Tired of maple syrup? Make fig syrup. You can use fresh or fried figs, wild or store-bought.
Greek Recipes
I love Greek cooking, especially how it makes magic out of often limited ingredients. That ingenuity shines with fish, game and wild edible plants, called horta in Greece. What follows are my favorite Greek recipes.
Greek food hinges a lot on technique in that you can often see a similar set of ingredients turn out completely different, depending on how they are put together and in what amounts and in what order.
Below you will see about 30 Greek recipes, all using fish, game or edible wild plants -- many can be, and are customarily made, with supermarket ingredients like lamb, chicken or beef, but Greek cuisine does use a lot of game and fish.
Here you will find classics like stifado, a stew with rabbit or sometimes red meats, dolmades, the ubiquitous stuffed grape leaves you see in every Greek restaurant, grilled octopus, venison souvlaki, and many more fantastic Greek recipes.
The Latest
Pickled Grape Leaves
Pickled grape leaves sound odd, but they are the preserved grape leaves you use for various Mediterranean dishes, like dolmades, the stuffed grape leaves from Greece. If you live in grape country — and most of us do — May through early July is the best time to make pickled grape leaves to use for
Greek Braised Quail
Braised quail Greek style, with olives, lemon, celery and garlic. This is a simple recipe that also works with rabbit, partridge, pheasant and grouse.
Greek Venison or Lamb Shanks
This is a traditional Greek lamb shank recipe done with venison shanks; the only difference between the two is venison takes longer to cook.
Warm Crab Salad with Peppers
A Greek dish of warm crab salad with peppers, mostly sweet bell peppers, served with red onions and lots of herbs.
Greek Dolmades, Stuffed Grape Leaves
Stuffed grape leaves are a fantastic vehicle for all sorts of tasty fillings. These are vegetarian stuffed grape leaves.
Greek Fried Mussels
Fried mussels done Greek style, with Mediterranean spices in the flour and served with garlicky skordalia dipping sauce.
Greek Grilled Octopus
I haven’t bought meat or fish more than a handful of times in more than a decade. Octopus is my exception. I love grilled octopus, especially Greek style. Baby octos served as a meze, a Greek appetizer, is one of my favorite things to eat in summertime.