31st August 2015

                                            

                                                  Summer Flowers and Fruit



We have had a very eventful August, in Greece, this year.

Six months after Mr. Tsipras, the Greek ex-Prime Minister, was elected with false promises to overthrow austerity, he made a 180-degree turn.   With, only, a section of SYRIZA and the help of the  opposition, a new, extremely onerous memorandum was voted, in order to keep Greece in the Eurozone.

In a matter of weeks, SYRIZA’s left platform radicals, feeling betrayed, formed a new party LAIKI ENOTITA (POPULAR UNITY), the second left-wing party in Greece.    Mr. Tsipras, realizing that he could not rule without the help of the opposition, handed in his resignation to the President, Mr. Pavlopoulos, and proclaimed snap elections for the 20^th September 2015.

Most Greeks were amazed and angered by the announcement.  The cost of these elections is estimated at 40 million euros.   According to the polls, the majority of the electorate is undecided while SYRIZA’s lead over NEW DEMOCRACY is diminishing to 1½ %.

The other great issue of our country is migration.   Nearly 200.000 people have landed in Greece, this year, mainly on the islands of Chios, Lesvos, Samos and Kos.   As a country, we cannot afford to look after these unfortunate people, the way we ought to.   Also, we neither have the means nor the number of expert personnel, for registering thousands of refugees.  

After the suspension of E.U.’s Dublin Regulation, by the end of this year, Greece will have to establish new registration centres, to register refugees and separate them from economic migrants.   This will be achieved with the help of experts from other countries of the European Union.

There were rumours that IS destroyed one of the most historically significant temples in Palmyra, the Temple of Bel, which was, fortunately, later denied by the Syrian Director of Antiquities.*

*1st September 2015.
Yesterday, there was conflicting information, concerning the destruction of the Temple of Bel, in Palmyra.   The World Heritage Site of Palmyra was captured by the IS militants, last May.   Since then, unbelievably tragic events have taken place.  Most of the personnel of the archaeological site has been brutally murdered by the savage, cowardly jihadists.  Recently, they beheaded a famous Syrian archaeologist and destroyed the 2000-year gem, the Temple of Baal.

Unfortunately, today, a satellite image confirms the rumours, that the main building of the Temple of Bel has been blasted to rubbles, by the IS barbarians.   

In Kiev, a national guard member has been killed and over 100 injured in violent protests outside the Ukraine Parliament.

                          The full Moon and the Parthenon

                         The full moon and Cape Sounion

                         The full moon from Yianna's and Spiros' terrace in the Castle
                         of  Monemvassia


And, finally, something romantic.   Last Saturday, the August full moon was celebrated, across Greece.   Many museums, archaeological sites and monuments stayed open until midnight, presenting many events and happenings, free.

   

My dear friend Joanie offered us htapothi me kofto makaronaki (octopus with short pasta), for our bridge lunch.   Being inspired by Joanie’s delicious main dish, I decided to give you a few recipes for octopus, on this post.

A very familiar image on any Greek island is a fisherman bashing an octopus on a rock.  This act has been performed throughout long millenniums, in order to tenderize octopus.  The saying goes that at least ninety-nine hard beatings are needed, for it to become tender, when cooked!!

Here is a newer method that works wonders. According to experts it “denatures the protein” and renders the octopus tender when cooked. 

Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil.  Squeeze in a lemon, add a twist of lemon rind, a slice of fresh ginger root, a bay leaf, a star anise and 1 teaspoon of whole peppercorns.    With the help of tongs, dip the cleaned and trimmed octopus 3-4 times into the boiling water until the tentacles harden and curl.  Then submerge it into the water and simmer for 40-45 minutes or until it becomes tender.   Remove the slackened dark skin from the tentacles, leaving the suction cups on, and continue cooking the octopus any way you wish.  Strain and reserve the very tasty cooking liquid.

                                     BOILED  OCTOPUS WITH LATHOLEMONO

                                             (OIL-AND LEMON DRESSING)

This is the way that my husband preferred eating octopus.

1½ kg (3 lb) boiled octopus (please see above), dark skin removed, sliced into small bite-sized pieces

1 tbsp vinegar

Latholemono dressing:

1 tbsp lemon juice or more if preferred 

The grated rind of ½ lemon

1 tsp mustard

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

3 tbsp olive oil

Garnish:

1 tsp dried oregano or thyme

½ cup sliced olives

1 heaped tbsp capers

Sprinkle the hot octopus slices with vinegar, cover with cling film, and set aside to cool.  

Meanwhile, prepare the dressing.   Stir the lemon juice and rind with the mustard, salt and pepper, until the salt dissolves then, slowly, add the olive oil and beat until the dressing is thick.

Drizzle the cold octopus slices with latholemono, sprinkle with oregano or thyme, garnish with olives and capers, and serve. 

                                          OCTOPUS WITH RICE SALAD

This is a most appetizing and colourful salad that most people enjoy.

4 cups cooked basmati rice

500 kg (1 lb) boiled octopus (please see above), thinly sliced and drizzled with a little dressing

3 spring onions, chopped finely in a slant

1 red pepper, seeds and ribs removed, diced

1 yellow pepper, seeds and ribs removed, diced

1 cup blanched, roasted almonds, roughly chopped

I cup raisins

Dressing:

2 tsp vinegar

2 tsp lemon juice

1 tsp mustard

1 tbsp honey

Salt and pepper to taste

Almost 63 ml (1/3 cup) olive oil

(Mix the first five ingredients together, then beat in the olive oil, until thick)

Garnish:

Whole parsley leaves and

chive stalks, snipped

You could boil the rice in the reserved octopus stock, if you prefer a more vigorous taste.

Mix the cold rice, carefully but thoroughly, with the other ingredients and the remaining dressing.  Reserve a few octopus slices for garnishing.  Mound the rice salad on a serving dish, place the remaining octopus pieces, decoratively, on top and sprinkle with parsley and chives.

                                CYPRIOT TAHINI SAUCE WITH BOILED OCTOPUS

If you like tahini, try making this salad.   As I have mentioned before, tahini is a paste made out of sesame seeds, that apparently is an excellent source of magnesium and omega 3 and 6 fatty acids.  It also has high levels of calcium and protein. 

One 1.250 kg (2½ lb) octopus, cooked according to the first recipe on this post

Sauce:

3 slices stale bread, crusts removed, cut into pieces

2 cloves garlic

45 g (1½ oz) walnuts

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

4 tbsp tahini

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

½ tsp medium curry powder or more if preferred

120 ml (4 fl oz) lemon juice

2 tbsp chopped parsley

Garnish

A small frizé salad

First prepare the sauce.   Blend the garlic, bread, a pinch of salt and walnuts until a thick paste is formed, and scrape it into bowl.    Add the tahini, curry powder and the lemon juice by the spoonful, blend and taste and correct the seasoning, if necessary.   If the paste is too thick thin it down with a little water.  Place into a pretty bowl, sprinkle with parsley, cover with cling film and refrigerate.

Place the sliced octopus over an interesting, small frizé salad and serve it with the tahini sauce.     

                                      OCTOPUS WITH FENNEL AND WINE

                                         

Fennel bulbs are cultivated broadly in Greece.   They are popular and appear in many Greek contemporary dishes. This dish is based on an old Cretan recipe cooked with tomatoes, wine, and masses of wild fennel leaves.

1.5 kg (3 lbs) octopus, cleaned and thoroughly washed

250 ml (1 cup) dry white wine
1 star anise

4-6   peppercorns

85 ml (an ample 1/3  cup) olive oil

2 medium onions,  finely chopped

3 spring onions, finely chopped

4 fennel bulbs, trimmed and quartered (from

                         stem to root), stalks peeled

1-2 tbsp flour

1 cup or more vegetable stock (made with 1 carrot, 1 onion, 2 celery stalks 1 garlic

                                             clove, 1 star anise, chopped fennel leaves, salt and pepper                                    

                                                                 

 The juice of ½ a lemon

½ cup finely chopped fennel leaves

1-2 tbsp or more ouzo

Place the octopus in a pressure cooker and cook, uncovered, until the octopus releases its juices.  Lock the lid and simmer for about 6 minutes, then uncover, turn the octopus over, add the peppercorns and a little wine, the star anise and cook for another10-12 minutes with the lid locked.   By this time it should be cooked. If not, give it some extra time.  If you use an ordinary saucepan, the cooking time should be around 50 minutes to 1 hour.   Remove the dark membrane but not the suction cups from the octopus, cut it into bite-sized pieces, and reserve.

 Sauté the onions in olive oil, until soft.   Add the fennel bulbs and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in the flour, and cook for 5 minutes to prevent the taste of raw flour.  Then pour in the lemon juice and vegetable stock, and simmer covered, for about ¼ hour or until the bulbs are just cooked, stirring once or twice.   Add the octopus pieces, sprinkle with the fennel leaves and cook gently for another five minutes.   Finally douse with ouzo and simmer a few minutes more until the alcohol evaporates.  Taste and adjust seasoning with salt, if necessary, and freshly ground pepper.   Serve with iced ouzo.

                                                             GRILLED OCTOPUS

I first tasted this delectable bite in Chalkis, Evia, so many years ago.

1½ kg (3 lb) hot. boiled octopus, tentacles separated

Marinade:

3 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp vinegar

1 tsp salt

1 tsp oregano or thyme

Garnish:

Lemon wedges

In a large bowl, mix the marinade ingredients well together and place the hot octopus tentacles within.   Marinate for 15 minutes at least, and grill the octopus for 10-15 minutes, turning every 5 minutes, or until the tentacles are crisp and slightly brown.  

Slice each tentacle, thinly, garnish with lemon wedges and serve with crusty, warm brown bread and a glass of ouzo.

    

                                                    OCTOPUS STIFATHO

                             

Stifatho is as typically Greek dish which is very popular throughout the country.

2 kg (4 lb) raw octopus, trimmed and thoroughly washed

1½ kg (3 lb) shallots, blanched and peeled

Sauce:

125 ml (½ cup) olive oil

2 medium onions, finely chopped

2-3 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely chopped

250 ml (1 cup) good quality red or white wine

4 ripe tomatoes, halved, de-seeded and grated, skins discarded

1 tsp sugar

1 bay leaf

1 anise star

2-3 tbsp vinegar or according to taste

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Place the octopus in a saucepan and cook over medium heat until it releases its juices.   Lower the heat, cover the saucepan and cook the octopus in it’s own juices until almost soft, about 30 minutes.   With a slotted spoon, place the octopus on a dish to cool.    Then remove the dark skin, but not the suction cups, and cut the octopus in small bite-sized pieces.

Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, sauté the shallots in olive oil, until slightly golden, remove with a slotted spoon, sprinkle with a little salt, and reserve.

Sauté the chopped onions, in the same olive oil, until soft.   Add the octopus and the chopped garlic, stir for 2-3 minutes and pour in the wine.  Cook, stirring for 4 minutes until the wine evaporates.   Add the tomato pulp, sugar, bay leaf, anise star, and carefully spoon in the shallots. Sprinkle with very little salt.  Cover the stifatho with a piece of baking parchment and the lid and simmer very, very gently for about half an hour or until both the octopus and shallots are tender, but not falling apart. 

Remove the saucepan from the fire, add a spoonful of vinegar, taste and add freshly ground black pepper and more salt, sugar and vinegar, if necessary.   Simmer for 5 minutes more.

Serve either with rice or with chips. 

                                                 PICKLED OCTOPUS

Offer fine slices of pickled octopus over an interesting salad.

3-4 kg (6-8 lb) octopus,

3-4 tbsp coarse salt

Cooking liquid:

250 ml (1 cup) white wine

1 onion quartered

6 garlic cloves, peeled

2 bay leaves

1 slice fresh ginger root, peeled

2 pieces star anise

1 tsp fennel seeds

Pickling mixture:

500 ml (2 cups) vinegar

500 ml (2 cups) water

3 cloves garlic

3 bay leaves

3 pieces star anise

1 tbsp peppercorns

6 small chilies (optional)

Massage the octopus with salt and after 15 minutes, rinse it thoroughly with water.

Bring the cooking liquid to the boil add the washed octopus and enough water to cover, if necessary.   Simmer for 40-50 minutes or until the octopus is tender.  Remove from the heat and let the octopus cool in the liquid.

Strain the octopus, remove the dark membrane and separated into tentacles.   Then cut into pieces or leave whole, and pack into sterilized jars.

For the pickling mixture, bring the vinegar and water to the boil.   Divide the garlic cloves, bay leaves, star anise, peppercorns and chilies, if using., among the jars.   Then pour enough of the hot vinegar/water mixture to cover.   Seal and store the jars in dark, cool place for 24 hours at least, before serving.   Once opened, place the jar in the fridge, and use for, not later, that one week.

Serve, thinly sliced over interesting salads, like the ones given below.

                                            CRACKED WHEAT SALAD

   

                          

                     
                                             

This is my favourite recipe for a cracked wheat salad.   It has more herbs and vegetables that the traditional recipe and can be served both as a first or a side dish.

120 g cracked wheat, soaked in vegetable stock, for 30 minutes, and strained

250 g (½ lb) firm tomatoes, skinned, deseeded and diced

1 cup chopped parsley

2 tbsp chopped mint

2 heaped tbsp finely cubed yellow and red peppers

4-6 spring onions, finely chopped

4 tbsp lemon juice or according to preference

The grated rind on 1 lemon

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/8 tsp Cayenne pepper

4-6 tbsp olive oil

Pat the strained cracked wheat with a kitchen towel to remove any moisture and place in large bowl.  Add all the remaining ingredients and toss gently but thoroughly, cover and place in the fridge overnight.

Just before serving, taste and add salt, pepper and lemon juice, if necessary and stir.  Serve the salad garnished with tender cos lettuce leaves.

                      FENNEL BULB ORANGE AND LETTUCE SALAD

Do prepare this lovely salad.

A cos lettuce, shredded

1 large fennel bulb, very finely sliced

1 large orange, filleted

1-2 spring onions, finely chopped in a slant

A few fennel sprigs, chopped

Dressing:

1 tbsp lemon juice

2-3 tbsp orange juice

Salt and pepper

1 tsp mustard

1 tsp honey

125 ml (½ cup) olive oil

First make the dressing.   Stir the first 5 ingredients very well together.   Then pour in the olive oil gradually, whipping until the dressing thickens.

Place the lettuce in a salad bowl,, arrange the sliced fennel bulbs on top and garnish the orange, evenly, on top.   Sprinkle with spring onions and chopped fennel sprigs, drizzle with salad dressing and toss the salad.