Pumpkin & Clementine Soup / Σούπα με Κολοκύθα και Μανταρίνι

I woke up this morning with "Let it Snow" playing in my head.
You know the song, it goes like this...

"Oh the weather outside is frightful..
 But the fire is so delightful"

Well, the weather outside is definitely not frightful.

How to Freeze Pumpkin & Butternut Squash

It's been three months since our move from Zagreb to Athens.

The mere fact that I have been counting the months and know exactly how many have passed since we left is a testament to the fact that things are not as easy as I thought they would be.

Pumpkin, Mint & Feta Cheese Pie ~ Κολοκυθόπιτα με Φέτα και Δυόσμο

(Συνταγή στα Ελληνικά στο τέλος της σελίδας)

Hello from the unseasonably warm Athens, the city where for the next 6 months I will be sniffing, slurping and spitting fermented grape juice and other noble spirits.

It's been a pretty busy couple of weeks, travelling from Zagreb to Madrid, back to Zagreb, then to Belgrade and finally reaching Athens on the worst week possible, for someone who's been away from this behemoth of a city for years! The media call it "Black Week", "the Mother of all Strikes" since everybody is on strike, protesting against the government's "newest collection" of austerity measures. This blog has many sides and interests; talking about politics is not one of them. So I will spare you the political analysis of the government's decisions and their effect on the social structure of the Greek society mambo jumbo and instead I will talk about MY thoughts and experiences of the past two weeks. 

I did get a small taste of the "Athens-jungle, pre-demonstration traffic-jam" yesterday which was more than enough to make me decide to abandon any attempt to go to the centre of Athens and stay put at the leafy suburb of Psychiko, where my new humble adobe is located.  

For a few weeks now I have posted about books, travel memories and  photographs, even about a non-existent ashtray... Everything was on my blogging menu except for food. To be more accurate, food that I cooked by myself, because there has been plenty of food around that eventually found it's way to my stomach and ultimately my thighs. Yet I refused to go to the gym and I refused to cook. The gym was because "I was separating " from my life in Zagreb so that the transition to Athens would be as smooth as possible (fat chance with all the strikes - but I did manage to visit two gyms today and I have to decide which one I'm going to join). I was somewhat accepting towards the gym-truancy but what about my cooking abstinence?  I used to think that cooking relaxes me. I have now come to believe that I was way wrong about this. Yes, cooking is a joyful, exciting and creative, but I came to think that I can only perform when I'm not in such a stressful situation as I have been in the weeks leading to my "relocation" to Athens. I lived on nuts and cheese and rice cakes during those weeks...so yes cooking is not my forte when I'm experiencing periods of upheaval in my life....

Having said all these, I am now ready to move on to today's recipe of a very Greek version of savoury pumpkin pie, which I did not make but I surely ate and enjoyed, especially after being on the road for a total of 7 1/2 hours .

We arrive home and up there on the stove stood the most scrumptious pumpkin pie I have ever seen in my life! Orange with specks of white feta cheese covered with crispy pastry. I was transfixed!!! I had to fight the urge to ignore everything and everyone and shove a fork into that baby ASAP. But I am girl with manners and I waited patiently, stealing glances at the beckoning pie, until the whole family gathered around the table for a pretty late dinner celebrating our arrival. 

The pumpkin, sacrificed to make this masterpiece had travelled almost the same distance as  we. It came from the vegetable garden of Vasilka's father in the Bulgarian village of Shtit (Vasilka has been the housekeeper for years and she is practically part of the family). The pie was inspired and prepared by my mother in law, who is an amazing woman with a natural talent for cooking (among other things) and a huge repertoire of delicious sweet and savoury recipes, many of which I will be sharing with you in due time!!! Even though this pie contains gluten from the fillo pastry, it is completely egg-free and is very low on lactose (cheese made from sheep and goat milk has a lot less lactose than cow's cheese). It combines the sweetness of the pumpkin with the saltiness and spiciness of both types of cheese and the spearmint, it might sound strange but this is the special ingredient that makes this simple pumpkin pie into an extraordinary, culinary masterpiece!

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Pumpkin, Mint & Feta Cheese Pie

Serves 8

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 kg pumpkin flesh, boiled and let to drain for 6 hours
• 500 gr feta cheese, crumbled
• 300 gr graviera cheese or any other hard, spicy cheese made from sheep's milk, crumbled
• 2 - 3 tablespoons fresh mint or spearermint, chopped
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 5 spring onions, finely chopped
• 6 sheets of fillo pastry
• Olive oil for brushing the pastry

Procedure

1. Clean and de-seed a pumpkin large enough to yield about 1.5 kg of flesh. Boil the flesh in as much water as it takes to just cover it, for as long as it takes so that a fork can easily separate the flesh and then strain it in a colander or cheesecloth for at least 6 hours. It is it better to do the straining overnight to save time during the day.
2. Preheat oven to 180 C.
3. In a large pot, heat the olive oil and sauté the spring onions for 3 - 4 minutes. Add the strained pumpkin flesh and stir well. Add the cheeses and mint, remove from heat and stir. 
4. Brush a non-stick baking pan with olive oil, lay the first fillo and brush it with olive oil, then lay the second, brush this one as well and finally lay the third. Pour the pumpkin - cheese mixture onto the fillo and smooth it evenly. Place a fillo sheet on top, brush it with olive oil, and repeat with the remaining two sheets. Sprinkle the last one with a little bit of water and drizzle with olive oil. I suggest that you cut the pie in pieces before you put it in the oven - this will make it easier to serve once baked.
5. Bake this marvellous pumpkin pie for 45 minutes until the pastry becomes crispy and golden. 

I suggest that you share it with other people but, really, I will understand if you want to eat it all by yourself. 

Vasilka told me that, back when she was a small girl, living in her village, her father had too many pumpkins and those they couldn't use, gave to their donkey as a treat - lucky, lucky donkey 'cause this was the sweetest pumpkin I had in years!

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Πίτα με Κολοκύθα, Δυόσμο και Φέτα 

Για 8 άτομα

Υλικά

• 1 1/2 κιλό κολοκύθα, βρασμένη και στραγγισμένη για τουλάχιστον 6 ώρες
• 500 γρ φέτα, τριμμένη
• 300 γρ γραβιέρα τριμμένη
• 2 - 3 κουταλιές της σούπας φρέσκο δυόσμο ψιλοκομμένο
• 2 κουταλιές της σούπας ελαιόλαδο
• 5 φρέσκα κρεμμυδάκια, ψιλοκομμένα
• 6 φύλλα κρούστας
• Ελαιόλαδο για το άλειμμα της πίτας

Procedure

1. Καθαρίζουμε μια κολοκύθα που θα μας δώσει περίπου 1.5 κιλό σάρκας. Τη βάζουμε σε κατσαρόλα και την καλύπτουμε με νερό. Βράζουμε μέχρι να μαλακώσει η σάλκα και να χωρίζεται εύκολα με ένα πιρούνι. Την βάζουμε σε ένα τουλπάνι και τη στραγγίζουμε καλά για τουλάχιστον 6 ώρες. 
2. Προθερμαίνουμε το φούρνο στους 180 βαθμούς. 
3. Ζεσταίνουμε το ελαιόλαδο σε μια φαρδιά κατσαρόλα και σοτάρουμε τα κρεμμύδια για 3 - 4 λεπτά. Προσθέτουμε την στραγγισμένη κολοκύθα και ανακατεύουμε καλά. Αποσύρουμε από τη φωτιά, προσθέτουμε τα τυριά και τη μέντα και αφήνουμε τη γέμιση να κρυώσει.  
4. Αλείφουμε ένα ταψί με ελαιόλαδο. Απλώνουμε ένα φύλλο κρούστας και το αλείφουμε μς ελαιόλαδο. Επαναλαμβάνουμε με άλλα δύο φύλλα. Απλώνουμε την γέμιση πάνω στα φύλλα, γυρνάμε προς τα μέσα τυχών φύλλα που περισσεύουν αλείφοντας τα και αυτά με ελαιόλαδο. Απλώνουμε ένα φύλλο πάνω από τη γέμιση το αλείφουμε με ελαιόλαδο και επαναλαμβάνουμε με τα υπόλοιπα δύο. Ραντίζουμε με νερό. Κόβουμε την πίτα σε κομμάτια. 
5. Ψήνουμε την πίτα για 45 λεπτά μέχρι να γίνει χρυσή και τραγανή. 

Recipe: Stuffed Butternut Squash

This is one of those recipes that you read and say "gosh why didn't I think of that?" I use butternut squash a lot, mainly in a supporting role in soups, risottos and bakes. I never thought that it can play the leading role so that the whole recipe could revolve around it or better yet in it! Maybe it's because by the time I'm done peeling and de-seeding I just want to throw it in the pan, be done with it and go nurse my cuts, bruises and aching muscles! 

But this recipe simply makes all your senses happy! Your eyes because of the vibrant colours, your nose because it smells like summer in south of France (or Greece for my sake), your taste-buds because it is simply delicious. And you don't have to peel the squash! Hooray!

I found the recipe while browsing through the BBC Good Food website, an all time favourite source of inspiration. I did not change it, apart from that I used 1 medium and 1 small sized squash and I still had some leftovers from the stuffing, which Georgie was more than happy to make sure vanished from the bowl!

So no more talk! Here is the recipe!


Stuffed Butternut Squash
From Caroline Hire, BBC Good Food Online
Serves 2 as a main dish or 4 as a side. The recipe can easily be doubled
Ready in 1 hour
Ingredients
1 medium & 1 small butternut squash
Olive oil , for roasting
1 big pinch dried oregano
150 gr (5 oz) boiled quinoa
100 gr (3.5 oz) feta cheese
50 gr (1.7 oz) toasted pine nuts
1 small carrot, grated (around 50g or 1.7 oz)
Juice half lemon
1 red pepper, chopped
50 gr (1.7 oz) pitted black olives
2 spring onions , chopped

Instructions
If you do not have ready boiled quinoa, boil it in water or stock. Drain and keep aside.
Heat the oven to 200C/400F. Halve the butternut squashes, scoop out the seeds and score the flesh with a sharp knife.
Arrange the halves on a baking tray, drizzle with a little olive oil, season with freshly ground black pepper and sea salt, sprinkle with dried oregano and cook for 40 minutes.
When ready, take out of the oven, add the chopped peppers to the tray alongside the squash and cook for a further 10 minutes.
Meanwhile mix the rest of the ingredients. Take the tray out of the oven and carefully transfer the peppers to the stuffing mix. Stir together and spoon the filling onto the butternut squash. Return to the oven for 10 mins.
Serve and enjoy!

Butternut Squash Risotto with Feta Cheese / Ριζότο με Κολοκύθα και Φέτα

(Συνταγή στα Ελληνικά στο τέλος της σελίδας)

I always try to cook with ingredients that are in season. Having said that, I know that Butternut squash is not a "spring" vegetable, but I saw this organic, deliciously orange squash the other day at the market and I could not resist the temptation! 

This risotto was supposed to be beetroot red but I could not find fresh beetroots, hence, the squash. It seems that 99% of the beetroots produced in this country end up being pickled and I did not want to use those!
The risotto, thought, turned out really good, the sweetness of the squash was balanced by the saltiness of the feta cheese and the crunchiness of the brown rise. Enjoy it with a glass of chilled, fresh Pinot Gris.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Butternut Squash Risotto with Feta Cheese
Adapted from "The Food Doctor Ultimate Diet" by Ian Marber
Serves: 2
Ready in 30 minutes.

Ingredients

• 500 ml (17 fl oz) vegetable stock
• 150g (5 oz) brown rice
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 small butternut squash cut into small squares
• 1/2 teaspoon lightly toasted caraway seeds
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 100g baby spinach
• 1 red onion chopped
• 1 medium head of fennel, cut into fine slices
• 150g (5 oz) feta cheese crumbled

Procedure

1. Boil the rice with the vegetable stock, garlic clove and cinnamon stick for about 35 minutes or until the rice is tender. Drain the remaining liquid, remove the cinnamon stick and mash in the garlic.
2. While the rice is cooking, heat a frying pan and lightly toast the caraway seeds. Remove the seeds and add a tablespoon of olive oil. Add the baby spinach leaves and cook gently until they wilt. Remove from the pan and set aside. 
3. Add one more tablespoon of olive oil and cook the onion, fennel and butternut squash until golden brown. Stir in the spinach and caraway seeds. Combine with the boiled rice and add salt and freshly ground black pepper. 
4. Place the risotto in a shallow baking dish and scatter over the feta cheese. Bake for 10 minutes into a hot oven and serve.

~~~~~~~~~

Ριζότο με Κολοκύθα και Φέτα

Εμπνευσμένο από το βιβλίο "The Food Doctor Ultimate Diet" by Ian Marber

Για 2 άτομα

Έτοιμο σε 30 λεπτά

Υλικά

• 500 ml ζωμό λαχανικών
• 150 γρ καστανό ρύζι
• 1 σκελίδα σκόρδο
• 1 στικ κανέλας
• 1 μικρή κολοκύθα καθαρισμένη και κομμένη σε τετράγωνα
• 1/2 κουταλάκι του γλυκού σπόρους κύμινου 
• 2 κουταλιές της σούπας ελαιόλαδο
• 100 γρ σπανάκι
• 1 κόκκινο κρεμμύδι, ψιλοκομμένο
• 1 μεσαίο φινόκιο, κομμένο σε λεπτές φέτες
• 150 γρ φέτα σε κομμάτια

Εκτέλεση

1. Βράζουμε το ρύζι στον ζωμό λαχανικών μαζί με το σκόρδο και την κανέλα για 35 λεπτά ή μέχρι να μαλακώσει το ρύζι. Σουρώνουμε το ρύζι, βγάζουμε την κανέλα και λιώνουμε το σκόρδο μέσα στο ρύζι. 
2. Όσο βράζουμε το ρύζι ετοιμάζουμε τα λαχανικά. Ζεσταίνουμε ένα μικρό τηγάνι και σοτάρουμε τους σπόρους κύμινου για 1 λεπτό μέχρι να μυρίσουν ωραία. Αφαιρούμε τους σπόρους από το τηγάνι και ρίχνουμε 1 κουταλιά ελαιόλαδο. Βάζουμε το σπανάκι στο τηγάνι και το σοτάρουμε μέχρι να μαλακώσει περίπου 5 λεπτά. Αφαιρούμε από τη φωτιά και αφήνουμε στην άκρη.  
3. Βάζουμε 1 κουταλιά ελαιόλαδο στο τηγάνι και σοτάρουμε το κρεμμύδι, το φινόκιο και την κολοκύθα μέχρι να ροδίσουν. Στη συνέχεια προσθέτουμε το σπανάκι και τους σπόρους κύμινου. Προσθέτουμε και το μαγειρεμένο ρύζι και αλατοπιπερώνουμε.  
4. Βάζουμε το ρυζότο σε ένα πυρέξ, πασπαλίζουμε με κομματάκια φέτας και ψήνουμε σε ζεστό φούρνο για 10 λεπτά.