Greek country-bread / Horiatiko Psomi

TO PREPARE THE YEAST:
2 tablespoons of active dry yeast
1/2 cup lukewarm water
1/2 cup bread flour
1 tablespoon sugar

In a medium-size bowl dissolve the yeast in the water. Add sugar and the flour and mix until no lumps are left. Let rise for about twenty minutes.

FLOUR(S):
8 cups bread flour 
or
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup semolina flour
5 cups bread flour 

If using more than one type of flour, sift them together so that they are well mixed.

LIQUID INGREDIENTS:

2 cups water at room temperature 
8 tablespoons olive oil 
3 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon salt 

Plus:

Some extra flour as needed for the work surface 

Directions:

Add the water, oil, sugar, and salt to the bowl of an electric mixer equipped with the hook attachment and mix for about two minutes.

Add the reserved yeast mixture.
Mix on low speed for about a minute. 
Begin slowly adding the flour and keep mixing on the low speed. The dough will be ready when it begins to pull away from the sides of the mixing bowl. 

Turn out onto a floured work surface and continue kneading until the dough is smooth and no longer sticky. 

Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl and roll it around in the oil until it's covered on all sides. Cover the bowl with a towel and allow the dough to rise until it has doubled in size, about two hours. 

Punch down the dough and move it on a floured work surface. Knead it for about a minute or so and divide it into two to three equal portions. Shape each portion into a loaf.

Place the loaves onto ungreased cookie sheets.
Score the tops to your liking. 
Cover each loaf with a towel, and allow to rise for one hour.

Have the oven preheated to 400 degrees Fahrenheit/200 degrees Celcius.

Bake for about thirty-five minutes. You'll know the bread is done if when tapped on the bottom the loaves sound hollow. Allow the bread to cool before slicing.

A GARLIC CONFIT RECIPE

Let's face it: whatever its merits, the taste of raw garlic is heavy and may even cause stomach upset. However, there is always that lovely concoction called garlic confit which comes to the rescue by transforming raw garlic into a wonderful, mashable condiment. Yes, garlic confit turns the taste of garlic into a soft, sweet, and mellow experience! 

Garlic confit is made by slow-cooking garlic in a bath of olive oil that's flavoured with spices and herbs. In this way, garlic attains concentrated flavour while losing its sharp acidic taste. 

Each time I need garlic confit I make a small batch; it's easy and quick to make. I have what I need to use and there is a portion left over for adding to vegetables during the week to come. How about garlic confit on garlic bread??? Try it!

I start by peeling two heads (or three if they are on the small side) of garlic. The other ingredients I use are bay leaves, thyme, rosemary, peppercorns, and a little salt. 

The oven is preheated to 275°F/135°C

I grab a baking dish; a glass one will do the job nicely. In go the peeled garlic cloves, bay leaves, thyme, rosemary, salt, and peppercorns. 

I add olive oil and a smidgeon of water to cover. 

I cover the dish and place it in the oven. 

Baking takes about fourty five minutes. When the garlic cloves become soft and slightly golden in colour, the garlic confit is ready. 

To store: Cool the confit. Transfer the contents to a clean resealable jar. 

During cooking, the garlic loses its acidity, therefore bacteria will build up if the jar and its ingredients are not kept clean and refrigerated. The jar must always be kept refrigerated and care should be taken that the lid and mouth of the jar aren't contaminated. Each time garlic is needed, it must be retrieved with a clean utensil. Don't place the same utensil in the jar twice. If more confit is needed, another clean utensil should be used.  For me, maximum storage time is a week to ten days. 

Roasted Asparagus with Pinoli Nuts

Ingredients:

one pound Asparagus
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons parsley
zest of one lemon
salt and pepper to taste
lightly toasted pinoli nuts (pine nuts)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.
Trim the asparagus and place it on a parchment covered baking sheet.
Toss the asparagus with salt, pepper and olive oil.
Roast until the asparagus just begins to brown. This should take about ten minutes.
Meanwhile, mix the pinoli nuts, parsley, and lemon zest.
Remove the asparagus from the oven and toss it with the pinoli nut mixture.
Ready to serve and enjoy!  

A FRENCH APPLE CAKE

Ingredients:

5 large apples

some cinnamon and brown sugar
some slivered almonds
the juice of one lemon

the zest of one lemon

1/2 cup sugar

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup almond flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled

some apricot or apple jelly

Directions:

• Peel the apples and remove the cores. Cut them up into 1-inch chunks. Place them into a bowl and sprinkle the lemon juice on top. Sprinkle some cinnamon and brown sugar over the apples, mix, cover and set aside.
• Mix the lemon zest with the sugar and set aside.
• Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C.
• Grease a spring-form pan and place it on a baking sheet that’s lined with parchment paper.
• In a bowl, mix the flour, almond flour, and baking powder.
• In the bowl of a mixer, beat the eggs until they are foamy. Add the sugar and beat until it’s incorporated and has dissolved.
• Add the vanilla and almond extracts. Mix well.
• Remove the bowl from the mixer.
• Using a rubber spatula, fold in one-third of the flour mixture, then add one-third of the butter. Folding gently, repeat this process two more times, until all of the flour and butter have been used. The mixture should turn out smooth and a little thick.
• Reserve one of the apples. Fold in the rest, making sure they are coated with the batter.
• Add the mixture to the spring-form pan.
• Arrange the reserved apple and the slivered almonds over the cake batter. 
• Bake for about one hour or until a knife inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.
• Transfer to a cooling rack and allow to rest for about fifteen minutes. Carefully run a knife around the edges of the cake and open the spring-form pan slowly. Make sure nothing is stuck to it.
• Allow the cake to cool for about an hour. Remove the sides of the spring-form pan.
• Invert the cake onto parchment paper and remove the bottom of the spring-form pan. Flip the cake onto a serving platter.
• Glaze the top of the cake with some melted apricot or apple jelly

Chicken Corn Soup with Rivels and Saffron: in Praise of Pennsylvania Dutch Saffron

Chicken corn soup: one of my favourite soups! Always delicious and warming, a cup of chicken corn soup makes me happy! 

This is one of those quick-to-make recipes. The broth is a low salt store-bought variety, however, you can always make your own! If you can find fresh corn, use it. Save the cobs and let them cook in the broth, then remove them before serving. 

Crocus sativus growing somewhere in Pennsylvania's yellow belt!

The soup contains a pinch of saffron. Did you know there is saffron harvested in Pensylvania Dutch country?

"Saffron Gatherers" found at Akrotiri, island of Thera, Greece. 

Indeed, saffron is an ancient crop. The fresco above depicts the "Saffron Gatherers," (circa 1600-1500 BCE) and was found at Akrotiri, Greece. 

The Pennsylvania Dutch began to cultivate saffron during the 18th century from crocus bulbs they received via Spanish traders who frequented Philadelphia. It turned out that the soil and climate of Pennsylvania were perfect for this crop. Saffron-growing regions became plentiful and came to be called Pennsylvania's "yellow belt." Saffron does cost around $100 per ounce, therefore saffron farming sounds like a lucrative enterprise. However, the crop is difficult to harvest and for that reason, it's no longer widely farmed in Pennsylvania. It's good saffron, though. One of the best varieties anywhere! 

Here's what makes this crop difficult to harvest: all aspects of its farming must be done by hand. Back in the day "farming by hand" included all farming but today things have changed. The bulbs which produce saffron must be dug up and replanted each year. When the flowers are ready, they must be harvested by hand. Then, one has to carefully pick each stigma from each flower. One crocus flower contains about three stigmas. Growing saffron is time-consuming and labour intensive; the profit margin doesn't seem worth it to most. Those who still grow saffron view their job as a labour of love: there's something beautiful about cultivating crocus bulbs, waiting till their blooms emerge, and looking at land covered with masses of purple flowers. Then, one by one, gold threads of saffron are extracted from each blossom. It's hard work but there's pleasure to be found in it.   

Recipe for chicken corn soup:

Versions of this soup include the addition of either noodles or rivels. Rivels are very easy to make and resemble a small dumpling. They are a type of noodle that's very popular with the Pennsylvania Dutch. And they're tasty delicious!

Ingredients: 

5 cups of corn kernels
7 cups chicken broth
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 celery ribs, diced
1 carrot, diced

2 tablespoons chopped parsley

a few sprigs of thyme

a pinch of saffron
salt and pepper to taste
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts sliced
2 potatoes cut into small cubes

rivels

To make the rivels:

1 cup flour

2 eggs, beaten

A pinch of salt and a pinch of pepper
some thyme
1 teaspoon of baking powder

Using a fork, mix all the ingredients until just blended. Do not over-mix. Cover and reserve until ready to use.

When it's time, this dough will be added into the soup by rubbing pieces of it between one's hands and letting the resulting crumb-like drops fall into the hot broth. 

Directions for the soup:

• In a blender, combine 2 cups of corn kernels and 2 cups of chicken broth. Puree until smooth, and set aside.
• In a Dutch oven heat the olive oil and add the onion, celery and carrot.
• Cook, stirring until the vegetables begin to soften.
• Add the remaining corn and cook for a few minutes, just until the corn is softened.
• Stir in the rest of the broth, the chicken, and the pureed corn mixture. Add the saffron, salt and pepper and thyme.
• Bring to boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for five minutes.
• Into the hot liquid drop pea-sized pieces of rivels. Cook until they are tender. This should take less than ten minutes. 
• Add the parsley.
• Ready to serve!

CARAMEL CUSTARD FLAN (Crème Caramel)

Ready for the Easter dessert table: this custard with its slightly bitter caramel topping and its creamy texture, in my opinion, is one of the best desserts ever! It's been a favourite since childhood and I can report that it's loved by all the family. It isn't difficult to make but it does require lots of steps. The results are worth it.

Have all the ingredients at the ready before you begin. Care should be taken not to burn one's hands: use oven mitts and other precautions because to make this dessert you'll need to work quickly and with lots of hot ingredients. Carefully tempering the eggs so that they don't curdle is a must. Other than that ... be confident! And enjoy some crème caramel once in a while. It's just a super-yummy experience!!!

To prepare the baking pans:

1. The custard will need to be baked in a water bath. Therefore, have some boiling hot water at the ready. Heating it in a tea kettle would be very expedient: you may then pour it directly into the bain-marie from the tea kettle.
2. Have a roasting pan (about 9 x13 inches in size) and one round 8-inch cake pan at the ready. The larger pan will be used to hold water for the bain-marie. 
3. Preheat the oven to 350 F. 
4. Place the cake pan in the oven to allow it to heat up before the caramel is added.

To make the caramel:

1/2 cup sugar
4 tablespoons (1/4 cup) water
two drops of lemon extract

1. Add all the ingredients into a saucepan and stir.
2. Cook over medium heat until the sugar begins to take on a caramel colour. This should take about five minutes.
3. Remove the saucepan from the heat; do not allow the caramel to burn. 
4. Carefully, remove the cake pan from the oven but do not turn off the oven. 
5. Pour the caramel into the pan and swirl it around so that it coats the bottom of the pan evenly. As you're swirling, grab hold of the lemon peel and discard it.
6. Set aside.

For the custard:

2 cups heavy cream
1 and 1/3 cup whole milk
4 eggs
4 egg yolks
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Bring the cream and milk to a boil.
2. In a large bowl whisk together the eggs, yolks and sugar. Using a handheld mixer works well! 
3. Stir in the vanilla.
4. The milk and egg mixtures will need to be combined. Begin by tempering the eggs: 
5. While whisking, very slowly add a ladleful of the milk mixture. In the same fashion add a second ladleful. Keep whisking: this way the eggs won't curdle as the hot liquid is being introduced. 
6. Once the initial batches of liquid are added, slowly begin adding the rest while still whisking. 

To make the flan:

1. Pour the custard onto the caramel-lined cake pan.
2. Place the cake pan inside the larger baking pan.
3. Place the two pans in the oven but don't shut the oven door just yet.
4. Careful - use oven mitts to avoid burns: pour hot water inside the large pan, allowing it to surround the cake pan. Let the water come halfway up the cake pan. Close the oven door.
5. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes. Test for doneness by inserting a knife into the centre of the custard. It should come out clean.
6. Carefully remove the whole contraption from the oven.
7. Transfer the cake pan to a cooling rack. Run a knife around the sides of the pan to loosen the flan. Allow it to cool for about an hour.
8. Cover, place in the refrigerator and let chill for about six hours. 
9. When ready to serve, run a knife once again between the custard and the pan.
10. Invert the flan onto a rimmed serving platter. It should easily come out of the pan. Most of the caramel sauce will stay on top although some of it will run down the sides making for a lovely decoration.

POLENTA WITH FETA CHEESE! Shall we say Greek-style polenta?

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage

1 roasted red pepper peeled and chopped 

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 quart liquid such as water or vegetable broth

1 cup ground cornmeal

1 tablespoon grated Pecorino Romano cheese

1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C.

In a large, oven-safe saucepan heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Add the onions and cook until the onions are translucent. Add the garlic and stir, then add the peppers, sage, and the liquid. Bring to a boil.

Gradually whisk in the cornmeal, stirring constantly. Cover and place in the oven. Cook for 35 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes to prevent lumps. Once the mixture is creamy, remove from the oven and add the remaining olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and gradually add the cheeses.

Serve or pour the polenta into a pan lined with parchment paper. Cover and place in the refrigerator to cool and set.

Once set, turn the polenta out onto a cutting board and cut into portions. Brush each side with olive oil and sauté or grill. 

Once grilled, it's nice to have as part of a salad, topped with tomatoes, capers, Kalamata olives, more feta cheese, and drizzled with a little olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

TSOUREKI - GREEK EASTER BREAD, POLITIKO TSOUREKI, SWEET AND FRAGRANT

Topped with cinnamon sugar and sliced almonds

All Greek Easter bread is sweet and

fragrant, and there are lots of tsoureki recipes out there. I use two recipes, one of which makes a brioche style of tsoureki which requires a pretty decent amount of butter. 

The recipe in this post a politiko tsoureki, meaning a tsoureki made in the style of Constantinople; it's more breadlike but very, very flavourful and it comes together with great results!!!


Once tsoureki is taken out of the oven and has cooled down it can be stored in plastic bags and frozen for up to two months. No worries. I always make mine ahead of time for the holiday. No reason to rush around at the last minute. So many other things to do right before Easter!

If you cannot find mahlepi and/or mastic, leave them out and for the mastic substitute with two teaspoons of vanilla extract. You will still get a very fragrant bread. To tell you the truth I am not a big fan of mastic, therefore I use it sparingly. Mahlepi is the seed found in the wild cherry fruit. It has an exceptionally aromatic flavour. I love it! However, if you can't mahlepi, think about using a little almond extract. Just a little, because almond extract is potent in flavour. Nothing is written in stone, and there's no reason to miss out on making tsoureki just because certain spices are not available. So ... get set, go! Good luck!!!

Ingredients:

2 cups milk, lukewarm

3 envelopes active dry yeast: 7grams (1/4 ounces) per envelope 
7 cups bread flour
1 cup bread flour for the starter
1 cup bread flour to use during kneading 
*Total bread flour needed is nine cups

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 teaspoon salt

Grated rind of two oranges
Grated rind of two lemons

140 grams (5 ounces or 10 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted and cool to the touch

5 eggs well beaten

3 mastic tears (no more than three), finely ground

1 tablespoon finely ground mahlepi

For the egg wash:

1 egg, beaten

2 tablespoons milk  

Mix together the beaten egg and the 2 tablespoons of milk.

Toppings: sesame seeds or almonds, or a little cinnamon sugar

This is the sugar mixed with the orange and lemon rinds, the mastic and the mahlepi: mixing them with the sugar gives fantastically tasty results!

Directions for making the tsoureki:

• The best way to prepare mastic for baking is to pulverise it with a mortar and pestle. Place a tablespoon of sugar in a mortar and add the three tears of mastic. Use the pestle to smash up the mastic, mixing it with the sugar. Mastic flavour is strong. For this recipe, I wouldn't use more than three tears. Even if you like the mastic aroma,  too much of it will produce bitterness rather than give fragrance to your baked goods. 
• In a large bowl mix together seven cups of bread flour and 1 teaspoon of salt. Set it aside. 
• Prepare an extra cup of flour to have at the ready. Set it aside. You should now have eight cups of flour set aside. 
• Heat the milk to lukewarm. It mustn't be hot at all because it is to be mixed with the yeast, and if it's too hot it will kill the yeast.  
• Make the starter: 
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment stir together the milk and yeast until the yeast is dissolved.  
• Slowly add one cup of flour. This will be the ninth cup. 
• Add 1/2 cup of the sugar. 
• On low speed, fold until well incorporated, then turn off the mixer, remove the attachment, cover and let rest in a warm place for one hour. 
• When the hour is up you will have your starter! Fit the dough hook attachment to the mixer. 
• To the yeast mixture add the orange rind, lemon rind, mahlepi, and mastic. 
• Add the rest of the sugar, the eggs, and the butter.
• Stir on low speed and start adding the reserved flour about one cup at a time. 
• When all seven cups are incorporated beat for about 15 minutes until the mixture has turned into a nice dough which slides away from the sides of the bowl. The dough should be a little sticky. Turn off the mixer.

  

  The dough right after being taken out of the mixer.

• Use flour form the cup which was set aside. You may need to use all of it or you may not: sprinkle flour on a clean surface and move the dough on top of it. 
• Begin to knead gently until the dough gets nice and silky. It should not require too much more kneading. The dough will absorb as much of the extra flour as it needs.
• Place the dough into a large bowl along with any excess flour left on the kneading surface. The excess flour will keep the dough from sticking to the bowl.
• Cover well and let rise in a place free of drafts until it is doubled in volume. It should take three hours at most.
• Punch down the dough, take it out of the bowl and using a knife divide it into pieces. With the amount of dough in this recipe, you can make two really large tsoureki, or three smaller ones. The decision is up to the baker!
• Keep in mind that in order to form tsoureki you'll have to plait the dough as though you are plaiting a braid: three pieces of dough to one braid!
• Let's say you want to make three Easter breads. Cut up your dough into three equal size pieces.
• Take one of the pieces and cut it into three equal pieces. Roll each piece into a rod shape. When you have three rods, go ahead and braid them. Now one of your Easter breads is ready! Repeat the process until you are done. You'll have three Easter breads! 
• Place each braid of tsoureki on a parchment covered baking sheet. If you have a large baking sheet, you may be able to fit two braids on it.
• In a draft-free environment, let the braids rise until they have doubled in size. While they are rising, keep a light kitchen towel over them.
• Once doubled, gently, so that the dough doesn't deflate, brush the braids with the egg wash and sprinkle with sesame seeds or almonds. The almonds can be sliced, slivered, or you can use whole blanched almonds.
• Bake in a 350F/180C preheated oven for about 40 minutes or until golden. The baking time really depends on the amount of dough used per Easter bread.  
• Let cool before eating. Keep in mind that while the tsoureki is fresh out of the oven it's fragile and can break. Give it about half an hour to an hour of cooling time before you handle it.

I would call these the "money shots!" Not too sexy looking photographically speaking, but what is shown are the fibres created in the dough. The presence of a good fibre means a good tsoureki. This is the type of airy and fibrous appearance a good Easter bread should have!

RUSSIAN SALAD with DILL and CAPER MAYONNAISE (Olivier Salad/Ρωσική Σαλάτα)

This salad, very popular and seen on tables all over Europe, is of Russian origin. Each country has its own way of preparing it. The Spanish version is interesting in that it contains tuna fish. In other places, chopped pieces of ham or turkey get the nod. The Greeks prefer a vegetarian version, possibly because they are of the opinion (quite a sensible one, I must say), that salad should include nothing else but vegetables and dressing. 

What is called Russian Salad today, started out as Olivier Salad; it was the invention of Lucien Olivier, a nineteenth-century chef who owned The Hermitage, a famous and exclusive restaurant in Moscow. Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Ivan Turgenev, Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Maxim Gorky ... they had celebratory dinners at The Hermitage!  

The original recipe for Olivier Salad does not survive; we are told that it was a rich mixture containing vegetables, goose, various other meats, and also on occasion, caviar. 

The scene of the crime: The Hermitage Restaurant, Moscow. The building survives still, and currently, it houses the School of Modern Drama

Interior of The Hermitage Restaurant in Moscow. 

It was the dressing, the mayonnaise which held it together, that made Olivier Salad or Russian Salad famous. Mayonnaise recipes were refined during the early 1800s and subsequently became popular. It was considered darn elegant to serve a dish slathered with mayonnaise. Slathered is a keyword: mayonnaise was used as a binding ingredient and then was additionally spread in a thick top layer as a means of decoration. Think of icing on cakes! 

Fortunately, the amount of mayo used has been toned down of late ... Below is presented a good Greek version of Russian salad. 

For a festive occasion, this Russian Salad was decorated with roasted red peppers and one green tomato (not fried, lol!). A simple yet bright presentation!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup peas
2 medium carrots, diced
3 medium Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and diced
2 eggs, hardboiled and chopped 
1 to 2 scallions diced
2 or 3 cornichons diced
juice of one lemon
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons parsley, chopped
vegetables for decoration
2 bay leaves
2 cloves garlic

For the Dill and Caper Mayonnaise:

2 tablespoons capers
1 tablespoon dill, chopped
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
zest of one lemon 
1/3 cup mayonnaise 

Simple:  To the mayonnaise add the capers, dill, Dijon mustard and lemon zest. Mix well. Or, if you are ever so diligent, make a mayonnaise from scratch and proceed from there! 

Directions for the salad:

Each vegetable must be cooked individually until tender but not mushy. It's important to allow all the vegetables to cool down prior to mixing. 

• In a medium pot bring some lightly salted water to a boil. Add the bay leaves and garlic. 
• Add the carrots and cook until they are just tender. Do not discard the cooking liquid. Using a slotted spoon transfer the carrots to a colander. Allow them to drain and then move them into a large bowl. 
• Repeat the same process with the peas and potatoes, cooking each only until tender. When finished, discard the liquid, bay leaves, and garlic.
• Season with the vegetables with the lemon juice, olive oil and salt and pepper. 
• Add the cornichons, the scallions slices, and the parsley. Toss well.
• Cover the mixture and let cool in the refrigerator for about an hour. 
• Add the chopped eggs. 
• Fold the mayonnaise into the vegetables and place the salad in a serving bowl or, for a nicer presentation, mould it into a nice shape and decorate it with slices of roasted peppers tomatoes and olives. 
• If you like, use other vegetables for decoration; make it look as fancy or as simple as you want! 
• This is a traditional choice for an accompaniment to New Year's dinner.

TUSCAN BEAN SOUP, Kind Of Like Ribollita.

This is such a flavorful soup!  Love it! Two tricks involved: use dried beans, the ones that need to be soaked overnight, and also use a nice dose of vegetable broth or a combination of chicken and vegetable broth if you like to have chicken broth (canned beans? Who's kidding, they'll do in a pinch)!

This soup is very similar to ribollita soup. I have left the bread out because I try not to eat too much bread these days. It's just as good without it. In fact, it's so good that I can eat it cold, or I can even eat it for breakfast! Okay ... as the trend goes, this is the part of the blog where I regale you with some cute personal incidents from my adventurous life. Stillness ... Can't think of any. Some other time perhaps. Not disappointed, I know you are not disappointed! 

Ingredients: 

1 pound dried cannellini beans

6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 onions, sliced

1 shallot sliced

1 (15-ounce/500 gram) can whole tomatoes

1 leek, cleaned well and chopped

3 medium carrots, chopped

3 stalks celery, chopped

½ bunch parsley, chopped

1 bunch Swiss chard, chopped

1 bunch kale, chopped

¼ Savoy cabbage, chopped

2 teaspoons dried oregano

the leaves from 1 sprig of rosemary, chopped

1 bay leaf

Salt and pepper to taste

8 cups vegetable broth

6 cups water

For topping:

grated Pecorino cheese

extra virgin olive oil

Directions:

Soak the beans overnight.

In a large heavy pot heat 4 tablespoons of the olive oil and sauté the sliced onions and shallots until they have caramelised. While sautéing, season the onions with some of the oregano.

Mash the tomatoes and add them to the pot. Add the juice the tomatoes were packed in, and also add two cups of the water.

One by one add all the vegetables, stirring to mix after each addition.

Add the herbs and the rest of the olive oil.

Allow the mixture to cook for about fifteen minutes, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, puree nearly half of the beans and add them to the vegetables.

Add the rest of the beans.

Add the broth and the remaining water. Mix well and bring to a boil.

Lower the heat to a slow simmer and cover the pot. Allow the beans to cook for two hours, stirring occasionally.

Ladle into bowls and top with the grated cheese and a drizzle of olive oil.

Store leftover soup in the refrigerator for about 3 days or in the freezer for one to two months. 

VASILOPITA WITH BRANDY AND CITRUS FLAVOURS

She's looking good, isn't she? Very easy to make.

Lovely brandy and citrus flavours. This is a vasilopita made with baking powder instead of yeast. Its texture is that of a dense cake, which is characteristic of a vasilopita. The celebratory Greek New Year's cakes have a more substantial, doughy texture than the average cake. 

By now you may have noticed the Santa decoration. You might ask why he's still hanging around. Doesn't Santa take a much-needed vacation after Christmas Day? No, not really. He still has the Greek New Year's Eve to contend with: that's when Santa visits Greek households. 

You might ask why so? I'll tell you: Saint Basil and Santa are one and the same in Greek tradition. Saint Basil's feast day is on January first, therefore, Saint Greek Santa (Agios Vasilios), puts in his appearance directly after the arrival of the New Year. Oh, then there's the coin. There is a coin involved. It's hidden inside every vasilopita. You might ask why so? I'll tell you: Saint Basil was a generous individual, a philanthropist, so the coin commemorates that fact. 

The actual practice of hiding a small trinket inside a cake, a surprise meant for a lucky recipient, dates back to pagan times. The practice was very popular and rather than eradicate it, the early Christian church incorporated it into its own rituals. It's a fun practice that survives to this day. 

I wrapped a shiny penny in aluminium foil and dropped it in the dough right before baking. A penny I thought, not the usual quarter. To me, a penny is symbolic of much more than a quarter dollar can ever be. Problem was, the penny being small, people had trouble finding it. "Did you forget?" they asked me several times. I was entitled to two slices, one for myself, and another for an absent friend. I took them apart; who wants to eat vasilopita when the coin can't be found? I turned those slices into crumbles ... but cake crumbles are just as nice to eat as regular cake.

Everyone else also smashed their slice into tiny pieces. "Is it that important?" my nephew Alex asked. This from the kid who a few years ago used to storm upstairs and hide in his room if he couldn't claim the coin as his. "Yes, Alex, it's important, it's very important." 

The next day at breakfast, Alex finished eating his slice, and there was the penny, he found it and claimed it. "Somewhere in the middle of the piece," my brother said when he called. I had asked him for the coordinates. 

Below is the recipe. Decorate the cake as you wish, perhaps use a dollar coin, it's larger, or you may want to use a penny, much more fun! As you probably know, the alcohol in the brandy gets burned off during baking, and only the flavour of the brandy gets left behind. For those of us either permanently or temporarily on the wagon, that's a plus!

Ingredients:

All ingredients should be at room temperature. Remember that beating egg whites into a meringue requires a bowl and a whisk that are free of oils. Make sure no yolk has accidentally fallen into the egg whites.

4  cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup almond flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
Grated zest of 1 orange
Grated zest of 1 lemon

5 eggs, separated
1 egg left whole, do not separate

a pinch of cream of tartar
1 cup of sugar (can use an additional 1/4 cup for extra sweetness)
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, very soft, almost melted

1  1/2 cups freshly squeezed orange juice
one or two tablespoons brandy (optional)
1 vanilla bean 

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 350° F/160° C.
• Grease well and flour a 12-inch/30-cm, round cake pan. 
• In a bowl, whisk together the flour, the baking powder, and the baking soda. Set aside.
• In the large bowl of your mixer, on high speed and using the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites and the cream of tartar until stiff peaks are achieved. You want a nice, thick meringue. When ready, remove it to another bowl and set it aside. 
• Clean your mixer bowl.
• Add the yolks to the bowl. Beat with the whisk attachment until the yolks are creamy. 
• Scrape the vanilla bean and add the vanilla to the sugar. Mix it in well. 
• Add the sugar and beat until creamy and pale in colour.
• Add the one whole egg and beat.
• Add the butter and beat until incorporated. 
• Add the orange juice, the orange zest, the lemon zest, and the brandy if using. Beat until incorporated.
• Slowly add the reserved flour mixture to the yolk mixture. 
• Halfway through, switch to mixing by spatula and mix only until incorporated. 
• Fold in the reserved egg whites. 
• Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with an offset spatula. 
• Bake the cake for about 1 hour, or until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean. 
• Cool on a wire rack before removing from the pan. 
• Decorate as you like: let your inner artist take command!

Season's Greetings Everyone!!!
Happy New Year!!!!