Kitchen Conundrum

Breads, Blossoms and More with Kea Artisanal

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The next class at Kea Artisanal was one that featured one of my favorite vegetables- garlic! We made a garlic spread called Skordalia. It’s made by combining mashed potatoes, blanched almonds, garlic and yogurt together with olive oil and lemons. It’s a traditional dip used with fried vegetables or as a spread on breads. It’s smooth, garlicky, lemony, tangy and simply delicious. It may be my new favorite condiment. I could easily see this being used instead of horseradish or tartar sauce on fish or meats.

Using the leftover tomato salad from the previous day’s lunch, Aglaia made a type of flat bread based on the traditional Laganes (flat bread) she normally makes. The salad was pureed in the blender and added to the dough instead of water or other liquids. Then, it was topped with cheese, fresh tomatoes and baked. It was very similar to a Ciabatta or Focaccia but was much more dense and crusty.

We also made three other types of Laganes, one with local sausages and cheese and one that was striped with sesame seeds, poppy seeds and red pepper and mahlep and one that was had Za’atar with red pepper flakes.

We then made a delicate batter to coat pieces of vegetables and stuffed beautiful zucchini blossoms with a piece of feta cheese and a sprig of mint to be gently fried and promptly devoured.

Even with all the breads and fried vegetables, it was surprisingly a light lunch, but quite filling!

Of course, the wine was flowing and a nap was definitely in order for the afternoon!  This is a lifestyle I could get used to for certain! Traditionally, Greeks eat their largest meal midday then go home to sleep in the afternoon only to awake and have a light dinner at 10pm. The tavernas don’t fill up until nearly 11pm each night and the kids are just going to clubs at 12 or 1am. It’s a great country for night owls.

In the afternoon, after returning to our hotel for our naps, we were picked up for a hike to the archeological site at Karthaea on the southeast coast of the island.  The scenery was absolutely stunning and the mountain we climbed down to the sea was actually rather steep.

Normally I would say that one climbs up first then down, but our hike was in reverse and we ended the hike with a challenging uphill climb. I confess that I am embarrassingly and woefully out of shape and without the good graciousness of our guide, Costas, I would still be on the beach at the bottom of the mountain. He carried my bag back up, gave me a walking stick and motivated me all the way with encouraging words.  I huffed and puffed all the way up and remarked that when I told Ari I might not return from Greece, I didn’t think it would be because I had died of a heart attack along the way. At the top, I drank nearly a half liter of water in one swallow while Costas was asking who wanted wine! So glad I made it back up that hill!

Then he presented us with a lovely package of what was to be mezze but was really enough to be a full dinner. Legs shaking and catching my breath, I ate heartily a marinated octopus salad, breads we had made earlier and a delicious salad.

The next morning, we were taken to through the Hora, or main town, of Ioulida. Costas guided us through the Archaeological Museum showing us pieces from excavations from around the island, sites such as ancient Karthaea and the prehistoric settlement of Agia Irini were featured.  We then walked up to the ancient “smiling lion” that is resting on a hillside just outside of town. No one seems to know who placed it there or how long it’s actually been there (there are some that say it’s as old as 600 B.C.) and it’s been a source of folklore throughout the island for centuries.

After our excursion, we enjoyed a lunch of mezzes and a flavorful fish soup filled with potatoes, carrots and zucchini at a taverna called Magazes in the main port of Korissia. Aglaia has worked with the owners and chefs at this restaurant to ensure that all the ingredients are fresh and never prepackaged. Everything from stocks to sauces and spreads are made on site and you can tell the quality of the dishes is very high. We really enjoyed our meal there.

We spent a little time afterward shopping in the port town and then making our way back to our hotel.  I had some time before being picked up again so I went to a church and excavation site at Ayia Irini. The church was locked, but I was able to see a bit of the site and rooms that were being dug.

In the afternoon, we were picked up from our hotels and brought back to Aglaia’s kitchen to make Amygdalota, the traditional flour-less almond cookie of the Cyclades.  This delightful cookie has a slight crunch on the outside and is chewy in the middle with the flavor of a macaroon and the texture of an oatmeal cookie. They are addictive and I would suggest making a double recipe!


Our dinner consisted of breads, salads, and vegetables but the highlight of the evening was an olive oil tasting, a cheese tasting, and a red wine tasting! We tasted some everyday olive oils and some oils flavored with lemons and oranges and then some extra virgin oils. Each one was very distinctive in flavor and I loved the Biolea Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil as well as Aglaia’s and Costas’ own pressing.

Greece produces an incredible variety of cheese types and each part of the country has its own recipes and secrets that make their cheese unique and often times, the cheese is made seasonally in small batches for local consumption only.  Surprisingly, Greeks currently have the highest per capita consumption of cheese in the world, estimated at 22 kilos per person annually, edging out even the French.

We were excited to try over 15 different types of cheese beginning with some mild varieties and fetas and moving to heavily flavored cheeses.  Some of my favorites included Graviera that was aged only 1 year from Naxos and a Kaseri, a creamy, mild, mostly sheep’s milk, semi-hard cheese not too unlike a sharp cheddar. Another one I enjoyed was a Nigella seed studded cheese also from Naxos that was dry and crumbly but had a very floral flavor. There were ones that I didn’t particularly like such as a Manoura Sifno Gylomeni, a full fat sheep’s milk hard cheese aged in wine sediments (Lees) from the island of Sifnos that really had an overpowering pungent flavor. There was also a Melipasto, a sea-washed cheese made on the island of Limnos that had been soaked in honey. The sweetness of the honey didn’t even tame the peppery flavor of this hard cheese.  It was really too hot and spicy for my tastes.  Artisanal cheeses aside, one of my favorites was the regular packaged feta cheese that we enjoyed every day, Plataion brand, which can be found in the grocery store. It’s mild, not too salty and perfect for just eating with just about everything.

While we were trying cheeses, the red wine was flowing and some lovely varieties passed through our lips. I especially enjoyed the Paros Moraitis and the Estate Theodorakakos Mavroudi wines. I hope that I will be able to find them here in NYC.

Needless to say, I slept very well that night.

Making Yalantzi Dolmas and A Wine Tasting Lunch

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Greece-141We began our classes at Kea Artisanal for the week by taking a tour of Aglaia and Costas’ expansive gardens that surround their beautiful home and by learning about the abundant plants that live there. I was amazed at the different varieties they have growing and how they really survived “off the land” cooking with whatever vegetables and herbs were being harvested at the time. Maintaining a garden like this is quite a lot of work but Costas is really dedicated to it and he is incredibly knowledgeable about all of the plants they grow. I learned quite a lot and saw plants that I had never seen in person before.

(Top to Bottom Right Side: Squash, Lemon Tree, Artichoke Bottom Row: Za’atar, Figs, Garden, Onions)

 

He then showed us how to choose the grape vine leaves we would use to make Yalantzi Dolmas,  grape leaves stuffed with rice and herbs. We were to pick the tender green ones that were somewhat newer and thinner than the older, heartier ones.  It turns out that they actually feel quite different from one another and the color is a bit lighter. We also picked fresh mint, fennel fonds, parsley and Purslane (a new herb for me!)

After the leaves were blanched for a minute, we combined all the ingredients for the filling and learned the technique for rolling them into perfect packages that wouldn’t unwrap while they were cooking.

Dolmas

We also hollowed out an assortment of vegetables that we filled with their sautéed pulps, rice and herbs and then roasted in the oven.

Roasted Vegetables

Of course everything had a healthy coating of olive oil. I honestly have never used so much olive oil in my life! Greeks consume more olive oil than any other nation in the world; I have seen numbers ranging from 20 to 40 liters per person annually!  Whatever the number is, I am clearly not using enough at home!  We were very lucky to use oil that Aglaia and Costas produced last season with their new press, a huge investment for them, but well worth it when the yield was so high in quality. I will have to try and find one of similar caliber in NY, but, buyer beware!  Not all oils are created equally. Aglaia has a very good article on her blog about deodorized oils that should be read before you go out and buy olive oil.

While everything we prepared was cooking, Costas readied the kid that would be served at lunch and gathered the white wines we would taste throughout the meal.

We also had an opportunity to taste a black mackerel roe with lemon oil and some marinated octopus, neither of which I enjoyed too much but I am happy that I at least tried them.  They are certainly acquired tastes!

When it was time for the meal, we all gathered around the table and enjoyed our long Mediterranean lunch that we helped to create. I think everything tasted ten times better than anything I had ever had before!  I could have eaten the dolmas all by myself!  Served warm they were phenomenal but a  few days later, after they had been chilled and cooled and the flavors had time to develop, they were far superior to any of the canned versions I have had at home.  I don’t think I will be able to eat the canned variety any longer!

We tried at least eight to ten different white wines throughout the course of the afternoon.  Costas had given us a sheet of notes so that we could remember the ones we tried and hopefully be able to find back home. He explained each wine, their terroirs, their growing regions and of course the grapes themselves.  By the end, we were filled to the brim and happy for a light dessert of cherries and mastic flavored ice cream.  And then a long afternoon nap!

Our evening was free to explore the island and it’s many tavernas, but we were so full from our feast that just a scenic view and some light mezze filled the spot.  I was invited to join my new friends from Maine and we spent the evening chatting, overlooking the port and watching the sun set.


Kea Artisanal, Welcome to the Island of Kea and to Your Culinary Vacation

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After an exhausting but wonderful two days sightseeing in Athens, it was nice to board the ferry on the way to the island of Kea (Pronounced “kay ah” and also known as Tzia) to begin the culinary vacation portion of my trip at Kea Artisanal. Just an hour’s ferry ride from the mainland, the boat launches from the port of Lavrio, about 45 minutes south-east of Athens. To get there, a driver, Loukas, was arranged from Kea Artisanal to take us to the port.  Loukas picked me up from Eleni’s apartment and we made a stop at the airport to pick up a mother and daughter that were also attending the program. We had several hours before our departure so he took the scenic route, showing us the beautiful coast of Greece and even stopping a few times for us to take pictures, put our toes in the sea and a highlight, a trip to Sounio to see the Temple of Poseidon.  He was so sweet to take us all around and we really appreciated the mini tour!

Loukas left us at the port with just an hour or so to spare where the three of us sat outside in a “cantina” and had a little lunch. We ate a very odd sandwich that we thought was to be a gyro, but it was topped with ketchup and mustard and served on a sesame seed hoagie roll. So much for our authentic gyro experience! We were really hoping for tzatziki sauce!

The island of Kea is not as “touristy” as many of the other Greek Islands. It is one of the largest Cycladic islands and has only around 2,800 permanent residents. The island is a popular weekend getaway for Athenians who want to leave the summer heat of the city for some rest and relaxation by the sea.

It provides an incredibly diverse landscape with soaring hills and mountains, ravines and beaches and private coves. There are also several picturesque vistas that are perfect for watching the sunset.  A series of hiking trails, both for the beginner or very advanced adventurer can be found to keep visitors active during their stay on the island. We were able to experience all of these things during our stay.

Kea Artisanal, a culinary vacation program, is operated by Aglaia Kremezi and her husband Costas Moraitis.  Aglaia, an esteemed journalist and cookbook author, conducts the hands on cooking lessons highlighting authentic Greek specialties while Costas introduces the attendees to various Greek wines, cheeses, honeys and the extensive herb and vegetable gardens they grow throughout their stunning property.

We arrived on Kea and were greeted by Costas and taken to our various hotels. I had chosen to stay at the Porto Kea Suites which is located within walking distance of the port and just across the street from a beach. The hotel has a lovely pool which I tried to take advantage of on a few occasions. My room, a garden view double, was rather small but perfect for one person or possibly two people who are very close. The room was well appointed with a refrigerator, a microwave, free wired internet, a small tv and a very comfortable bed. I especially loved the very large front porch with a table and chairs so you could spend time outside enjoying the garden and the mountain view.  My one complaint is that the room was exceptionally dark inside even with all the lights on, so it made it very difficult to tell if it were day or night whenever you were in the room.  Thankfully, when I was there, I just needed to sleep but when it was time to wake up, it was often a shock to open the door to such bright sun. I felt as though I was emerging from a cave and I never knew what time it really was.

The best part of my stay there was the breakfast that was included in the room rate. Each morning guests could choose from an a la carte menu which included eggs, toasts, pastries, and pancakes. I enjoyed a large bowl of yogurt with honey each day with a pot of coffee. I had never experienced yogurt so thick, rich and creamy. It was quite unlike the “Greek” yogurt you get at the grocery store here in the states. It was not grainy or dry at all. It was like eating a bowl of sweet silky cool cream. Heaven!

Once we were settled into our rooms and had rested a bit from our trip to the island, Costas had taxis pick us up to attend a Welcome Dinner at their home on the first night.

First we met our group which consisted of five people, a mother and daughter from North Carolina and Los Angeles, respectively and a couple from Maine. Everyone was incredibly nice and soon enough we were fast friends.  Our group melded really well and I was relieved that everyone was so warm and welcoming. Aglaia and Costas introduced us to some friends that were dining with us that evening and we engaged in some lively discussions. I knew then, that it was going to be a great week!

I had vowed before I left that I would try absolutely everything that was offered during my stay and it began at the Welcome Dinner.

The menu started with white wine and mezze such as olives plucked  directly from their trees, marinated artichokes and carrots and dips such as smoked mackerel and scallion spread, eggplant and pepper spread all served with Aglaia’s Sourdough Laganes (flat breads) and Ladenia (Cycladic flat bread with tomato and onions). It was so delightful and fulfilling that it would have been enough but we moved to their beautiful wooden outdoor table for dinner.

We enjoyed a fresh fava bean, lemon and baby carrot salad followed by charcoal-grilled octopus. This was my first experience with octopus and it was delicious. It had a subtle smoky flavor and was a bit crunchy on the outside and chewy in the middle with a texture similar to sausage. I was worried about the suction cups but you didn’t even notice them. The best part is that it didn’t have any fishy aftertaste.

The main course was a roasted rabbit with dried fruit, garlic, olives and capers served with yellow and red beets and beet greens. Again, I had never experienced rabbit and found it was delicately gamey, but lends itself well to the rich, flavorful, vinegary marinade of the olives and capers with the sweetness of the dried apricots and other fruits. The flavor reminded me of the Chicken Marbella recipe from the Silver Palate cookbook that is one of my favorites.

With each course, we were introduced to more wines and before long we were completely satiated. But not before dessert arrived!  It was a delicately sweet Myzithra (fresh cheese) parfait with fresh orange cream and kumquats served with a homemade lemon liqueur to be sipped on the side.

The perfect evening ended and we were returned to our hotel rooms to dream about the week of foods to come.