. Also, you may notice that no matter what age or size, women are usually wearing bikinis without apology. The need for the sea is so inbedded in this culture as a necessity versus a fun activity that the neighborhoods provide buses to transport mostly elderly women to the beach as a public service.......another example of how the fabric of community underpins everyday life here.
The cat you see looking like he owns the place, is Jasper. When I came to Greece I have to be honest, I was a dog person. But there is another very active community living in the shadows here, a community of cats. There are stray cats everywhere. Each neighborhood has an unspoken agreement to feed and take care of them. We have gotten to know who's who in our cat community during our evening walks.
Occasionally one will find its way to someone's door and beg a little louder than the others. Jasper was so persistant that we finally gave in. It was a process. But now he is king of the castle defending his home on a nightly basis.