Zante Recipes

Zante Polpettes - Serves 15-20 as an appetizer

3 slices stale bread, crust removed
1 1/2 pounds ground beef
2/3 pound ground lean pork (ask your butcher to grind the two meats together)
1 tsp wine vinegar
1 egg
1/2 cup fresh spearmint leaves, chopped or 1 tablespoon dried spearmint leaves
2 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspooon ground coriander
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon sea salt
5 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
Flour
Olive oil

Soak the bread in water and squeeze out excess water. Combine with meat, vinegar, egg, and spices and knead well. Refrigerate overnight. Form balls, flour them and brown in olive oil. Alternatively, omit flouring, and bake in 375- degree oven for 10-15 minutes.

Roasted eggplant and garlic spread - Serves 15-20 as an appetizer

2 large round eggplants
9 cloves of garlic peeled and cut in half lengthwise
2 tablespoons flat leaf (Italian) parsley, chopped
Olive oil
Wine vinegar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Make several incisions in each eggplant and stuff half a clove of garlic into each incision. Place in oven at 375 degrees and roast eggplant until very soft. Remove oven, remove charred outer skin and place eggplant flesh in a colander to drain. Let it drain well. Place in a bowl, mash gently with a fork and begin adding oil and vinegar, tasting with each addition. When satisfied with the flavor, add parsley, salt and pepper. The spread is ready.

Vrechtura - Serves 15 - 20 as an appetizer

3 medium, very ripe tomatoes
6 small barley or whole-wheat rusks (paximathia) - Note: Whole-grain sourdough country bread is best, sliced in half-inch thick slices and baked at 375 degrees for 10 minutes or so to acquire the consistency of a rusk.
6 Kalamata or Amfissa olives, pitted and chopped
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
scant half pound drained feta cheese, crumbled
1 tablespoon oregano
6 sprigs of parsley leaves finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper (optional)

Cut the tomatoes in half, remove the seeds, and, using a coarse grater, pulp them into a bowl. If the tomatoes are very watery, drain excess water by placing tomatoes in fine sieve. Arrange the crisped bread on a plate and cover with the tomato pulp. Let stand for _ hr to allow tomato pulp to soak into the bread. Sprinkle with olives, olive oil, oregano, parsley, and pepper to taste. Top with finely crumbled feta. Set aside 30 minutes, and then serve.

It is important for the rusk/bread to absorb enough liquid from the tomatoes to acquire flavor and be softened, but not so much that it becomes soggy.

Baked Beets with Garlic Sauce - Serves 15-20 as an appetizer

3 pounds beets without leaves (as fresh as possible)
1 bunch parsley, chopped, for garnish

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Wash beets and wrap tightly individually in aluminum foil. Place in baking pan and bake until tender to the fork - about 45 minutes. Let cool, remove foil and slip off skin, cutting off any stems and the pointed root of the beet. Slice into _ inch thick slices, arrange on a platter, sprinkle with parsley and place a bowl of garlic sauce in the center, so that the beets can be dipped into garlic sauce.

Garlic Sauce - Skordalia - Serves 15-20 as appetizer

1 pound peeled potatoes, quartered
5 cloves garlic
3/4 cup peeled almonds
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
Salt to taste
1/3 cup lemon juice

Boil the potatoes in salted water. Reserve _ cup of the cooking water before draining potatoes. Place garlic, almonds half the oil and salt in a blender. As the ingredients are pulsed, add the potatoes one by one creating a smooth mash. Add the remaining oil and lemon juice slowly. Add salt if necessary.

Drunken Onions -Serves 4 as an appetizer

3medium yellow onions sliced into rings
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 pound each red, green, and yellow bell peppers
1 long green hot pepper or two jalapeno peppers
2 dried red chiles
1 tablespoon pumpkin seeds
1 tablespoon sunflower seeds
1 tablespooon fresh dill, chopped
Salt and pepper
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 tablespoons ouzo

Heat olive oil in shallow pan; add sliced onion rings, peppers and chiles and sauté for 10 minutes until onions and peppers are tender. Add remaining ingredients, stirring, and cook for one minute longer. Remove from heat and serve.