Kitchen Garden Journal

Wow. I had never cooked okra this way until recently, despite the fact that for years some of our most dedicated okra customers have been Greek, and this is the way they make it. Most people associate okra with food from the Southern US (fried okra, gumbo, etc.), but it is a very popular food in most of the world other than Northern Europe and the northern US. It is widely consumed in Africa (where it originated), South-Eastern Europe, the Middle East, India, Southeast Asia and Japan.

¼ cup olive oil

2 large onions, finely sliced

1 pint tomato puree, plus a little water, if necessary

Scant pinch each of cumin, coriander and cinnamon (optional) 

1 generous pound of okra, stem removed but left whole

Salt & pepper

Heat the oil in a tall-shouldered wide skillet with a lid.  (I used a straight-sided 14” skillet). It’s a lot of oil, but don’t skimp. You want it to be swimming in oil by the end.

Add the onions and saute gently over medium heat until very soft and beginning to caramelize, about 10-15 minutes. Add the tomato puree, spices and okra and mix well. The okra should be packed into the pan and the liquid should not quite cover the okra. Add a little extra water if necessary. Bring to a simmer, cover and stew over low heat for 20 to 30 minutes. Adjust seasoning to taste. Serve warm, with rice, or at room temperature with bread as part of a spread of meze. It’s also great cold, just fished out of the leftover container and eaten with the fingers.

Is it slimy? Yeah, but in the best way possible.

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2 lbs summer squash, cut into the shape of french fries
1 cup flour, more or less
1 lager beer
1 tsp salt
canola oil for frying

Mix the flour, beer, and salt together to form a thin batter.  Heat about ¼ inch of oil in your favorite skillet. Coat the squash sticks in batter and add to the oil in batches, flipping as necessary to crisp all sides. Drain on a paper towel and sprinkle with salt. Serve as an appetizer with drinks.

Greek-Style Spicy Marinara
3 Tbsp olive oil
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 hot chili pepper, chopped into small pieces
1 pint tomato puree
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp salt

Heat the oil in the pan you use for tomato sauce. Saute the garlic briskly until it just starts to brown, add the chilies and stir briefly without inhaling. Add the puree, lemon, oregano and salt and bring to a simmer. Cook it 5-10 minutes until it thickens slightly.

Cheater’s version: Combine 1 pint tomato puree in a bowl with 2 Tbsp chunky Sriracha chili-garlic sauce (the one with the green screw top), lemon juice, oregano and salt and serve directly. This is how we made it last Wednesday at farm crew lunch and it was thoroughly enjoyed by all. We had some leftover batter so we decided to make onion rings as well with our sweet tropea onions. Wow were those ever good.  

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• 2-3 large leeks, cleaned
• 1 large bulb fennel
• 1 pound spinach or chard
• 2 cloves garlic
• 8 oz. feta cheese, crumbled
• 2 eggs
• Smattering of herbs like parsley, dill, and mint
• 2 Tbsp lemon juice
• Small pinch cayenne powder
• Salt & pepper
• 1 package frozen phyllo dough or puff pastry
• 1/2 cup Olive Oil

Thinly slice the leeks and fennel across the grain.  Heat 1/4 cup of the oil over medium heat in your most capacious frying pan or wok, or in a large saucepan. Add the sliced vegetables and sauté until thoroughly softened, about 20-30 minutes. Meanwhile, wash and chop the greens and blanch in boiling salted water for 2 minutes.  Drain, chill in cold water, wring out and reserve.  Chop the garlic very finely and add to the sautéing vegetables.  When they are ready, remove from heat and add the greens, crumbled feta, herbs, lemon juice, and eggs. Mix thoroughly and season with salt, pepper, and cayenne to taste. 

Defrost dough according to package directions.  If using phyllo, place one sheet at a time on a large cookie sheet, brushing with the remaining oil between the layers until half the package is used.  Pour on the filling and spread it out evenly.  Cover with remaining dough, brushing each layer with oil, and bake at 350° for 45 minutes to an hour, until the top is golden brown.  Allow to cool slightly before serving.  Serve at room temperature the following day for lunch.

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• Tomatoes, chopped
• Red onion, sliced
• Kalamata olives
• Cucumber, sliced
• Feta cheese, crumbled
• Lemon juice
• Red wine vinegar
• Extra-virgin olive oil
• Oregano, finely chopped
• Salt & pepper

Just combine the ingredients and allow to meld for a half hour or so before serving.

This is the traditional Greek salad, horiatiki salata, without lettuce. We recently enjoyed this alongside some grilled lamb loin chops from a local farm. It’s also great with hummos or falafel in a pita. Perhaps some grilled eggplant, too? The important thing is to use ripe, flavorful tomatoes and mild sweet onion.

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