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Truthfully, I was hesitant to dive in because I knew it would take me to a dream world I might not ever get back to in real life. When I lived in Turkiye and traveled along the Aegean Coast, I was always trying to get to Ikaria, but could never make it.
The adventurer inside of me remembered my young self..
When I was just 19 years old, I became a solo traveler through Europe, by accident. I was visiting my family in Sicily when I got the travel bug to see more and more, so I hopped on a train to Bari and took a ferry through the Adriatic and landed on the island of Corfu.
This was way back before the internet, blogs and social media hailed the glories of solo travels, women solo travelers especially, and all the hot spots to take a selfie. Instead, I was able to peacefully take photos, meet incredibly warm local villagers who showed me their gardens and invited me for fresh home-grown watermelon. I ate the purest seafood directly from Aegean, unseasoned vegetable salads that actually taught me what cucumbers are supposed to be, and spoke to village Yaiyas about their secrets to reaching old age in such a healthy way. One told me to always peel your cucumber!
While enjoying my little cup of Greek coffee and a village breakfast high up in a mountainside home for just $12 USD per night, I wrote in my diary (not a laptop or cell phone notes) a vow to myself that I would someday make a life for myself in the Mediterranean. To live in this simplicity. In this healthy air. To have neighbors, friends and family that were just as kind, happy, quiet and hard-working as the people of Corfu.
Fast forward to now and my life looks nothing like that. I broke all the promises to myself about living in the Mediterranean. I’ve tried and feel like I failed, but I have learned to cook some pretty great things.
And I’ve learned to bring the Mediterranean lifestyle with me wherever I go, as much as I possibly can.
One way I do that is to eat as many greens as possible. To get as much sunshine as possible. To keep inspiring myself with stories, books, and recipes about the Mediterranean so that I can share that with all of you.
So I wanted to bring you a recipe this week that invokes both sides of the Aegean Sea, yet shared in both Greece and Turkiye. This is my specific take on it, my version, with the greens that I could find: Aegean Village Greens Pie. It’s not a sweet “pie”. Pie in this culinary cultural context is savory.
Aegean Village Greens Pie
Serves 6
I always tell people not to be intimidate by fillo dough. It’s much more forgiving than you think. I’m not including a recipe for homemade fillo dough now, because first I want you to get used to sourcing and cooking- and enjoyably eating those greens!
First, go out and look for greens- not just spinach. I promise you, you’ll find them. Also, spring onions and leeks (leave out the leeks if you can’t find them, it’s okay):
Spinach
Dandelions
Beets (you’ll use only the greens)
Swiss Chard (any variety)
Spring onions
Leeks
Next, I want you to look for fresh herbs and onions. Please try to avoid dried herbs for this recipe, except for dried thyme.
Dill
Parsley (flat leaf, if possible)
Mint
Next, I want you to find the creamiest feta cheese possible:
For me, the best one is the Macedonian style feta cheese (more readily found in Canada). You can use other types of feta, but in my opinion most are way too dry except for perhaps the Valbreso brand French Feta Cheese, which is more easily found in the U.S. I think I may have even seen it at Costco…
*I used Sotidakis Goat Feta Chevre (from Costco) once and it was good, but not moist enough for this recipe, in my opinion.*
If you can’t find either, then so be it – just use what you can find.
Lastly, find a good fillo dough (in the freezer section of most Mediterranean and Middle Eastern markets, as well as most grocery stores). My go-tos are Fillo Factory Organic or Krinos, but you can really use any that work for savory pies. Just make sure they’re not shaped like a triangle or molded into cups- that’s for other types of fillo dishes. You’re going to bring the fillo home and put it in the refrigerator. But not for too many days (3-4 days tops), otherwise it will start to get moldy.
You’ll probably have the rest of the ingredients on hand at home, but just in case:
A really great quality olive oil (that should be part of your cooking at all times, anyway, not just for this recipe). Might I be a little bit proud and mention our beloved Oil of Anatolia from Turkiye?
Farm fresh eggs
Black seed or sesame seeds (whichever you wish to top the spinach pies with)
Milk, for mixing with oil or butter, to wash the fillo
Silicone pastry brush
Rectangular deep pan (i.e. lasagna pan is good but a bit large). Round pans are okay but you’ll have to fanagle the fillo, which can be annoying
Measurements of Ingredients:
Approximately 3 cups cooked greens mixture (see below)
Fresh or dried garlic or garlic powder (optional)
All fresh herbs, washed, dried and roughly chopped
1-2 eggs (1 large or 2 small)
3/4 cup Feta cheese
1 teaspoon crushed black or white pepper
dry thyme or oregano (1-2 teaspoons)
1/2 teaspoon salt (optional)
1 packet fillo (also spelled “phyllo”) dough, thawed in the refrigerator
Directions for Assembling and Baking:
HOW TO COOK THE GREENS
Wash and dry all the greens and onions. If using, chop the stems of any Swiss chard finely. If using spring onions or leeks, use the white parts for this recipe by chopping them finely.
In a small saute pan or pot, gently heat the olive oil. Add the onions then the stems or hardy parts of any of the greens. If you want you can add garlic (1 clove fresh) or garlic powder (1/2 teaspoon), too. Cook down until softened and set aside to cool completely.
ASSEMBLY & BAKING DIRECTIONS
To a large bowl, add the greens. Add the herbs, eggs, feta, pepper and dried oregano or thyme and mix well. If necessary, add salt. Set this bowl aside.
Prepare one cup of warm milk and add a generous drizzle of olive oil to it You can also/alternatively add a tablespoon of melted butter. This will be your wash for each layer of the fillo dough. Preheat the oven to 425 F.
To the bottom of the baking pan, brush it generously with olive oil only.
Open the packet of fillo dough. It will be large and rectangular. Cut it in half vertically so that you have two sections. Keep one out to work with and cover the other half with a damp towel. These pieces should fit the size of the pan with which you’re working.
Brush the first layer with the milk-olive oil/butter. Continue to do this with each and every layer of this first half of fillo sheets. When you have finished the first half, pour the cooked greens/feta/egg mixture on top and level it flat with a spatula. Drizzle olive oil on top generously.
Continue to use the other half of fillo sheets and brush each layer with the milk-olive oil mixture until you get to the very last layer on top. Drizzle the top generously with olive oil. Sprinkle sesame or black seeds on top and bak in the oven for 30-35 minutes.
Let cool a few minutes before cutting. Serve with a fresh cucumber-tomato-olive salad, if desired.Καλή όρεξηKalí órexi / Afiyet olsun! Share Everyday Mediterranean by Yvonne Maffei if you’d like to subscribe to my culinary newsletter on Substack.
I love eggplant and I love peppers, but on a day when I’m in a huge hurry and don’t have time to fry the eggplant (actually, I really don’t even like to fry eggplant because it seems to just eat up oil if you don’t pre-salt it). I usually don’t have time to pre-salt the eggplant either (it takes out excess moisture). So, instead I tend to cube it, and bring out the sliced peppers I have in the freezer. This makes things so much faster, easier and super-deliciousness is not sacrificed.
This is how I make it:
If using frozen peppers, you need to take out any excess water, so what I do is put them in a frying pan on low and keep a keen eye on the pan, making sure all the excess water is evaporated before putting them into the baking dish with the cubed eggplant.
Season with salt, pepper, olive oil and dried parsley.
Bake at 350 degrees F for 40 minutes- at the 20 minute mark, pull it out and mix it all up to move the oil around and be sure nothing dries up.
After 40 minutes or so, it should look like this.
Our favorite way is to eat it over rice, but you could also serve it with pasta or rustic bread.
Roasted Eggplant & Pepper On Rice
This is such a straightforward, mess-free dish to make.
Makes 4 servings
INGREDIENTS
1 eggplant, half peeled
4 cups sliced peppers- mixed colors or just green ones
Mix the eggplant and peppers so they are thoroughly combined and place them in an oven-safe dish large enough to spread it out so that they’re not too crowded.
It’s only been the last couple of years since I’ve started cooking with white beans (also known as cannellini beans, great northern beans, and habichuelas blancas in Spanish). I’m not sure where it started, but I know that I began making more dishes using them when I lived in Turkiye because they were so widely available.
What I love about them is that they are so soft and smooth and feel light in dishes. Sometimes after eating other beans, I feel heavy or too full, or the texture of the beans seems to be a bit rough, but that’s not the case with white beans; they are so nice in soups and stews and let the meat and other veggies take on the role of giving a rougher texture to your taste buds; this also makes them nice in salads.
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The most fortuitous of all dishes with white beans for me has been in making a hummus out of white beans, rather than the rgw traditional chickpeas. I’m not sure if this is because I have better success and luck with white beans when I make hummus as opposed to chickpeas which, for some reason just seem so much harder for me to make a really fantastic hummus. It also just feels softer on my stomach than chickpeas, but that could just be me. Whatever the actual reason, I’m just so glad I’ve made it and can share this recipe with you.
If using dry beans, be sure to cook them far enough in advance to allow them to cook thoroughly and to cool off well in advance of preparing the hummus.
Drain the beans of any excess liquid. To a blender, add the beans, water, sea salt, garlic clove. Blend on high until the mixture is quite smooth. Add the tahini and blend once again until completely smooth.
Pour the mixture into a serving dish or bowl and garnish with desired toppings such as crushed red pepper, sumach and parsley (fresh or dried).
Serve with pita chips, rustic pita bread or any type of fresh bread that will hold up to this mixture.
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I think eggplant might just be the quintessential Mediterranean vegetable. You find it in every Mediterranean country’s cuisine in such a variety of absolutely delicious ways. My personal favorite is when yogurt is added, which I believe is a particularly eastern Mediterranean way of eating it (i.e. in Greece, Turkiye, and many other similar regions).
I’ve had it so many ways in so many different types of cuisines that I can hardly pin down a ‘favorite dish’ but I do have a preferred flavor profile in terms of how it’s cooked and I think I love the way it’s presented in Turkish cuisine the most because of it’s grilled taste, even when roasting in the oven – as well as the other ways its cooked so often with tomato and garlic, which is very similar to my Sicilian heritage way of making it), and that addition of yogurt is my favorite.
When cooking this way, you barely miss meat in a meal, so it’s a great option for vegans and vegetarians as well as anyone who is skipping out on meat for any particular meal.
Sauteed Eggplant Mezze Recipe (Mediterranean)
Serves 4-6
Ingredients
2-4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 large eggplant, cubed
2 tomatoes (peeled), roughly chopped
1 small onion, chopped fine
3-4 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tablespoons tomato paste
Sea salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper
Whole milk yogurt (optional)
Crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
Directions
To a large saute pan or Dutch oven, add the olive oil and gently warm it. Add the eggplant and brown on each side, about 6-7 minutes. Next, add the tomatoes and onion at the same time. Continue to cook until the juice of the tomatoes has evaporated, stirring continuously as it cooks. Add the sea salt and black pepper, too.
Allow this mixture to cook for about 12 minutes, uncovered. Once all of the ingredients are soft and thoroughly cooked, turn off the heat and cover for about five minutes. Remove the lid and let cool slightly. Serve, as desired, either as-is like this or with a dollop of yogurt, sprinkled with red pepper flakes. You can also add a drizle of olive oil, freshly cut parsley.
Enjoy with some freshly baked pita bread or khubz (Arabic style bread, which is hefty enough to pick up this dish!).
Note: this is also considered a popular “cold” dish, meaning that it doesn’t have to be piping hot to be eaten and it’s also preferred this way a lot of times, as well.
This post may contain affiliate links, which means that I may receive a commission if you make a purchase using these links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn a commission from qualifying links.This post may contain affiliate links, which means that I may receive a commission if you make a purchase using these links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn a commission from qualifying links.
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Çoban Salata (Cho-ban Suh-la-ta), also known as Turkish Shepherd’s salad is by far the most well-known Turkish salad outside of Turkiye. You’ll find very similar and versions and some exactly the same being served in Middle Eastern and Mediterranean restaurants because it’s also common in those cuisines, as well- particularly Lebanon, Jordan, and Syria. I’ve also seen it in the breakfast buffet at a hotel in Sharm-el-Sheikh, Egypt.
Because it goes well with all meats and fish (or can be a meal on its own, with some crusty bread and fresh cheese), it really is one of the most versatile salad recipes around- and it couldn’t be easier to make.
One variation that is super-interesting and tasty and is common to the Southeastern region of Turkiye is to add pomegranate molasses to it. All the same ingredients, just add about one tablespoon molasses if you’re using the same recipe below.
My version of Çoban Salata, served for lunch at the World Bank Group in Washington, D.C. (May 2023)
This is the most popular Turkish salad, one which you’ll find all over Turkiye, but also very similar versions throughout the Middle East and Mediterranean region. It goes well with all meats and fish or can be a meal on its own, with some crusty bread and fresh cheese, which is what makes it one of the most versatile salad recipes around.
Ingredients
3-4 medium size Persian cucumbers, cut in half lengthwise and roughly chopped
3 medium tomatoes, roughly chopped
3 spring onions, finely chopped
One handful of flat leaf or curly parsley, roughly chopped
When you have a plethora of vegetables, there are only so many things you can do with them without getting tired of the same old thing. I tend to make a lot of soups from vegetables, but sometimes I want the taste of something grilled. This recipe is nice because you can even do it if you have a small oven or toaster oven, or even just a small amount of vegetables to grill.
Simply cut the vegetables all the same size so that they cook evenly.
Add some sea salt and drizzle generously with olive oil. You’ll save that oil for your salad and not waste a drop, so don’t worry.
Grill at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 30 minutes (keep an eye on them to make sure they don’t burn, as some will ultimately cook a little faster than others).
They look so delicious and curl up so nicely. I like to add tomatoes, peppers, onions, eggplant.
When they’re out of the oven, I simply throw them all into a bowl, olive oil included. It makes a great side dish to meat or fish, or simply eat on its own with rustic bread.
It’s also pretty, so it’s nice to serve in a glass bowl for guests so they can see how pretty it is, too, from any vantage point of the dinner table.
