I spend several hours a week happily reading blogs written by expats and relocated Americans living in Greece, and recently, over at Rice, beans, and pastichio, blogger Cheryl posted wonderful photos of her winter garden - reminding me once again of the abundance of winter greens and their place in Greek cooking.
Spinach is perhaps the best known leafy green used in Greek recipes - Spanakopita - spinach pie - has become famous the world over - and many other recipes with greens that are well known outside of Greece also feature spinach, but all are equally delicious with other greens.
If you love greens and are looking for new and tasty ways to work them into your family meals, here are just a few ideas for winter greens that include chard, sorrel, turnip greens, mustard greens, collards, beet greens, Romaine, and more. Just take a look in your garden or local grocery for more greens, and use your imagination when incorporating them into recipes you know and love.
- If the leaves are large enough, stuff them. Romaine and chard leaves are particular favorites in my home (in addition to cabbage - always a winter favorite), especially for making Meatless Stuffed Leaves with Rice & Herbs.
- Mix two or more greens in your next spinach pie, with feta or without, or just go for fabulous Hortopitakia (small fried greens pies).
- Choose an interesting new green to make Wilted Green Salad, adjusting cooking time to the sweetness or bitterness of the greens (sweeter greens need less time).
- Swap out the spinach in Spanakorizo (spinach and rice) with another winter green for a lovely warming winter side or meatless main dish.
- Check out recipes for greens on my list of Favorite Winter Vegetables.
These wonderful leafy greens are healthy and delicious - and a mainstay in the Greek diet. Fall in love with them!
Note From My Seasonal Calendar: Greek Orthodox Easter falls on April 27th this year, and this week, I start saving the skins from yellow onions to dye the traditional red eggs. I use the skins of 15 onions to dye 12 eggs, and because I make a lot of eggs, I need to save the skins from a lot of onions. If you're planning to dye eggs this way, do the math and make a note on your calendar.
Photo © N. Gaifyllia, licensed to About.com, Inc.
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Comments
Thanks for the mention Nancy! As usual, you’ve provided great ideas for the use of these greens. MIL watched the kids for the weekend and was in heaven because she could go to the garden pick what she needed to cook as she lives in the city. Again, great ideas and great post!
I love holidays when city dwelling friends and relatives come to the country… and we send them home with the ever-present plastic bags filled to overflowing with greens either from the garden or (more usually) picked in the wild!
That post was indeed quite special, story and photos combined. I wish I had a garden, but space and environment are difficult to come by in Athens. I’m always afraid my garden will be polluted by toxins.
Air quality can be such a problem! I think it’s one of the reasons that those of us who move from the city to the country jump into gardening so enthusiastically!