Caraya II in the Greek Isles

It was days before I was steady on land and not falling asleep and waking up to the rock of the boat. The beauty of the trip continues to show up as images dance before my mind’s eye. What a pleasure to have so many lovely “anchors” of experience to enjoy long after the boat put into dock in our final port as the group made its way back to Athens for various departure plans to return to our lives as American ex-pats.

After being transported from Athens airport to the waiting boat, (with a stop as we prepared to cross over the Corinthian Canal) we boarded Caraya II at the port of Nafplion for a tour of the boat and a deposit of bags into our selected cabins.



We were 5 with an additional two:

Skipper Stefan and








First Mate-Cook-and-Bottle-Washer, Soulis.





The aforementioned Charlotte

knew everyone of the five travellers and the three others knew one another as well. I was the unknown factor in the group. And frankly, I couldn’t have felt more welcomed.
















Stefan had hoisted a small American Flag to represent our group. Indeed, we were all born and raised in the US, but each of us is now living abroad: Ukraine, Barcelona...and, of course, La Fourchette in the south of France.

As the week’s sailing plans and stops unfolded, each person seemed to find a rhythm on the boat. For five people to live on a sailboat for a week is a recipe with an unknown result...but this worked beautifully. Everyone seemed able to find a nice balance of alone and together time, sun and shade time, shower and bathroom time (hey...it’s all in the details!) Music, food, laughter, shade, sun and stories were all shared with pleasure.

As we began our adventure, the only collective request was that we sail to interesting places less known to (and populated by) tourists.
Out came the charts and after a brief planning session below deck, we were off. Dropping anchor an hour or so out of port, we took our first dip off the side of the boat...exquisitely cool on the skin, the mix of blue hues into which we were emerged calmed the spirit as well. (And who knew?!? Apparently, playing in the salty turquoise waters works up an appetite!)


Delicious and perfectly timed, the first of many snacks on deck followed as we headed on to our first port. (It came as no surprise that Soulis is in the process of opening his own restaurant in Athens.)









Each night would promise a new port for dinner...Portoheli would be the first. A “primer” of sorts, in which, with Soulis as our guide, the fish selected was first viewed before being chosen for preparation and a little history and culture lesson was included with the meal. Dishes were ordered, one after the next, until we begged for mercy and a stop to the feast. Albeit a bit overwhelming for the first night, it was fun. This was just the beginning!

Although I was so pleased to be in a place where I would have the nightly opportunity for a Greek salad and delicious calamari, I did, on a couple of occasions, break from my obsession and share in a traditional Greek-style meal of many little dishes ordered over the course of an evening depending on levels of dwindling hunger. (The Greek word “mezes” means “little plates”, which is how each order comes to the table.) Salads were filled with the bounty of the summer season, ingredients for each dish were simple and delicious, sauces were light and showed a definite Italian influence and the seafood fresh and outstanding...okay, I’ll admit, I’m still not a big fan of octopus but this was better than I had expected!

As the week unfolded, we would skirt winds and storms to find our way to obscure village ports that included: Spetses (where boats are still made by hand in the traditional fashion), Leonidio (where nightlife includes a rockin' reggae bar...from some reports!), Monemvassia (an ancient perched village of artists and cafés), Ermioni (where we walked off the boat into a taverna owned by friends of our skipper and first mate...I think they had done this before!), Gerakas (a small fishing village where tables are lined up at the edge of the dock under twinkling lights for evening diners), Hydra (a village of artists and anyone wanting to climb stairs...burros will carry your heavier items!), Poros (watched over by an ancient clock tower) and Aegina, where we would spend our final evening and dinner would be enjoyed at a little taverna owned by a local gentleman and his lovely wife, who had spent much of her childhood in Chicago! She welcomed us warmly and exchanged Chicago stories with the Chicagoan among us, comparing Greek Town in Chicago, then and now.

Well...see for yourself...grab a cup of tea (or glass of ouzo!), put your feet up and enjoy a bit of the adventure for yourself:

























































It was a delicious trip...okay, okay...it was also lovely to be sailing along on the azure waters with a salty mist kissing my face as I breathed in that specific fragrance that blends canvas sails, sun-baked wood, wet towels and sea as the boat's dance was choreographed expertly by our skipper...okay...and it was also lovely to be sailing past islands that rose majestically out of the sea, rich with history (and mystery)...and then being fed like royalty and informed on Greek culture by Soulis wasn't bad either! What an adventure...spending the week off the beaten path, just as we had asked...it wasn’t really all about the food.

If you can’t fit in a sailing expedition on Caraya II with Stefan (who also offers cruises for corporate incentive programs...what a prize!)and Soulis in the weeks ahead, you can certainly bring a bit of Greek cuisine to your table. In fact, you can start with my little obsession...which, yes, I have enjoyed more than once since I’ve been home.

The late days of summer are perfect for gathering up the salad ingredients and the fish monger at the market preps my squid for me with a couple of snips so it’s ready to go when I bring it home. Am I a lucky girl, or what?! I’ve even managed to score a bit of Greek olive oil (and yogurt for breakfast) at my local epicerie!

Try washing it down with something suggested by my friend, Jean-Marc Espinasse, at Rouge-Bleu. (Follow his journey as he builds his new bio-dynamic winery and makes renovations on a 400 year old French farmhouse!)

Coteaux Varois
Fiefs Vendéens
Coteaux de Pierrevert
Entre-deux-Mers
Anjou (Which is where my own love affair with wine began many, many years ago...on a picnic...another story...)
Coteaux d'Aix-en-Provence


A appreciative curtsy to my boat-mates and fellow adventurers for the Greek Island caper. Je suis contente de vous rencontrer! (Happy to meet you!)



And to Stefan and Soulis, mille fois merci! Encore, Encore! I’m ready to do it again!

Bon Appétit!
L


Fried Calamari

Vegetable oil, for deep-frying
1 pound clean squid with tentacles, bodies cut into 1/3- to 1/2-inch-thick rings, rinsed and dried on a soft towel
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons dried herbs (a blend such as herbs de provence or simply some dried oregano)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 lemons, cut into wedges
Fresh parsley, chopped (for garnish)

Pour enough oil into a heavy large saucepan to reach the depth of 2 - 3 inches. Heat over medium heat to 350 degrees F. Mix the flour, herbs, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Working in small batches, toss the squid into the flour mixture to coat. Carefully add the squid to the oil and fry until crisp and very pale golden, about 1 minute per batch. Using tongs or a slotted spoon, transfer the fried calamari to a paper-towel lined plate to drain. Salt immediately to your taste.

Place the fried calamari and lemon wedges on a clean plate. Sprinkle with some chopped fresh parsley to garnish and serve.



Greek Country Salad (Horiatiki Salata
(Adapted from The Original Greek Cooking by Alexandros Valavanis)

1 lb. tomatoes
1 medium sized onion, finely sliced
1 cucumber, halved, seeded and sliced thin
Handful of black oil cured olives
180 gr. Feta cheese
dried oregano
80 gr. Olive oil
red wine vinegar, salt and pepper to taste

Slice onions and place them in vinegar to marinate. (This softens their “punch” a bit.)

Slice tomatoes and cucumbers and arrange along with olives on a plate. Add marinated onions along with the vinegar as you approach serving time. Top with a slice of feta cheese and the dried oregano. Pour the olive oil over the top and serve.

Serves 4

Cultural Exchanges and Care Packages

With the winds on the seas around the Greek Isles behind me, a few words and pictures are being put together to share some of the wonder and beauty of being in some of the lesser-known spots around the islands. Of course, food would be a part of the picture for La Fourchette from the first moments of the trip...so we'll start there.

The organizer of the adventure, a former resident of Aix en Provence, had asked for a few herbs de provence to bring some provençal zing to her Ukrainian cuisine.

The promise of a stash of herbs and a stroll through the marché turned into an inspiration for a little care package from the old ‘hood that included small jars of pesto, tapenade and artichoke spread, a bag of sun-dried tomatoes, a bit of lavender honey, cans of tuna in olive oil (which actually never made it into the collection as I packed it up - those are on the way, Charlotte!)and the originally requested herbs de provence. I was looking forward to bringing a bit of Mediterranean sunshine to someone who is finding Ukraine to be a bit soggy.


Mindful of the not-so-new airline security regulations for the amounts of liquid allowed for carry-on bags, I carefully transferred my soaps and such into smaller containers, then into plastic bags...and finally ended up packing it all into my check-on bag after all...it just seemed easier that way with fewer chances for any glitches along the way. Not factored into the equation: my care package!

As I went through security in Marseille, I was stopped abruptly and my backpack was opened as the security official searched for the “liquid” that was showing up on his screen. He shook his head and clicked his tongue at me as he reached in and retrieved my collection of jars one by one. “Oh! J’ai oublié! Mais, non...c’est un cadeau!!” I exclaimed. (I forgot! But no, it’s a gift!) I was in the process of internally berating myself for missing something so simple. Mumbling as I anticipated watching the entire package being tossed in the nearby trash that was already filled with quite a collection of bottles and other items that never made it past this efficient official, I was resigned to the inevitable.

Feeling a bit deflated, my murmur of “C’est pas possible...” (It’s not possible) tumbled out over the backpack that so clearly displayed my oversight. But to my surprise, there was a pause...and then with a wink and a smile the security official responded reassuringly, in that very French manner, “Tout est possible!” (All is possible...now one of my favorite expressions in these parts...even if it doesn’t always apply when it would otherwise be quite helpful.) He re-wrapped my stash and stuffed it into my backpack. I guess I looked like a safe bet and this story has a happy ending: the care package was delivered and has already been tucked into as a little bit of life in Aix is shared with a temporary Ukrainian resident. With all due respect to airline security in this day and age: How cool was that?!?

I shared the story with Charlotte as we sat under the sails sharing some shade one afternoon...which led to a discussion of food and recipes...which resulted in a suggestion for an old favorite of mine that combines the sun-dried tomatoes from my ‘hood and an ingredient that is apparently very plentiful in her corner of the world: vodka!


There we were: Two Americans...navigating their new cultures with food...while sailing in the Greek Islands...sweeeet!


Bon Appétit!

p.s. More tales to follow with recipes sporting a Greek and Mexican (!) twist!

Sun-Dried Tomato Vodka Cream Pasta (Adapted from a recipe that was attached with a rubber band to my first jar of sun-dried tomatoes many years ago...and some recipe in my files that has no reference...so...if it looks familiar and you want credit...changes can be made..."Tout est possible"!)

1 T. extra-virgin olive oil
1 T. butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 shallots, finely chopped
1 cup vodka
1 cup chicken stock (preferably home-made)
1 cup sun dried tomatoes
sea salt and pepper to taste
16 oz. pasta (your choice here: rigatoni holds and sops the sauce nicely...but linguine works nicely, too.)
3/4 cup heavy cream*
Chiffonade a handful of fresh basil leaves for garnish

Bring chicken stock to a simmer and pour over sun-dried tomatoes in a medium bowl. Allow to “steep” to rehydrate for 15 minutes (or longer as determined by your own taste for softening the tomatoes.)

Heat olive oil and butter in a large skillet over moderate heat. Add shallots and garlic. Gently sauté until soft and translucent. (About 5 minutes.) Add vodka to the pan and allow it to reduce by one half. (About 5 minutes.)

Add tomatoes and stock and bring sauce to bubbling, reducing to a simmer for 20 to 30 minutes. Check for seasonings and season with sea salt and pepper to taste.

While sauce simmers, cook pasta in boiling water, al dente.

In the final moments, stir cream into the sauce and return to a gentle bubble to heat through. Remove from heat and toss with pasta. Top with basil and serve immediately.

Serves 4

* I use a soy cream available here that is really tasty with none of the consequences of “the real deal” but...as Julia Child was fond of admonishing: You don’t eat like this every day!

Gifts from Above

Just a quick note, actually, to keep the pace going as I prepare to leave town for a sail around the Greek Islands! Yes, lucky girl that I am, a friend in the Peace Corps in Ukraine with a spirit for adventure (as if a Peace Corps assignment isn’t adventure enough) has organized a "little something" that was too good to pass up...so, I’m off until the middle of August.

As we enjoy the first days of August from our various regions of the world, I wanted to share a little "slice" of Provence and the bounty of summer.

This particular "bounty" is a gift from the apricot tree that grows on the other side of the wall in my courtyard and has "gifted" me with a regular shower of fruit in these last weeks. Some have ended up in Bodhi’s belly while others made it into this lovely tart. I’m not sure who had the most pleasure from the surprise harvest, but it’s been a good season for all!







There have been several warm summer nights on this little courtyard with friends visiting from the US recently...and a few “locals” coming inside for a little “look-see” in an attempt to escape a bit of the heat.














From the shadow of Sainte Victoire, I will be off for a couple of weeks with plenty to share upon my return. In the meantime, this is a lovely taste of summer sunshine...the drizzle of lavender honey (and there are a couple of Minnesotans who have a bit of this on hand) adds an extra little “curtsy” to Provence.

Bon Appétit!
L




Apricot Tart with Lavender Honey
(Adapted from Patricia Wells’ At Home in Provence)

The Pastry:
8 T. unsalted butter, melted and cooled, plus additional for preparing tart pan
1/2 cup sugar
A pinch of fine sea salt
1/8 t. pure almond extract
1/8 t. pure vanilla extract
2 T. finely ground blanched almonds
1 1/4 cups plus 1 T. flour

The filling:
5 T. heavy cream
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/2 t. pure almond extract
1/2 t. pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup sugar
1 T, flour
2 T. finely ground blanched almonds

4 T. finely ground blanched almonds
1 1/2 lbs. fresh apricots, pitted and halved (do not peel)
Lavender honey for garnish

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F

2. Butter the bottom and sides of a 9-inch (23cm) fluted tart pan with removable bottom. Set aside.

3. In a large bowl, combine the melted butter, sugar, salt, almond and vanilla extracts and almonds. Stir with a wooden spoon to blend. Gradually add enough flour to form a soft cookie-like dough. Place the dough in the center of the buttered pan. Using the tips of your fingers, evenly press the pastry along the bottom and up the sides of the pan. The pastry will be quite thin. (You do not need to weight or prick the shell.)

4. Place the pan in the center of the oven and bake until the dough is slightly puffy and turns a very pale brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside. Do not turn off the oven.

5. Meanwhile make the filling: In a medium-size bowl, combine the cream, egg, almond and vanilla extracts and whisk to blend. Stir in the sugar, flour, and ground almonds.

6. Sprinkle 2 T. of the ground almonds on top of the pre-baked pastry shell. (They will prevent the crust from becoming soggy.)

7. Arrange the apricots in a single layer in the pastry shell. Starting just inside the edge of the pan, neatly overlap the halved apricots, cut side up, at an angle. Arrange in two or three concentric circles, working toward the center. Fill in the center with the remaining apricots. Pour the filling evenly over the pastry. Sprinkle with the remaining 2 T. of ground almonds.

8. Place the tart pan on a baking sheet. Place the baking sheet in the center of the oven and bake until the filling is firm and the pastry is a deep golden brown, 50 to 60 minutes. The apricots will shrivel slightly. Remove from the oven and place on a rack to cool. Drizzle with lavender honey just before serving.

Serves 8.

Champagne Toasts

After an early train from Aix to Paris-Charles de Gaulle to catch a flight to Minneapolis through Detroit, I may have been a bit jet-lagged when, at some point during the 2 hour ride from the airport to my sister’s home north of "The Cities", my senses roused enough to ask her if it was rain that I was hearing and seeing hitting the windshield. “No,” she gently responded, “it’s bugs!"


Welcome to Minnesota where the road opens wide to wind through pastures and corn fields, the summer skies change with grace and beauty,




















the state bird is the mosquito...and mayonnaise is as popular here as it was in the faculty lunchroom during my days as a teacher! (Yeah...just for the mayo, had I not moved to the south of France, I think this would be my kind of place!) In fact, it wasn’t until my sister moved from California to Minnesota that either of us learned that the "hot dish" appearing at every social gathering was not referring to a young female wearing something petite (and on the tight side) but rather something often including cream of mushroom soup!

My sister has lived a bit of the Prairie Home Companion existence
since marrying a lovely fellow many years ago and relocating, with their dog,
to several oak-wooded acres that roll down to the river’s edge in a town of 800...make that 803.



Ah yes, Minnesota...Lake Wobegon Country, "...where all the women are strong, all the men are good-looking, and all the children are above average."(News from Lake Wobegon/Prairie Home Companion)

After two-semesters of French studies, I was ever-so-ready to sit in the soft light of their lovely cedar-scented "three-season room" and rest, read, sleep, watch a little telly in English and witness the day’s light cross the park-like setting until dropping behind the river’s other shore at an hour that sounds more like my "bedtime" than "sunset".


We made the rounds to the local shopping malls to take advantage of sales, products not available here, a few tortilla "wrap" sandwiches that are not so ubiquitous in these parts, a "girly" day of pedicures...and happily, all in American dollars. What a relief!

As to the actual birthday celebration, it was a small family fête that took place on the deck...full river view while the sun made its last rays shine upon us as we toasted the Birthday Girl with champagne (a birthday gift bottle from my "notable birthday" the spring before arriving in France) and nibbled on none other than a dressed-up mayonnaise dish to whet the appetite as we waited for a roasted salmon dinner to hit the plates.

Although we talk every day, (yes my friends, we are keeping Telesoldes in Europe and NobelCom in the US in business!) every once in a while, sisters need that face-to-face catching up to say the things that don’t get said over the phone in the 7 hour time difference, to be recharged with a hug, or laugh, or to share that unique sense of humor that develops because of (and is made all the more precious by) a shared history. She’s a special one, this sister. Simply the best!

I always feel so warmly welcomed into their home (what says "I love you" more than the fact that there is always a large can of salted mixed nuts waiting for me!) This time, though, she and my brother-in-law graciously made room in their hearts – and on their carpets - for Bodhi, who found the entire experience quite to his liking. What’s not to like when you have free run of several acres, a big dog to follow around and provoke...errr, "play with" and your are encouraged to dig like a hedgehog by your aunt and uncle and not get reprimanded! Puppy Paradise!








After celebrating the big day, taking in a movie, making the shopping rounds, feasting on American television fare such as the Today Show, Food TV and something with Paula Abdul (!?), helping me pack up boxes of books to ship to France, and soaking up just being together, we parted as we always do at the airport in a mist of tears and unspoken wishes that the physical distance was not so great between us...but as hearts and souls go, I’m not sure I’ve ever felt closer...elle est quelque chose de special! (She is something special!) I love her as a sister, a friend, an artist and a "rock"...for it was her ever-present support and encouragement that helped me to breathe through the tough parts of this cultural transition.

Happy Birthday! And thank you!




A sommelier in California gave me the recipe for Parmesan Toasts, touting the pairing of the salty creamy blend of parmesan and mayo with the bubbly sweetness of Champagne...and you know, he was onto something!

As to the "hot dish", here is a little something from the kitchen of one of my sister's lovely Minnesota girlfriends (a bit like the YaYa Sisterhood, they are) back in the ‘hood. Known for her fabulous cooking and entertaining in high style, Carol's Tuscan Strata brings the "hot dish" to a new level.

Bon Appétit!
L

Parmesan Toasts

Parmigiano-Reggiano (preferably aged 3 years)
Best Foods Mayo (only brand that won't break up)
Chopped Green Onions
Black Pepper
Finely chopped garlic
sour dough, pumpernickel or rye toasts

Mix equal parts of grated parmigiano and Best Foods mayo in a mixing bowl.
Add finely chopped green onions, black pepper and garlic (to taste).
Prepare toast in smaller sizes or shaped with a cookie cutter. (The little cocktail loaves of pumpernickel or rye work well in a hurry.)
Put mixture in a piping bag or plastic baggie and squeeze onto toasts (or spoon onto each slice.)
Broil until nicely browned.

Serve immediately, while hot.



Individual Tuscan Stratas

Ingredients:
2 cups diced Lunds and Byerly's Artisan Vienna bread, sliced
1 tablespoon olive oil
8 ounces mild Italian sausage
1 cup chopped onion
1 1/2 teaspoons Lunds and Byerly's Tuscan Seasoning
salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons butter
1 1/3 cups baby bella mushrooms, coarsely chopped (4 ounces)
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/3 cup diced sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, drained
4 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 cups half and half
2 drops hot pepper sauce
2 cups shredded Trugole cheese
1 cup shredded Asiago cheese


Preparation:

Place diced bread in large mixing bowl.

Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Saute sausage, onions, seasoning, salt and pepper until sausage is no longer pink (8-10 minutes). Transfer sausage mixture to bowl with bread cubes. In same skillet melt butter; sauté mushrooms until all liquid evaporates. Stir in garlic and sun-dried tomatoes; cook 1-2 minutes longer. Transfer mushroom mixture to bowl with bread and sausage.

In another mixing bowl whisk eggs and half and half. Stir in hot pepper sauce and cheeses. Pour egg mixture into bowl with bread-sausage mixture; mix thoroughly.

Spray (6-cup) jumbo muffin tin with cooking spray. Ladle egg mixture into jumbo muffin cups. Refrigerate, covered, overnight.

Preheat oven to 350 F. Remove stratas from refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Bake uncovered until knife inserted in center comes out clean (30-40 minutes). Remove from oven and allow to sit 10 minutes before removing from muffin tins.

Amount: 6 servings