Mezedes-appetizers

This Dakos Savoury Greek Cheesecake, is the perfect appetizer when you need to feed a crowd. A savoury cheesecake I made during Christmas, based on the Greek Cretan recipe for Dakos.

Kotopita, which means chicken pie, is one of many types of Greek meat pites.  This particular meat pie is made with chicken and shaped into a galette.

This Aromatic Kagianas is is a dish made with eggs, aromatic herbs, such as Kafkalithres (Mediterranean Hartwort), Myronia (chervil) and pasto (cured pork) from Lakonia.

After making the pickled cherries I started using them in various recipes.   These recipes can be turned into a four course meal.

Celebrating Greek Name Days is an important event for the Greeks.

Name days or “onomastiki eorti” as it is called in Greece is a tradition celebrated on a particular day of the year associated with the one’s given name of a Saint.

I’ve already spoken about syglino or pasto which is cured pork meat which is smoked. However, after the meat is cured and smoked it has to be cooked and preserved in olive oil. This is an old method which they used when there were no refrigerators but it is still used as it adds flavour to the cured meat.

Gigantes plaki is a deliciously hearty vegan dish made with giant beans, cooked in a tomato sauce, served as a main dish or as part of a mezze platter.

Ntomatokeftedes are tomato patties or fritters, served mostly in most of the Greek islands, especially in the Aegean.   These are served as appetizers but they can also be served as a main dish with a salad.

If you get some lovely, fresh courgettes (zucchini) with their flowers on don’t throw away the flower and if you scoop the interior or courgettes to stuff them, don’t throw that away either. Here’s what I did:

Grilled sardines are a common menu item at many Greek restaurants, called “tsipourakika”, served as an appetizer.