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August
Greek Night at Charlotte's
Phyllo Triangles
Greek Salad
Lamb Kebabs Rice Pilaf with Spinach and Pine Nuts Pita Bread
Lemon Ice Cream
Baklava Coffee
This menu is Greek in inspiration, although probably not strictly authentic. Phyllo triangles stuffed with cheese are a tasty opener. They can be made ahead of time and the extras frozen – great to have on hand for unexpected guests. Lamb Kebabs are grilled outside, fragrant with lemon, olive oil, oregano and thyme, and served with rice pilaf studded with spinach bits and pine nuts.
Greek salad is one of the most delicious ways to enjoy tomatoes fresh from the garden. During July and August I frequently make a large dish of it to keep handy in the refrigerator for lunches and snacks. Fortunately, I’m the only one home most of the day during the summer, so I get to have it all to myself.
Wrap up the meal with ice cream in the quintessential Greek flavor – lemon. And for that last tantalizing taste of sweetness, serve small squares of baklava with strong coffee. What a perfect menu for eating outside in the garden on a warm summer evening.
When I think of Greece, I think of bright white buildings against a brilliant blue sky, so blue and white are the colors for the evening. I’ve set a table next to the grape vine in the back yard with a blue tablecloth and blue and white dishes. A simple bowl of lemons and lemon leaves to echo the flavors of the evening make a perfect centerpiece. A couple of citronella candles to keep away the bugs, and we’re good to go. Of course, a little Greek music during drinks and appetizers couldn’t hurt, followed later by something soft and soothing.
When guests arrive, they will get a bracelet, made on my computer, with the name of a Greek mythological figure who will be their patron for the evening. I try to choose one that fits each guest’s personality in some way – Dionysos, god of wine, for the wine buff, or Asklepios, god of healing, for the doctor in the group. At each place I have a small fold-over card with the name and a drawing of the appropriate figure on the front and a short description of his or her attributes along with the evening’s menu on the inside. This is how guests will know where to sit. You can even have each guest read theirs aloud to the group. These personal touches are simple to do and, although not absolutely necessary, make the evening a little more fun and memorable.
6 ounces crumbled feta cheese 8 ounces mozzarella cheese cut into very small cubes 1 cup ricotta cheese ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese 1 egg 2 scallions, finely chopped 3 tablespoons Italian parsley, finely chopped 1 tablespoon dill, finely chopped Kosher salt Freshly ground black pepper 7-8 sheets phyllo dough (slightly less than half of a one-pound package) 1 stick butter, melted
Combine cheeses, chopped scallion, parsley, dill and several grinds of black pepper. Sprinkle lightly with salt. Whisk egg until completely mixed. Add to cheese mixture. Stir until combined.
Take out 8 of the phyllo sheets (should be a little less than half). Wrap the remaining sheets in plastic wrap and reserve for the baklava. Cut the whole stack of sheets lengthwise into four long strips. Keep all the sheets covered with plastic wrap while you are working. Take out one strip and brush with melted butter. Place a spoonful of the cheese mixture at one end and fold the bottom edge over to meet the side edge, making a triangle that covers the filling. Continue folding in the triangle shape until you reach the end of the strip. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Cover with plastic wrap while you make the rest of the triangles. Continue in this fashion with remaining filling. You may have phyllo sheets left over. It’s best to always allow a few extra because they are so fragile. At this point triangles can be refrigerated, covered with plastic wrap, until time to bake.
Preheat oven to 350º. Bake triangles for 20 minutes (25 minutes if frozen), or until light golden brown. Let cool for 5-10 minutes. Serve immediately.
If you don’t feel like making the vinaigrette from scratch, I find that Newman’s Own Balsamic Vinaigrette, available at most supermarkets, tastes great on this salad. It’s one of the very few situations in which I like bottled salad dressing.
1 large cucumber, peeled, halved lengthwise and sliced 1 pint cherry tomatoes, cut in half ½ red onion, thinly sliced 1 cup Kalamata olives, pitted and cut in half lengthwise 8 ounces crumbled feta cheese
1 head butter lettuce, washed and separated into leaves
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard Kosher salt Freshly ground black pepper
Whisk together balsamic vinegar, olive oil and mustard until mixture is emulsified. Add salt and pepper to taste. (Dressing should be quite salty.)
Combine cucumber, tomatoes, onion, olives and feta in a large bowl. Toss with dressing. Taste and adjust seasoning. Chill at least 1 hour to blend flavors.
Place a whole lettuce leaf or two on a salad plate. Stir salad to redistribute dressing and pile a serving of salad on top of the lettuce leaves.
3 pounds leg of lamb, cut into two- to three-inch cubes ¼ cup olive oil ¼ cup fresh lemon juice 2 tablespoons fresh oregano leaves 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves 2 bay leaves 2 cloves garlic, smashed Kosher salt Freshly ground black pepper Wooden skewers soaked in water for at least one hour
Mix together olive oil, lemon juice, oregano, thyme, bay leaves and garlic cloves. Pour over lamb cubes and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours. A zip-lock bag works really well for this.
Prepare barbeque grill. Remove meat from marinade and discard marinade. Season meat with salt and pepper. Thread 3-4 pieces of lamb onto each skewer. Grill 3-4 minutes per side for medium-rare, or until done to taste. Cooking time will vary widely, depending on how hot your grill is, so watch carefully.
Rice Pilaf with Spinach and Pine Nuts
2 cups basmati rice 2 cups chicken stock 1¾ cups water 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 shallots, finely chopped 1 bunch spinach, washed and stemmed ½ cup pine nuts 1 teaspoon kosher salt
Heat a pot of water to boiling. Meanwhile, prepare an ice bath in a large bowl. Add 2 tablespoons kosher salt to the ice bath. When water boils, throw in 2 tablespoons kosher salt and the spinach leaves. Blanch for 30 seconds. Remove with a strainer and put immediately into the ice bath. Remove from the ice bath, drain and squeeze spinach in a towel to remove excess water. Chop spinach.
Preheat oven to 350º. Bring chicken stock, water and 1 teaspoon salt to a simmer in a saucepan and keep hot. Heat olive oil in an oven-proof pot. Sauté shallot until soft, about 2 minutes. Add pine nuts and sauté until pine nuts are starting to turn golden. Add spinach and sauté for a minute. Add rice and sauté for another minute or two. Stir in hot chicken broth mixture. Cover and bake 35-40 minutes, or until rice is done. Let sit for 5 minutes. Toss with a fork and taste for seasoning.
1 package pita bread
Warm the pita breads in the oven or on the grill, wrapped in foil, for about 10 minutes, or warm in the microwave, wrapped in a towel. Cut each in half and serve with the lamb and pilaf.
1 ½ cups heavy cream 1 ½ cup whole milk 4 large egg yolks 2 large eggs 1 ½ cups sugar ½ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice Zest of 1 lemon
Combine egg yolks, eggs and sugar in a bowl and whisk until light and foamy. Combine cream and milk in a heavy saucepan and bring to a simmer. Whisk ¼ cup of the hot cream into the egg mixture. Pour egg mixture into the hot cream and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is thick and coats the back of a spoon. Remove from heat. Strain into a covered refrigerator container. Stir in lemon juice and lemon zest. Chill several hours until very cold.
Process in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s directions. Place in an airtight container and freeze until firm.
½ pound walnuts ¼ cup sugar ½ teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup sugar ½ cup water 1 cinnamon stick 1 ½ teaspoons lemon juice 1 teaspoon lemon peel 1 tablespoon honey
About 12 sheets phyllo dough (slightly more than half a one-pound package) 1 stick butter, melted
Lay the phyllo dough on a cutting surface. Cut the whole stack in half horizontally and stack. Trim edges so sheets are about 9” square. A pizza cutter works well for this. Cover with plastic wrap.
Coarsely chop walnuts. Mix with ¼ cup sugar and ½ teaspoon cinnamon. Set aside.
Preheat oven to 375º. Spray an 8” square pan with cooking spray. Lay one layer of phyllo dough in the bottom of the pan and brush with butter. Layer 4 more sheets of phyllo, brushing each one with butter. Spread 1/3 of filling evenly over phyllo. Layer 3 more sheets of buttered phyllo and spread 1/3 of filling over the top. Again layer 3 sheets of buttered phyllo, followed by the last 1/3 of the filling. Layer 6-8 sheets of buttered phyllo over the top of the final layer of filling. Brush top with butter. Cut into small squares or diamonds, cutting through the top layers of the pastry. You don’t have to cut all the way to the bottom, but if you cut at least half way through, it will make it easier to cut after it is baked.
Bake 20 minutes. Lower temperature to 350º and bake 20 minutes more. Cover loosely with a sheet of foil if top starts to get too brown.
Meanwhile, prepare syrup: Combine 1 cup sugar, ½ cup water and cinnamon stick. Simmer 10 minutes. Add honey and simmer an additional 5 minutes. Add lemon juice and lemon peel. Set aside, but keep hot.
Let baklava cool 5 minutes after removing from oven. Pour hot but not boiling syrup over pastry. Let cool to room temperature. Cut and serve.
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Copyright © 2008 by Charlotte Rose. All rights reserved. |
