Stuffed grape leaves are a fantastic vehicle for all sorts of tasty fillings. These are vegetarian stuffed grape leaves.
Greek
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.
Venison Stew with Wild Greens
A Greek-inspired venison stew slowly simmered with all sorts of wild greens, from dandelions to lamb’s quarters to wild fennel, amaranth, orache — really whatever you can find. Of course this is also great with turnip or mustard greens, kale or collards, too.
Venison Greek Souvlaki
If these look kinda-sorta like venison tacos, it’s because lots of cultures love to grill meats, stick them on a flatbread and add vegetables and some kind of awesome sauce. That’s exactly what this is, done Greek style.
Fennel Cookies
I don’t eat a lot of sweet things, but I do have a soft spot for cookies. These I call “Bacchus Biscuits,” and they’re my take on a Greek fennel seed cookie. It’s like a shortbread cookie, not too sweet, with toasted fennel seeds in it. They last a while and are great as a quick snack.
Greek Meatballs with Venison
It’s not often I remake a five-year-old recipe and change nothing. This Greek meatball recipe — venison (or lamb), bulgur wheat, oregano and a Greek tomato sauce — is one such dish. Nice to know some dishes hold up well over time.
Grilled Octopus, Greek Style
As we close out summer, I refuse to give up the grill just yet. And while I did not actually catch these little octopi, I just had to share with you one of my favorite appetizers of all time: Grilled baby octopus, a Greek classic.