Domatokeftethes

Hey you!?

Yeh you!

The one with the pink bikini on, lying on a Greek island beach

somewhere and pretending to act like you do this effortlessly,

every Greek summer…..

Unless you can feed me Greek summer tomatoes via a Facebook

portal, go away.

I don't want to see your pics on my feed.

Nor do I want to read about how awesome your life is at the 

moment.

I already know.

I've been there, too.

Numerous times.

I get it.

It sucks to not be there every year 'cause if you think you are

eating amazing summer tomatoes in oz each year, you need your

head read; the ripe tomatoes of high summer in Greece are out

of this world!

Travel to Santorini or Chios, for example, and take a bite out of

those dry farmed ones hanging for months against a stone

wall, that are still plump and juicy.

The experience is intense.

It's so intense that you will risk it all at Australian Customs

to smuggle a few of those seeds in.

Anything to recreate the experience at home.

But it won't happen.

For the following reasons:

a) we get way too much rain here in the summertime; these babies need a REAL summer.

b) we get too many summer temperature fluctuations, and if you are as unlucky with summer in Melbourne as I am, a mid-season cold snap will bump your crop production into the next millennium.

c) it is not Greece and the sound of the word 'malaka' and a donkey's 'eee-awwwhhh' is very, very far away; yes, they need Greek swear words and donkey songs to grow well.

d) c, again.

So for the time being, I will sit here and punch away and this keyboard and pretend, that I too, get to eat Greek tomatoes each year, effortlessly.

500g ripe tomatoes

2 medium onions, finely chopped

1 cup fresh mint, chopped

1 cup sundried tomatoes, cut into small pieces

1 tspn tomato paste

3 slices bread (about 2 cm thick each), crusts removed

400 gr plain flour

2 tspn tablespoons balsamic vinegar

200 ml whole milk

salt and freshly ground pepper

olive oil for frying

Soak the bread slices in milk and then squeeze well.

Cut tomatoes in half and grate flesh into a large bowl.

Add the sundried tomatoes, tomato paste, bread, onions, mint, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper.

Slowly add the flour (you may not need all of it) and stir until the mixture resembles a thick batter.

Heat the olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed pan.

When oil is hot, dip a tablespoon into a cup of olive oil then scoop out some of the batter.

Slide the batter off the spoon into the hot oil and fry on both sides until golden, about 2 ½ minutes on each side.

Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and let drain on paper towels.

Serve them as they are warm and accompany with steamed green beans or salad of boiled wild amaranth (vlita) dressed with oil and vinegar.

This recipe was translated from Gastronomos online. 

For pics of the finished product, go to recipe by Dina Nicolaou; I ate all of mine before I remembered to take a shot.

Aug 2011, Pyrgi Chios. Dry farmed tomato-styling.

The image of summer market tomatoes that always make me want to jump onto the next flight to Greece

 I would happily tomato-slap

Trout trip

Recently, I took a trip to Victoria's High Country.
European craft beers and wines, dairies, honey and nut farms; the region was abundant, even in the heart of winter.
Passing through Harrietville, we pitstopped at Mountain Fresh Trout for locally smoked trout.

Coincidentally few days ago, my monthly online subscription of Hellenic 'Gastronomos' arrived with page 46 showcasing some gorgeous Greek trout recipes.
Pestrofas / Πεστροφας (trout) is commonly found around Iannena, in Northern Greece where rapid flowing waters are a plenty.

My fave way to eat smoked trout is to sit under the sun with a fillet and a Hellenic brew, patiently picking away at the flesh.
But I'll do it any way really, such as infusing with liquors, herbs and spices and blitzing to a velvet cream.

Call these a 'dip', if you must.
I call them 'spread for bread'.

Smoked trout in Harrietville, Victoria

TROUT WITH ALMONDS, LEMON & OUZO

Makes about 400g

2 trout fillets, flaked

50g flaked almonds, toasted

30ml ouzo

1-2 Tblspns of cold water

30 ml fresh lemon juice

1/2 tspn ground caraway seeds

salt & pepper, to taste

Blitz toasted almonds in food processor for 1-2 mins.

Add fillets and ouzo and continue to blitz for 1-2 mins.

With motor on, drizzle in lemon juice and remaining water (if required) to achieve a smooth, creamy consistency.

Add caraway seeds, season and correct with more lemon juice, if necessary.

Will keep for 1 week refridgerated in an airtight container

Alternative serving suggestions:

Wild greens and nettles, pasta, pulses and roasted zucchini.

TROUT-SALATA (like taramosalata)

Makes about 400g
2 trout fillets, flaked
2-3 Tblspns of cold water
100ml Extra Virgin olive oil
50 ml fresh lemon juice
2 slices of bread, crusts off, soaked in a little water for 15 mins and squeezed dry.
⅓ tspn ground fennel seeds
salt & pepper, to taste

To serve:
finely chopped spring onions
finely chopped dill
extra EV olive oil

Add fillets and 1 Tblspn water in a food processor and blitz for 1-2 mins.
Add bread and blitz again.
With motor on, drizzle in oil, lemon juice and remaining water to achieve a smooth, creamy consistency.
Add fennel seeds, season and correct with more lemon juice, if necessary.

To serve, sprinkle spring onions and dill and drixxle with extra virgin olive oil.

Will keep for 1 week refridgerated in an airtight container


TROUT WITH GOAT CHEESE, CAPERS & DILL


Makes about 400g

2 trout fillets, flaked

150g goat cheese feta

60g greek strained yoghurt

3 whole spring onions, chopped

2 large pickled cucumbers

a handful of fresh dill, roughly chopped

2 Tblspn capers (soaked in cold water for 15 mins to desalinate)

salt & pepper, to taste

In a food processor, blitz feta and yoghurt until creamy.

Add trout and remaining ingredients and blitz to a creamy consistency.

Season and correct with more salt, if necessary.

Will keep for 1 week refridgerated in an airtight container

*These recipes have been translated from the Jul 2012 issue of Gastronomos online.

Nut trees in Stanley, Victoria