APPROACHING SUMMER 2015

                                     

Anxiety has turned to panic and anger to fury with the delayed negotiations of our Government with our partners and creditors.    As we cannot, obviously, impose our will upon the other countries of the European Union, the European Central Bank and the International Monetary Fund, we shall have to bridge the gap and reach the best possible agreement with them, the soonest possible, otherwise there will be a rift, bankruptcy, agony and chaos.    We hope and pray that Mr. Tsipras and his cabinet will turn a deaf ear to the left-wing of the governing party and rule the country with prudence and rationality.   

A new horror video has been published by the Jihadists, depicting an eight-year-old Syrian boy being brutally mauled by a beastly, cowardly terrorist.   What more will they do?



Migrants are arriving in Greece and Italy by the thousands, including unescorted children.  The Greek islands that are nearest to Asia Minor are sinking with the enormous number of migrants arriving each day and Italy is inundated with numerous Africans seeking a better life in the European Union. .   Both countries cannot cope with the situation anymore.  We don't have the means to look after these unfortunate people the way we ought to.  There are problems of nourishment and sanitation and on some of our smaller islands there are more migrants than inhabitants.

                     

Here are few recipes you might like to prepare this summer.

                 

                                    GREEN SALAD WITH MARINATED SALMON

About two years ago I had given you a recipe for gravadlax, this is a quick, elegant version.   The well-known manufacturer from Kalamata produces wonderful balsamic vinegar, seasoned among others, with citrus fruits, strawberries and figs.   They also make the most fantastic, aromatic mustards.

1 large bowl green salad made with:

2 cos lettuces

1 round-heart lettuce

1 endive,

1 bunch wild rocket

All washed, dried and torn or cut into bite-sized pieces

2 spring onions, trimmed and sliced diagonally or

2 tbsp chives, snipped

750 g (1½ lb) salmon, skinned and boned and finely sliced

Marinade:

1/3 cup lemon juice

3 tbsp balsamic vinegar with lemon and orange

3 tbsp sugar

1½ tsp salt or more

3 tbsp mustard

1 tsp freshly ground white pepper

Salad dressing:

2/3 cup olive oil

¾ cup chopped

Freshly ground pepper

Blend all the marinade ingredients together and pour over the sliced salmon to cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

When ready to serve, remove the salmon from the fridge, add the salad dressing and mix well together.   Pour over the green salad, toss, garnish with salmon roses and serve.
                                                                                                                                                                                

                                               

STUFFED MUSHROOMS

Always a treat!

500 g (1 lb) large Portobello or other white mushrooms, stalks removed and reserved

Stuffing

90 g (3 oz) bread, crusts removed

1 garlic clove

2 tbsp brandy or rum

2 eggs

150 g (1 2/3 cups) San Mihalis or Parmesan, grated

2-3 tbsp duxelles, see recipe below

3-4 marjoram leaves, chopped

 Duxelles

250 g (8 oz) mushrooms stalks and a few caps, chopped

1 clove garlic

1 onion, grated

2 tbsp olive oil, or

1 tbsp butter and 1 tbsp olive oil

Salt and pepper

1 tbsp parsley

First prepare the duxelles.  Sauté the onion in olive oil, or butter and olive oil, until transparent, add the garlic and mushrooms and cook, stirring constantly until the mixture is dry. Then add the seasoning and parsley, simmer 1-2 minutes more, discard the garlic and set the duxelles aside.*

For the stuffing put the bread in a food processor with all the other ingredients, reserving 3-4 tbsp cheese for later use.   Taste for seasoning and adjust with salt and pepper, if necessary.

   

Wipe the mushroom caps, arrange them on an ovenproof dish brushed with olive oil  and sprinkle them with salt and pepper. Stuff them with the filling, brush with olive oil and sprinkle with the remaining cheese.    Bake the mushrooms in an oven preheated to 190C (375F) for 15-20 minutes.

*Spoon the left over duxelles in a jar, cover and store in the refrigerator or in the freezer.  Very useful for sauces, stews or stuffed mushrooms!

                                       

                                                           SUMMER TART 

This is one of the most interesting vegetable tarts, with a lovely crunchy pastry.

Pastry:

75 g (2½ oz) butter

150 g (5 oz) flour, sifted with

1 tsp baking powder

A pinch of salt

60 g (2 oz) finely grated San Mihalis or Parmesan

1 medium-sized egg, beaten

½ -1 liqueur glass Metaxa brandy

Filling:

3 medium-sized carrots, peeled and diagonally sliced

250 ml (1 cup) tasty vegetable stock

1 tsp coriander seeds

1 tsp coarsely grated ginger

1 tsp honey

1 large onion, sliced

2 spring onions, chopped

2 tbsp olive oil

Salt and freshly ground pepper

1 large pinch of sugar

3 medium-sized courgettes, trimmed and diagonally sliced

2 red peppers, trimmed, de-seeded and sliced into rings and halved

2 yellow peppers, trimmed, de-seeded and sliced into rings and halved

Greek white sauce * (please see recipe below)

½ cup finely grated San Mihalis or Parmesan mixed with

½ cup dried bread crumbs

First make the pastry.   Rub the butter into the flour mixture and the grated cheese until it resembles bread crumbs.  Add the egg and just enough brandy to form a soft, pliable dough.   Shape it into a disk, cover with cling-film and refrigerate for 30 minutes at least.

Meanwhile boil the carrots in the vegetable stock, coriander seeds and grated ginger until soft but still crunchy.   Place the carrots on double kitchen paper to dry.    Strain the

 cooking liquid, reduce it to half a cupful and reserve.

Cook the sliced onions in olive oil, over high heat, until limp and transparent.  Sprinkle with a little salt and sugar and simmer gently until the onions are cooked.

Sauté the courgettes slices in very little olive oil, about two minutes on each side, sprinkle with a little salt, and place on double kitchen paper to drain.

Repeat the same procedure with the peppers and prepare the Greek white sauce.

Roll out the pastry thinly and line the base and sides of a deep tart dish.   Make an attractive pattern on the top.   Cover the tart with crumpled tin foil, to prevent the sides from collapsing and bake in an oven preheated to 180C (350 F) for about twelve minutes.   Discard the foil, bake for five minutes more and remove the pastry shell from the oven to cool.

To assemble, sprinkle the pastry shell with two tablespoonfuls of the dry breadcrumbs/grated cheese mixture, carefully cover with three generous table-spoonfuls of sauce and even the surface.  

Sprinkle the onions evenly on top then arrange the carrots and courgettes, alternately, in circles, slightly over-lapping each other.   Repeat the same procedure with the peppers and cover the vegetables with sauce.    Sprinkle evenly with the remaining cheese mixture and bake in an oven, preheated to 180 C (350 F), for 35-40 minutes or until the tart becomes puffed and golden.  Serve with a green salad.

* GREEK WHITE SAUCE

1 litre (4 cups) milk* brought to the boil with

1 bay leaf, and cool  

4 heaped tbsp cornflour

Nutmeg to taste

120 g (4 oz) San Mihalis or Parmesan, grated

4 medium-sized eggs, separated, whites whipped to soft peaks with a pinch of salt

3 tbsp Greek yogurt, low fat if preferred

Salt, if necessary and

Freshly ground white pepper to taste

Discard the bay leaf from the milk, stir in the cornflour, nutmeg and bring to the boil, whisking constantly, until the sauce thickens and bubbles.

Remove the sauce from the fire and stir in the pepper and 2/3 of the cheese and set aside to cool a little.   Mix the egg yolks with the yogurt very well together and stir into the warm sauce.   Taste and add the remaining cheese and more salt, pepper, if necessary.  Fold in the egg whites, gently, until no traces of white are visible.

*For this particular dish repace 1/2 cup milk with the reserved carrot cooking liquid.  Be sparing with  salt.

                          PORK FILLET MEDALLIONS WITH MUSHROOM GRAVY

This is one of my family’s favourite dishes, the gravy is superb.

1½ kg (3 lb) pork fillet, trimmed and sliced into 1.25 cm (½ inch) medallions

2 tbsp olive oil

1 knob butter

Salt and freshly ground white pepper

187.5 ml (¾ cup) Metaxa brandy

Sauce:

500 g (1 lb) mushrooms, thickly sliced

2 tbsp olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, sliced

3 tbsp duxelles (please see recipe in “Stuffed Mushrooms”)

2 tbsp flour

2 tbsp Metaxa brandy

500 ml (2 cups) tasty, hot chicken stock

2 tbsp tomato ketchup

Sauté the pork medallions in olive oil and butter, three minutes on each side, over high heat.  Sprinkle with salt and freshly ground white pepper and drizzle with brandy and simmer for a few minutes until the alcohol evaporates.   Set aside to cool.

For the sauce.   Sauté the mushrooms in olive oil, over high heat, until cooked and dry.  Remove the mushrooms with a slotted spoon and reserve.  Simmer the onions and garlic until limp and translucent, stir in the duxelles and the reserved mushrooms.   Sift in the flour, stirring constantly for a few minutes.    Splash in the brandy and cook 2 minutes more until the alcohol evaporates.   Pour in the hot chicken stock, stir and simmer for 12 minutes more.  Blend until smooth, stir in the tomato ketchup, taste and add salt and pepper, if necessary.

When ready to serve, heat the pork fillet medallions, add the sauce and bring to the boil until piping hot.    Offer with rice or smashed potatoes.

       

                                             SALTED CARAMEL ICE-CREAM

A lovely dessert, slightly more difficult to prepare than the other ice-creams that I have given you, but really worth while!

Caramel:

120 g (4 oz) sugar

180 ml (6 fl oz) full cream

Custard:

6 medium-sized egg yolks

660 ml (22 fl oz  2  3/5 cups) full milk

1 vanilla pod, split in two

1 scarce tsp coarse salt

Caramel flakes for garnish

150 g (5 oz) sugar

Prepare an amber caramel with 90 g (3 oz) sugar.  Remove from the fire and pour in the cream, carefully as it will splutter.   Simmer and stir until the caramel has dissolved.

Meanwhile bring the milk to the boil with a little sugar and the vanilla pod and remove from the stove.    Whip the egg yolks with the remaining sugar until light and fluffy, and pour in the milk, whipping constantly.  Place the egg/milk mixture into a clean saucepan and stir and simmer very gently, until the custard thickens enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon.    Remove from the heat and stir in the caramel mixture.   Place over ice to cool to room temperature, stirring from time to time.  Remove the vanilla pod and stir the coarse salt.  

Place the custard in a ice-cream container, cover and freeze.  After 30 minutes, whip the ice-cream, vigorously, to prevent ice crystals from forming.   Repeat the same procedure three times more.  It should be ready to serve in 4 hours.

For the caramel flakes, place the sugar, over low heat, and stir with a fork until it melts.   Then just swirl the saucepan occasionally and when it turns into an amber coloured syrup, pour it into a tin, lined with oiled baking parchment.   Allow it to cool and harden, and crack it into small flakes.

Usually, the flakes are mixed into the ice-cream, during the last whipping session, before placing it into the freezer.     I serve them, separately, in a small bowl, because, when my son Yiannis was a small child, he hated caramel flakes and he always complained: “I don’t want pieces of glass in my ice-cream”! 

                                          HOMEMADE STRAWBERRY BRANDY

This liqueur is delicious when made with the tiny, aromatic strawberries that grow wild on the Ionian Islands.

500 g (1 lb) strawberries, washed, hulled and dried

1 litre (4 cups) good quality brandy

1 tiny peel of orange

Syrup:

500 g (1 lb) sugar

210 ml (7 fl oz) water

Boil the water for two minutes and cool to room temperature.

Place the strawberries in a large jar, add the orange peel and poor the brandy over.   Seal tightly and store, indoors, for 30 days.

Strain the strawberries and mix the alcohol with the syrup very well together.   Pour into prepared bottles, add the strawberries, discard the orange peel, seal tightly and store for two days, more.