Posted in Greek Recipes
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Collecting wild greens is almost a national pastime here in Greece. Assorted wild greens are also available in the Green Grocers. My favorite dish with nettles is my MIL's Hortopita or Weed Pie. for the filling use 1/2 assorted wild greens and 1/2 spinach sauteed in olive oil with a little onion. beat an egg or two and add crumbled feta cheese (more or less according to taste). Mix in greens, salt & pepper to taste. Make around 8 or more layers of filo dough (according to how thick you like your crust) in a large baking pan with melted butter or olive oil brushed between each layer (I prefer butter as olive oil makes it tough) Spread the filling over filo. Top with additional 8 or so layers of filo brushed with butter. Roll edges to seal, brush top with butter and prick top with fork or score 1st 3 layers of filo with a knife in diamond pattern. Bake in a preheated oven (350F) for 45-60 minutes until golden brown. Sorry my amounts are so vague. We just wing it according to how much greens we picked and how large a pita we want to make. Melanie in Greece http://www.avravounou.gr |
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My 3 Saanen goats delivered 3 doelings last month and the milk is rolling in. I finally have the hang of cheesemaking, yeah! A sort of feta, not exactly, but we enjoy it! The ice cream maker has been chugging out goat's milk ice cream. DH finally tilled our 1/2 acre garden plot (better late than never) and I plan to devote myself to planting this week, yippee! I've also been taking advantage of the weather and taking lots of trail rides. Melanie in Greece http://www.avravounou.gr |
Posted in Soapmaking
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I cold process my own base soap: 60% Palm Oil 20% coconut oil 10% olive oil 10% castor oil (5% superfat) You can also use a store-bought unscented base soap if you would like. I then rebatch by 1. filling a 3.5 ltr crockpot with soap shreds & 1 liter goat's milk 2. as it melts, I stir periodically and add soap shreds and more milk to fill pot. This is not precise. I just keep stirring and adding until I have a pot full of a thick creamy pudding-like substance (most rebatch instructions call for mashed potato consistancy, but I don't like it. doesn't mold well) 3. when it is evenly melted and I am happy with the consistancy I use a stick blender to blend it smooth. 4. add 1/2 cup oil (I use palm, olive, castor, shea butter, cocoa butter or a combination of these) use stick blender to blend smooth. If I am adding honey, I add 1/4 cup now. 5. let it cool, stirring often to 120-130 degrees then add 1 oz of lavender or other essential oils. (I wait to cool so that the oils don't evaporate) 6. pour into molds (spraying molds with cooking spray aids removal) 7. let set overnight then unmold and dry on a rack. the soap will be like cold butter when you first remove them from the mold. It takes about 4 weeks for mine to dry and they do shrink some, but evenly. enjoy! Melanie in Greece http://www.avravounou.gr |
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This morning I went to the monthly IWOG (International Women of Greece) meeting. It was nice to catch up with everyone after the holidays. We cut the New Year's Vasilopita (Saint Basil's bread, a wonderful sweet cardamom flavored bread). My friend from Texas, Melissa found the hidden coin (she will have good luck all year!) Afterward, I went to coffee with Diane from New York. We hadn't seen each other since spring so we had a lot of catching up to do! Melanie in Greece http://www.avravounou.gr |
Posted in Soapmaking
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I spent the day making: Laundry Soap Gel Lavender Olive Oil Goat's Milk Soap Cleopatra Goat's Milk Soap (contains honey and a blend of floral essential oils, pure luxury!) The weather was foggy, but pleasant. Missy, our new horse is settling in well. The three Saanen goats are due to kid mid-February and are healthy and content. I have 6 Sar Planinac (livestock guardian dogs) puppies ready to go to new homes. What wonderful little teddy bears! Dinner: Gianni's Greek Baked Beans (Gigantes sto fourno) (giant white beans boiled then mixed with chunky tomato sauce, onion, parsley, olive oil, salt & pepper and baked until beans are tender) steamed dandelion greens with hot pepper vinegar & olive oil beets & beet greens boiled and served with minced garlic, balsamic vinegar & olive oil salad (lettuce, green onion, fresh dill, lemon juice & olive oil) Yum! Melanie in Greece http://www.avravounou.gr |
It snowed all day New Year's Day and the next day was a wonderful day for sledding, 4-wheeling and horseback riding! I caught a cold but it was well worth it! Stephanie, my 18 yr old daughter, purchased her first horse, Missy, a 4 yr old Bulgarian cart horse. Welcome Missy!  Melanie in Greece http://www.avravounou.gr |
Posted in Gardening
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We went to Israel for 2 months this summer. Here in Greece, they had the hottest, driest summer on record. Imagine my surprise to find my tomatoes, peppers and eggplants alive and well! Yippee! Now I'm clearing the weeds, giving a well deserved watering and preparing space for fall crops. The weather cooled off a couple of days before we arrived and I've enjoyed several horseback rides in the company of my pair of Sar Planinac Livestock Guardian Dogs, Hera & Calypso. Well, back to clearing weeds and preparing the barn for the return of our 3 Saanen goats and 20 chickens. A friend has been critter-sitting all summer. |
Posted in Greek Recipes
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Yaya's Cabbage Rolls with Avgolemono (Egg-Lemon Sauce) 1 cabbage, boiled whole and leaves separated 1 lb (400gr) lean ground beef 3/4 cup rice, uncooked 1/4 teaspoon pepper 1 onion, grated 1 bunch parsley, minced 1 tablespoon olive oil Combine all ingredients except cabbage in a bowl. Lay cabbage leaf flat, place a heaping tablespoon of beef mix in the center ; fold sides and top over filling and roll. Place in a large pot with the leaf edge down. Repeat with remaining leaves. Fill pot 1/3 full with water. Place a plate or glass lid on top of rolls to hold them in place. Bring to a boil: reduce heat and simmer 1 hour. (MAY BE FROZEN ON A COOKIE SHEET, AFTER COOLING) Avgolemono Sauce 1 egg, separated broth from pan (or 2 cups chicken broth) juice of 1 lemon Beat egg white lightly by hand, add yolk and beat to mix. Add hot broth gradually, beating constantly. Beat in lemon juice. Pour over cabbage rolls and serve immediately. I like to make at least a double amount of cabbage rolls and freeze the extras for later. When ready to serve, thaw, heat thoroughly and make sauce using chicken broth. |
Posted in Greek Recipes
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This is great with breaded, fried zucchini, or calamari (fried squid, my favorite) or baked pita chips. Yaya's Skordalia 2 cloves garlic dash salt handful of walnuts, crushed juice of 1/2 lemon 2 tablespoons olive oil Combine all ingredients in a mini-blender (stick blender) or mini food processor, or the old fashioned way with a mortar and pestle.
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Posted in Greek Recipes
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2 eggplants, roasted and peeled * 1 clove garlic, minced handful parsley, minced (Italian flat parsley is best) 2-3 tablespoons olive oil salt to taste *Eggplants are best roasted on a grill. Wash and pierce with a fork. place on hot grill and cook until nearly charred on both sides. Immediately place in a sealed plastic bag until cool enough to handle. Then split the skin and scrap out insides with a spoon. You may also roast in an oven set to grill. Combine all ingredients well and chill. Garnish with a sprig of parsley and a couple of kalamata olives. Serve with fresh bread or pita. Add a plate with a slice of feta cheese drizzled with olive oil and crushed oregano and a bowl of olives for a great snack with a glass of wine!
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thanks for all the welcomes! I'm busy browsing blogs and I'm sure I've found the blog spot for me! |
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I am Melanie. My husband, 3 children and I are homesteading in the village of Ossa, near Thessaloniki. We have a small flock of Saanen dairy goats, a horse, flock of chickens, 4 dogs and a collection of cats. I sell handmade goat's milk soap and other bath products. Our teenager is homeschooled and our 2 elementary age children attend the village 2-room schoolhouse with 30 other children. We plan to soon expand our barn to accomodate a milk cow and calf and up to 4 boarded horses. We are also building portable coop/pens for pastured chickens. I enjoy gardening, cooking, canning and soapmaking. Ossa is nestled at 3000 ft. and enjoys a dry climate that insures mild summers and bright, pleasant winters. We are located 30 minutes from the city, 40 minutes from the beach and 1 1/2 hours from ski slopes. Our next door neighbor is the Babatzimopoulos Winery (certified organic). The village enjoys weekend visitors from Thessaloniki looking for green vistas and fresh breezes. Our farm's name, Avra Vounou, means "Mountain Breeze". We plan to build a cafe and store on the farm and offer milking & soapmaking demonstrations, horseback & wagon rides, a petting zoo and lavender & herb fields. My oldest daughter, Stephanie,is proving to be an enthusiastic sales/promotions person. Veronica (9) and Christian (11) enjoy helping with the animals and garden. My city slicker husband is enjoying his new role as farmer & carpenter. He designed and built the barn himself and looks forward to our planned Gazebo cafe and log cabin-style store, as well as small projects such as a solar food dryer and a solar cooker. We have electricity at our home in the village, but rely on a generator and solar power on the farm. Our dream is to build our own cabin, off the grid, on the farm when the children are grown. I hope you enjoy this glimpse into our homestead life. |