21st JUNE - THE SUMMER SOLSTICE THE LONGEST DAY OF THE YEAR

On the 21^{st of} June 2015, I had written a rather gloomy post, concerning the economic situation of our country, called “A Midsummer Night’s Nightmare”.

“We are inundated with official reports, quotes and editorials that our country will default and will be forced out of the euro and the European Union.  The moment this happens, we shall be in a very difficult situation …..and we shall be threatened with capital control and food rationing….”

After four difficult years, I can say that it was a very pessimistic view.  Greece was neither forced out of the euro and the European Union nor were we imposed with food rationing.  Nevertheless, we still have capital controls, many companies, all over Greece, have declared bankruptcy or have shut down and, unfortunately, umpteen families are living in a state of utter poverty.

 In this post, however, I shall try to present the beauty of this magical summer month.

June Flowers

A Garden in Kifissia

The Latin name for the month of June is Junius.   Ovid offers many etymologies for the name in "Fist", a poem about the Roman calendar.   The first is that the month is called after the Roman goddess Juno, the goddess of marriage and wife of Jupiter.  The second is that the name derives from juniores, the young ones, as opposed to majores the elders.   Another source claims that June is named after Lucius Junious Brutus, founder of the Roman Republic.

In the northern hemisphere, June is an enchanting summer month, not too warm, with occasional showers, when gardens are in full bloom and we are usually full of energy, happiness and optimism. 

Here are a fish dish and a few summer vegan salads, which were chosen for you with diligence.

                             SALMON COOKED IN BAKING PARCHMENT    

                         

A delicious fish dish and very easy to prepare.

6 fillets of salmon, skinned and boned
12 green asparagus spears, trimmed

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 bunch of dill

2 dill-bulbs, thickly flaked

The juice of two lemons

250 ml  (1 cup) of dry white wine
Lemon slices

Place each fillet on a large piece of baking parchment and season with salt and pepper to taste.   Cover with asparaguses, dill, dill-bulb flakes and sliced lemon, drizzle with lemon juice and wine, and fold into neat packets.

Bake in an oven heated to 180 C (350 F) for 30-35 minutes or until the fish flakes easily and serve with a green salad.

                   

                                     BEETROOT AND LENTIL TABBOULEH

A  summer salad that is a meal on itself.

1 bunch flat leaved parsley plus extra to serve

4-5 stalks, fresh chives

210 g (7 oz) radishes

2 boiled beetroots, peeled, quartered and sliced

1 tsp ground cumin

4 tbsp olive oil

250 g (½ lb) cooked quinoa

500 g (1 lb) boiled and peeled chickpeas

500 g (1 lb) boiled lentils

Salt and freshly ground black pepper and lemon juice to taste

Place the herbs, radishes and beetroot in a food processor and blitz into small pieces.   Stir in the rest of the ingredients, season with salt and pepper, drizzle the salad with lemon juice to taste, toss thoroughly and serve.

                                                    CHICKPEA SALAD

A delightful, colourful salad.

500 g (1 lb) chickpeas, boiled in salted water
250 g (8 oz) black beans, boiled in salted water

1 cup chopped parsley leaves

1 onion, peeled and finely sliced

1 large tomato, peeled, seeded and chopped
Half a yellow, bell pepper, seeded and  cut into small pieces
Half an orange bell pepper, seeded and cut  into small pieces

Dressing:
2 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp harissa

The juice of 1 lemon
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

In a large bowl, mix the seven first ingredients well together, mashing the chickpeas a little, so that they become a bit rough around the edges, as this helps to absorb the dressing.  Pour the dressing over the salad, toss, cover the bowl with cling film, and store in the fridge.  I prepare this salad a day ahead, as it improves with time.

                           BULGUR WHEAT AND ROCKET TABBULLEH

A lovely salad with juicy pomegranate seeds.

100 g (3.3 oz) bulgur wheat

The juice of 1 lemon

½ tsp ground cinnamon

½ tsp ground allspice

A pinch of ground cloves

1 tbsp olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

60 g (2 oz) or more rocket

1 cup chopped parsley

2 spring onions, trimmed and finely sliced

The seeds of 1 pomegranate

Rinse the bulgur wheat in a sieve under cold running water.   Then place into a large saucepan and cover with cold water.   Bring to the boil and simmer 10-12 minutes or until tender.  Drain and tip into a large bowl.

Pour the lemon juice into a jug add the spices, whisking constantly as you add the olive oil.   Season with salt and freshly ground pepper, pour over the bulgur wheat and toss.  Fold in the rocket, parsley and spring onions, scatter with juicy pomegranate seeds and serve.

                       AUBERGINE, BULGUR WHEAT AND RED PEPPER SALAD

An interesting summer salad.

170 g (5.6 oz) bulgur wheat, boiled and drained

2 tbsp tomato paste

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

5 baby aubergines, each sliced lengthwise and cut into three

2 red peppers, sliced lengthwise into small pieces

2 tsp olive oil

1 handful of basil leaves

Place the bulgur wheat into a large bowl, fold in the tomato paste and season with salt and freshly ground pepper.

Heat a griddle pan to high, drizzle the aubergines and the red peppers with olive oil and cook for 5 minutes on each side, until slightly charred.

Fold the aubergines and the red peppers into the bulgur mixture, taste and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, if necessary.   Finally, fold in the chopped basil and serve.

I must give you a delightful dressing for any green salad.

                                           AVOCADO SALAD DRESSING

Avocado Salad Dressing 

Avocado Sauce

This is, actually, a sauce, that could be used instead of mayonnaise.   If you thin it down with extra water, it becomes an excellent salad dressing.

1 avocado, peeled, stoned and cut into small pieces

1 clove garlic, peeled and minced

½ cup stemmed, chopped parsley

Salt, freshly ground black pepper and lemon juice to taste

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil plus more for drizzling over 

¼ tsp Cayenne pepper, optional

¼ cup water or more

Blend all the ingredients well together until smooth, adding more water if you wish to thin the sauce down into a dressing.  Serve drizzled with extra olive oil.

A Bouquet of Flowers by Claude Monet