A Taste of Greece

Directions

Tzatziki

1. Place a strainer over the top of a large bowl. If the holes in your strainer are quite large, line it with a layer of cheesecloth.

   
   

2. Grate the cucumber. For a rustic look and slightly more chunky sauce, leave the peel on. For a cleaner, softer sauce, peel the cucumber before grating.

   
   

3. Place the cucumber in the strainer, sprinkle with the 1 Tbsp sea salt, and toss gently to ensure the salt has been well distributed. Allow it to sit in the fridge overnight to drain. (You can weigh it down by setting a can on top of a saucer if you like, but I don’t.)

   
   

4. Remove the cucumber from the fridge and squeeze out any remaining liquid by pressing the cucumber down into the strainer or twisting and squeezing the cheesecloth. Transfer the cucumber to a medium-size bowl.

   
   

5. Add the yogurt and olive oil to the cucumber and mix well. Crush the garlic, roughly chop or chiffonade the mint and mix it in along with the garlic, dill and salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with an extra sprig of mint.

   
   

6. This will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
   

Baked Feta

1. Slice the tomatoes and olives in half, roughly chop the onion, and crush then roughly chop the garlic. Add them all to a mixing bowl. Drizzle in the olive oil and lemon juice and sprinkle with the seasonings. Toss to evenly coat.

   
   

2. Line a small baking tray or shallow baking dish with parchment paper. Place the block of feta in the middle of the paper. Top the feta with the tomato mixture, piling it high and allowing some to fall to the side. Scrape out the bowl that the tomato mixture was in, drizzling any residue oil and seasonings over the top of everything.

   
   

3. Bake, uncovered, for 20 minutes, until the tomatoes are starting to caramelize, and the feta has softened. Feta cheese doesn’t melt, but as it warms, it softens and becomes spreadable.

   
   

4. Serve warm with pita crackers, or fresh crusty bread.

   
   

5. This can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
   

Spanakopita

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking tray with parchment paper.

   
   

2. On a floured surface, gently roll out the phyllo pastry. Cover with a slightly damp tea towel and set aside at room temperature until needed.

   
   

3. Dice the onion, crush and roughly chop the garlic and add it to a frying pan with the olive oil over medium heat. Sauté the onion mixture until soft, 2–3 minutes, then sprinkle in the sea salt and stir again. Gently tear up the spinach into small pieces and add it to the pan in batches stirring between additions so the spinach wilts. When all the spinach has been added, sauté. for 2–3 more minutes, until the spinach is soft and tender. Pour in the cream, add the pepper and nutmeg, and continue to stir, still over medium (or medium-high) heat, until the cream thickens, about 5 minutes.

   
   

4. Remove from the heat and transfer to a bowl. Add the feta cheese and mix well to combine.

   
   

5. Using a sharp knife or pizza cutter, slice a 3-inch-wide strip down the long side of the phyllo pastry. Using a pastry brush and a small dish of olive oil, brush the surface of the pastry with olive oil. Place one tablespoon of the spinach feta mixture in the center and about one inch up from the bottom of the pastry. Carefully take two sheets of phyllo in your hand and fold the bottom left corner, over top of the filling to tough the right edge of the strip of pastry. Making a triangle over the filling. Don’t worry if the pastry doesn’t cover the filling entirely. Carefully lift the triangle with the filling and fold it directly upwards. Repeat this sideways fold then upwards folding pattern to wrap up the filling in a triangle of pastry. Brush the fully wrapped triangle with olive oil and place on prepared baking. Repeat with the remaining filling, cutting more strips of phyllo pastry as needed.

   
   

6. Bake for 15 minutes, until golden and puffed. Serve immediately.

   
   

7. These can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. They don’t reheat well, though, so you might prefer to enjoy leftovers cold. If you do decide to reheat them, pop them in a paper bag and warm them up for 10–15 minutes in a warm, not hot, oven.