Thank goodness my garden is churning out tomatoes because all I want for lunch these days is dakos. That’s the Cretan rendition of what Italians call bruschetta. In Crete they use rock-hard rusks, first softening them in water, then drenching them in olive oil and heaping them with grated tomato and feta. No wonder the Cretans live forever. In my view, this is just about the tastiest and most wholesome quick lunch you can make.
Read moreMove Over, Avocado Toast
This is fig week in Napa Valley, where I live. Seems like everyone’s backyard crop matures at once. Ripe figs wait for no one. Use ’em or lose ’em. Poking around online for inspiration, I stumbled on an appealing Greek recipe that I would be making for dinner guests if only we could have dinner guests. Oh, well. More for me. Roasted figs, feta, honey, thyme, lemon, sesame seeds—plus my secret ingredient. Soooo good.
Read moreDip of My Dreams
Greek salad dip…brilliant. Two of everyone’s favorite foods—hummus and Greek salad—come together on one plate. Wish I’d thought of it. With cucumbers, tomatoes and basil in their glory right now, and good weather luring us outdoors, this layered dip is the perfect start to a summer evening. Use store-bought hummus and pita chips to keep it simple or make your own.
Read moreThis Meze’s Moment
June = peas. Peas = feta. Maybe that’s not the way you think, but my mind turns to feta every time I see the season’s first sweet English peas. That’s because one of my favorite Greek meze is the pea, feta and dill salad from Kokkari, the acclaimed San Francisco restaurant. I collaborated on the restaurant’s cookbook with chef Erik Cosselmon several years ago, and many of the Kokkari recipes entered my repertoire, but this one is probably the one I make the most. With warm pita and chilled rosé, you have the perfect first course.
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