Cuisine: The Greeks have a word for it

The late English novelist Nevil Shute once reasoned that the "old countries" of Britain and Europe invested in youth by raising them to the age of 18 or 20, at which point, many of them emigrated to places like Canada, America or Australia, leaving their native lands the poorer. He actually managed to put a monetary value on this and labeled it a avery bad investment indeed.

On the flip side of this coin are the receiving countries, which are rendered more vibrant and exciting because of the new wave of ideas and people. Our own has been made up of immigrants or refugees since its inception, and the fabric of our lives is a rich tapestry of foreign influence. This is especially true in culinary matters — hardly a town exists in this country without a pizza parlor or a Chinese take-out place, and that's only the tip of the iceberg. Glance at the yellow pages of any city in America to find out just how much we depend on other cuisines in our restaurants.

A case in point is Greek food. Church festivals have introduced many people to the delicious recipes used by Greek cooks, and there are many such restaurants around the country.

A visit to Greece might disappoint you in some respects. The country which was always famous for fish is suffering like others that border the Mediterranean from pollution of the waters, over-fishing and poor catches of late.

However, there is much else to enjoy in their cuisine. Making Greek dishes at home is easy, and most may be done in advance for entertaining. Try these recipes for your next party.

Greek Wedding Soup/Soupa Gamo

Friends who lived in Greece brought back this great recipe.

½ cup barley
1 cup chopped onion
1 minced clove garlic
Olive oil
2 quarts chicken stock
1 cup lentils
1 15-ounce can garbanzo beans
½ cup chopped fresh asparagus (or frozen)
1 cooked chicken breast, skinned and boned
1 pound fresh spinach
1 ½ cup salsa or crushed tomatoes
Salt if needed

In a skillet, sauté barley, onion and garlic in a little hot olive oil. When golden brown, add to stock in a large soup pot. Add lentils and simmer for 8-10 minutes, then stir in a drained can of garbanzo beans. Add asparagus and chopped chicken meat. For this latter, you may use leftover chicken or the meat from a breast of chicken.

Simmer soup while you clean and stem spinach, and add it to the pot. Last, stir in your favorite salsa or crushed tomatoes. Simmer briefly and taste for seasoning; the soup may need salt. Serve with hot Greek or Italian bread spread thickly with garlic butter.

Accompany this with a salad of onions, tomatoes, green peppers, cucumbers, kalamata olives and feta cheese in vinegar and olive oil dressing. A very dry white wine is good with this meal.

Greek Easter Salad/Salata Pascha

Instead of the salad mentioned above, try this simple side dish, holiday or not.

1 head Romaine lettuce
1 bunch chopped scallions
3 Tablespoons fresh chopped dill
1/3 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons lemon juice
Salt and pepper
2 hard-cooked eggs

Cut up Romaine lettuce, place in a bowl with scallions and toss with the dill. Dress with olive oil, lemon juice, salt and fresh cracked pepper. Garnish salad with hard-cooked eggs, coarsely chopped.

Greek Meatballs/Keftedes

There are many ways to make these. In Greece, street stalls often serve them as sandwiches in warm pita bread with sautéed onions and cucumber sauce (see below).

1 pound lean ground lamb (or beef)
½ cup dry breadcrumbs
1 cup chopped onion
1 minced clove garlic
1 beaten egg
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon chopped mint
1 tablespoon snipped parsley
1 teaspoon hot paprika
½ teaspoon coriander
½ teaspoon oregano
½ teaspoon ground allspice
Dry red wine if necessary
Flour for dredging
Olive oil for frying

Combine all ingredients (using wine if required to moisten) except flour and oil. Form into balls about the size of a large walnut. Dredge them with flour and fry them in hot olive oil (not extra virgin). You may serve them hot or warm, on skewers or as part of a dinner.

Cucumber Sauce/Tzadziki

1 medium cucumber
1 cup yogurt or sour cream
1 crushed clove of garlic
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon chopped parsley
minced slice of onion
1 teaspoon good olive oil
Chopped or dried dill and mint as desired

Peel cucumber and remove seeds. Chop fine or whirl in blender or food processor. Place cucumber in a strainer and press out liquid. Allow to drain for 10 minutes, then mix with remaining ingredients. Chill well before serving.

Greek Chicken Barbecue/Poulo Lemonato

Greek cooks fancy a lot of chicken, so try this recipe for your next cook-out.

4 whole chicken legs (2 to 2 ½ pounds)
Marinade:
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
2 tablespoons lemon juice
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon dried dill weed
½ teaspoon fennel seeds, lightly crushed
1 minced clove garlic

Mix marinade ingredients and place with chicken legs in large plastic bag. Turn to coat chicken and leave bag in refrigerator for several hours or overnight, turning occasionally.

Chicken pieces may be grilled over medium coals, basting and turning occasionally, until done-meat will pull away from bone. You may also bake the pieces in a 300-degree oven in a non-stick pan, basting occasionally. Serve with rice and salad to four people.

Greek Rice Pudding/Rizogalo

You can buy or make your own baklava with purchased filo, a very rich dessert, but many Greek meals end with this simple dish.

1 cup long grain rice
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter
1 beaten egg
½ cup honey
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1 teaspoon vanilla
cinnamon
thick cream

Cook rice and salt with water according to package directions. Remove from heat and stir in butter, beaten egg, honey, lemon zest and vanilla. Blend well and pile into serving dish. Dust surface with cinnamon and pass the cream at the table.

Marion Nicolay is a regular contributor to the Marco Island Eagle. Contact her via e-mail at marion387@earthlink.net