TRAINING COURSE: FOOD CULTURE
HELLENIC CULTURE CENTRE SANTORINI 2017
ProductsofSantorini island
White Eggplant
Another rare product of the Santorini soil with many comparative advantages. It has very few seeds, does not absorb much oil when fried and has a particularly sweet taste. So sweet that there is no need to de-bitter it at all. You will find white eggplant dishes at various restaurants on the island. It is really worth trying ‘melitzanosalata’ (white eggplant paste)!
Caper
Essential for accompanying salads and fava, caper is always present in every real Santorinian dish. It is a wild bush thriving in rocky areas; that is why it is said that “caper is planted by ants”. It is collected at the end of spring and throughout summer. From the bush are taken the ‘kaparokoumba’ (caper buds) and ‘kaparofilla’ (caper leaves). Once they soak in water for at least one week, with the water being regularly renewed in order to take the bitterness out, they turn into pickles by adding vinegar and salt. Caper buds are also dried out in order to be used in various dishes. Caper packed in glass jars can be bought at the Association Cooperative of Theraic Products, while caper spoon-sweets and other rare caper products are sold exclusively at Carlos store in Akrotiri.
Cherry Tomato
Being the most famous and popular product of Santorini, cherry tomatoes with the slightly hardest skin and rich juicy body, can be savoured fresh, sun-dried, in the form of paste or even as spoon-sweet. Cherry tomatoes used to be systematically cultivated before the earthquake.Most probably the tomato was introduced to Santorini by local captains who transported soil from Santorini to Egypt for the building of the Suez Canal. Due to the dryness of the soil the tomato, which is sometimes no bigger than a cherry, is so delicious that at one point there were 10 factories on Santorini exporting tomato paste. In the early 20th century in particular, Santorini’s tomato and its soil were the island’s main exports but this small industry was destroyed by the 1956 earthquake and by the fact that its modest production yields could not withstand stiff competition. Today, the tomato is one of the island’s typical products and a factory (Association Cooperative of Theraic Products) producing tomato paste gives hope for the future. In addition to tomato paste, delicious fresh salads as well as the unique tomato croquettes can be made with Santorini tomatoes.
Fava
Had you ever thought that a fava could differ from another one? Indeed, should you place the Santorinian fava next to another one, the difference in taste is obvious! The first one has a much more full taste. The reason for this is not only the soil. The Santorinian fava is unique because it comes from a different variety of fava bean, Lathyrus Clymenum, which according to excavations in Akrotiri has existed on the island since 3.500 years ago. One of the first factories producing fava is that of Spyros Nomikos in Vothonas. You will try it with onion, octopus, caramelized onions, pieces of pork meat, even with cuttlefish.
Peanuts
Although peanut trees in Santorini seemed to have declined paying the price for touristic development, Yannis Nomikos and his model craft enterprise Agroktima, located in Vothonas, brought Santorinian peanuts back again to the island products’ list in 2006. Parched and very mature in taste, they are sun-dried twice –once before and once after being salted– and are sold in packages at the island’s supermarkets.
Hloro Tyri
Its production is very small, so the likelihood to find it on the island is really low. It is a fresh caprine (goat) cheese with creamy texture, made by the locals usually for domestic use. You can occasionally find it at the Selene restaurant.
Greek / Santorini salad
Ingredients
4 large tomatoes, cut into irregular wedges
1 cucumber, peeled, deseeded, then roughly chopped
½ a red onion, thinly sliced
6-8 olives
1 tsp dried oregano
85g feta cheese, cut into chunks (barrel matured feta is the best)
4 tbsp Greek extra virgin olive oil
Some vinegar, if you wish
Capers, caper leaves, andparsley are also optional.
Preparation
In a large bowl cut the cherry tomatoes in half, slice the cucumber and cut the onion in thin, half-moon slices.
Add the capers and caper leaves, oil, salt and oregano at the end.
Serve with hloro cheese or Feta cheese on top.
Tips: Cut the tomatoes just before eating. Add the salt at the end.
Do not use any pepper.
Tzatziki appetiserIngredients
150g Greek yoghurt
One cucumber
2 - 4 crushed garlic cloves
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp lemon juice (or white wine vinegar)
1 tsp chopped or dried dill (or mint)
1/2 tsp salt
Pepper to taste
Preparation
Slice the cucumber in half lengthways and cut or scrape out the seeds – this is where most of the water content is. Grate the remaining cucumber.
Place the grated cucumber in a sieve, rest it on a bowl and add some sea salt. Give it a stir, and leave to drain for a few hours, or overnight in the fridge. Stir now and again, helping it along by pushing the liquid out with a spoon.Combine with the garlic mixture, then stir through the yoghurt until evenly distributed.
Add all ingredients in a bowl and mix. Serve cold, with one olive and olive oil.
Tips: An essential step is removing the liquid from the grated cucumber to prevent the yoghurt from becoming diluted and thin, which would affect both the flavour and texture.
Another key point is to use thick and strained yoghurt for an authentic texture – runny Greek yoghurt is more suitable if you want to achieve a sauce.
Lemon chicken with potatoesIngredients
1/2 cup olive oil
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
2 lemons, juiced
1 (4 pound) chicken, cut into pieces
Preparation
In a glass dish, mix the olive oil, garlic, rosemary, thyme, oregano, and lemon juice. Place the chicken pieces in the mixture, cover, and marinate (from 20 min to 8 hours or overnight).Cut potatoes in large pieces.
Lightly oil the grill grate. Place chicken and potatoes on the grill, discard the marinade, and add some more olive oil on top. Cook chicken pieces up to 15 minutes per side, until juices run clear.
Tip: add some mustard before cooking it.
Preheat grill for high heat.
Yogurt with spoon sweet on topWe need Greek yogurt.
On top we place spoon sweet, made of any fresh fruit or even some vegetables
Spoon sweet
A traditional and delightful Greek custom is the offering of spoon sweets to guests as a symbol of hospitality. They are called spoon sweets because the usual serving size is a well-filled teaspoon.
Legend has it that when the custom first began, everyone took their sweet from the same bowl in order to assure that it was safe for all to eat ... not poisoned.
The ancient Greeks savored combinations of nuts and fruits with sweeteners like honey andpetimezi(grape molasses). However, it was during Ottoman times, when sugar was more readily available, that syrupy preserves of fruit, rinds, nuts, and sometimes vegetables became well known. Spoon sweets were favorites of the Turkishpashas(governors) during the Ottoman occupation of Greece, and they became a part of the Greek culinary experience.
Fruits, nuts, and vegetables are harvested when firm (often slightly underripe) and made into spoon sweets. These sweets are made with simple, natural ingredients that transform them into something entirely new, exciting, and delicious.
Tip: It should be quite syrupy - but thick enough to coat a metalspoon
Green Salad/ marouliIngredients
Lettuce
Dill
Fresh onion
Salt, olive oil
Finely chopped lettuce, dill, fresh onion, and scallions with extra virgin olive oil and a touch of lemon juice and / or vinegar. Add one olive on top.
Tip: you can add croutons.
Tomato croquettes
Ingredients
1½ kilos of Santorini(or any other kind of) cherrytomatoes
4dried onions
1/2 bunch of peppermint
Salt according to taste
Freshly ground pepper
4-5 spoonfuls self-raising flour
Olive oil for frying
Half a bunch of parsley (optional)
Preparation
Cut the tomatoes into small squares and squish with your hands to drain.
Finely chop the onions and herbs/spices and mix them all together in a bowl.
Add salt and pepper.
Add the cherry tomatoes.
Stir in as much flour as needed for the mixture to becomefirm. Add salt and pepper and knead the mixture.
Put the olive oil into a hot pan. Roll the croquette mixture into walnut size balls.
Fry until wellbrowned on both sides.
Drainon absorbent paper and serve.
Rice Pudding/ RizogaloIngredients
- Place milk, sugar and lemon peel (just the peel - none of the pith) in a heavy saucepan
- Cover the pan and cook until the rice / milk mixture has gone thick and creamy (about 30-35 minutes).
- Turn off heat
- Whisk together egg yolks with corn flour.
- Quickly whisk egg yolks into the rice mixture, stirring well.
Tip: it takes quite a bit of stirring for the pudding to thicken but the result will definitely reward you!
Homely, comforting and extra creamy! Greek rice pudding (rizogalo) is a no butter, egg-free traditional Greek recipe, which looks more like a thick custard than a pudding and is flavored with vanilla, lemon peel or orange zest. Perfectly served warm, at room temperature or straight out from the fridge, this extra creamy Greek rice pudding recipe (rizogalo) is a definite must-try treat.
Chicken in vinsanto, peppers and Santorini sun-dried tomatoesIngredients
• 6 chicken parts
• 3-4 tbsp Olive oil
• 2 coloured peppers (orange, yellow)
• ½ cup sweet Vinsanto wine
• few Santorini sun-dried tomatoes
• Salt
Preparation
Wash the chicken and leave to drain. Heat the oil and add the chicken. Turn in the oil for 5 minutes. Add the wine and cook 2-3 minutes. Add 1 cup water and cook for 5-10 minutes. Add the peppers cut into large pieces and boil for another 10 minutes.
Finally, season with salt, add the tomatoes and boil all together for 20 minutes, adding water as needed. Don’t turn often during the last phase.
"Tiropitakia" - Cheese piesIngredients
Fyllo dough(pastry sheets)
½ k. feta cheese
1 (or 2)eggs
pepper, salt, origano
3⁄4 cup meltedbutteror olive oil
Milk
Optional: 1 cup grated kefalotiri or 1 cup parmesan cheese
Optional: 1⁄3cup choppedparsley(chopped spearmint is also nice)
Preparation
Crumble or mash the feta cheese with a fork or hands.
Add the grated cheese, egg(s) and pepper.Cut pastry sheets in strips about 2x12 inches.Brush a strip of phyllo with melted butter/ oil, lay another strip on top and brush that one with butter / oil too.
Continue folding pastry strip from side to side in the shape of a triangle until the entire pastry strip covers the filling. Proceed in this manner with remaining pastry strips and filling until all are used.
Put"tiropitakia" on a buttered baking sheet, brush generously with melted butter/ oil and bake in a moderate oven for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.Serve hot.
Pantespani – Greek sponge cake (Mrs Popi’s recipe)Ingredients
6 eggs
Sugar (as much sugar as 6 eggs weight)
Flour (as much flour as 3 eggs weight)
Vanilla powder
Preparation
We mix well the egg yolks with the sugar. Beat for 3-4 minutes
Then we mix/ beat the egg whites in a separate bowl.
After that we put all together and add the flour and some vanilla powder.
Lightly grease bottom and sides of a 15 3/4 X 12 inch (or equivalent) pan / roasting pan with the butter, dust with flour, and transfer cake batter to the pan.
We bake the sweet for about 50 min in 170 C.
Tip: Do not open the oven during baking except to test for doneness.
Mixed vegetables grilledIngredients
Different vegetables like aubergines, zucchini, carrots, mushrooms, potatoes etc
Preparation
Place a grill pan over medium-high heat or prepare the barbecue (medium-high heat).
Brush the vegetables with 1/4 cup of the oil to coat lightly.
Sprinkle the vegetables with origano and pepper.
Working in batches, grill the vegetables until tender and lightly charred all over. Add salt and balsamic vinegar.
Portokalopita- Orange pie
Ingredients
One packet of filo pastry 450-500 gr
1 cup of sunflower or corn oil
1 small cup of sugar
1 small cup of orange juice
4-5 eggs
Orange zest
One sachet of baking powder (20 grams)
One strained yogurt or cream.
One sachet of vanilla extract (optional)
For the syrup:
2 small cups of sugar
2 glasses of water
Orange zest
Cinnamon
Preparation
Open packet of filo pastry and spread over oven dish.
Beat the eggs in a bowl. Add the sunflower oil, baking powder, orange juice, sugar and the yogurt or cream.
Add one sachet of vanilla powder extract (optional)
Mix well and pour over the filo pastry
Bake in an oven preheated at 180-200◦C for 30-35 minutes.
Preparing the syrup.
In a saucepan boil: 2 cups of water, 2 glasses of sugar and the orange peel.
Remove the cake from the oven, allow to cool, then pour the syrup over it.
Potato saladIngredients
5 -6 largepotatoes, cooked (I peel them and nuke them on high for 12 minutes, leave in microwave for another hour.)
11⁄2tablespoons finely mincedgarlic
1teaspoonsalt
1tablespoonred wine vinegar or 11⁄2lemons, juice of
3⁄4cupolive oil
1cup choppedparsley(or spearmint)
1-2 eggs, capers, optional: caper leaves
Preparation
Drain the (hot) potatoes of any liquid and cut into nice big chunks.
Add all the ingredients, except parsley and stir, carefully, to incorporate the oil into the potato
Many of the potato chunks will start to puree and others will stay in nice big pieces- texturally you're going from creamy to chunky in ever bite. When the salad has cooled a bit, add the parsley
Tip: If it's not all gone by the end of the day, it can be used as the base for a yummy (garlicky) soup.
Tyrokafteri- Spicy cheese saladIngredients
Feta chees
Olive oil
Boukovo (chili peppers smashed)
Black pepper
Optional: dill or parsley, one Florina sweet red pepper
Preparation
Mix all ingredients in the mixer to have a puree
Serve with some boukovo and olive oil, and one olive on the top. Good with a pita pie as a dip.
Tip: add a bit of (white) vinegar or lemon
Fasolia Gigantes- Giant beans in the ovenIngredients
Giant beans (best are from Kastoria)
Carrots
Salt, pepper, oregano
Fresh tomatoes
Celery
Parsley
Garlic
Preparation
(Optional: put the beans in a bowl of water the night before cooking)
Boil the beans in water (about 40 min).
Take the beans and put them in a roasting pan.
Add all ingredients in small pieces and bake for 45 minutes in 200 C.
Tip: you can add some tomato paste, especially if is coming from Santorini
Halva 1-2-3-4 (Mrs Athina ‘s recipe, from Constantinople)
Ingredients
1 glass of virgin olive oil (if you want it lighter, replace half of the olive oil with sunflower oil)
2 glassesofsemolina (large grains)
3 glasses of sugar
4 glasses of water
Cinnamon, some drops of lemon juice
Optional: nuts, almonds, raisins
Preparation
Weneedtwocasseroles. In the one casserole we boil in low temperature the water with sugar and could add some cinnamon and lemon, this is the syrup.
Inthesecondcasseroleweputtheoiland add the semolina. We cook until semolina changes colour (and according to your taste. Some cooks prefer it slightly brown)
We take the two casseroles out of the fire and let them be a bit colder. Then we add the syrup to the casserole with oil and semolina. We again put on the fire and cook for some 3-5 minutes, so that it will be a mixture. We serve warm or cold and add cinnamon on top.
Tips:incaseyouwanttomakeitricher, addthe nuts, raisins, almonds while semolina is being cooked. You can add cinnamon to the semolina too, while being cooked.
Zuccini croquettes
Ingredients
1½ kilos of zucchini
2-3 mature tomatoes
4 dried onions
One egg
Feta cheese
1/2 bunch of peppermint
Salt according to taste
Freshly ground pepper
4-5 spoonfuls self-raising flour
Olive oil for frying
Half a bunch of parsley (optional)
Preparation
Cut the zucchini and the tomatoes into small squares and squish with your hands to drain. Finely chop the onions and herbs/spices and mix them all together in a bowl.
Add the egg, the feta cheese, salt and pepper.
Stir in as much flour as needed for the mixture to become firm. Add salt and pepper and knead the mixture.Put the olive oil into a hot pan. Roll the croquette mixture into walnut size balls.Fry until well browned on both sides. Drain on absorbent paper and serve.
Tips: served with yogurt.
Καλήόρεξη! (kali orexi!) Bon appetit! Enjoy your meal!
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