Alpine Strawberry (Fragaria vesca)

20181024_163834Take everything you thought you knew about the taste of fresh strawberries and throw it out the window.  You know nothing!  Nothing at all!!  Not until you have tasted an Alpine Strawberry can you speak to me about the amazing goodness of strawberry flavor.  They’re like candy, but so much better.  It’s strawberry, but like strawberry flavor on steroids.  There is just no comparison.

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Roast Chicken with Greek Pepperoncini

20180917_185256xdfgvOur church holds a Greek “food festival” at the end of summer each year.  It has grown in epic proportions over the past few years, but during its smaller days our community would wrap up all the festivities (and work) with a relaxing luncheon on Sunday after church.

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Baked Eggplant with Tomatoes & Onions

20210918124043_IMG_7302One of the few good things about living in a place with ridiculously hot summers is that the growing season for summer vegetables lasts a good, long time.  The latest I ever pulled eggplant from the garden or tomatoes off the vine was a couple of days before Thanksgiving.  The plants may not be in full production mode this late in the year, but there’s still enough to do something with. Continue reading Baked Eggplant with Tomatoes & Onions

Purple Basil (Ocimum basilicum var.)

20171027_084830Purple pesto, anyone?  Deep purple color, sprays of pink flowers, amazing basil taste.  It’s kind of nice when nature wraps up all the best features into a single plant.  This basil makes a stunning addition to any salad and turned my basil jelly a lovely garnet hue.

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Feta & Dried Tomato Frittata

20171021_125218[1]Frittatas are a wonderfully easy way to whip up an any-time-of-the-day meal.  They can be very nutritiously balanced, all in one pan, and are one of those meals that can help you clean up leftovers in the refrigerator.  Technically this is an Italian dish, but I use feta cheese in mine, and I was taught how to make them by a Greek woman, so it’s close enough! Continue reading Feta & Dried Tomato Frittata

Eggs with Tomatoes and Feta (Strapatsada)

20180825_130055Imagine you’re living in a small Greek village.  It’s summer, the rising sun is warming the air, birds are starting their morning routine, and you are awoken by the braying of a donkey and the cackling of a proud hen that has just laid her egg for the day.  What do you do?  You go make breakfast, because with all that noise you aren’t falling back asleep anytime soon!

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The Nativity of the Virgin Mary

nativity of theotokosSeptember 8th is the feast day of the Nativity (birth) of the Virgin Mary.  In Greek Orthodox tradition, feast days are holy days that commemorate significant events related to the church.  They may mark the births and/or deaths of saints, or other momentous occasions.  This particular feast day marks the day that Orthodox Christians commemorate the birth of the Virgin Mary.  In Greek she is called the Theotokos, or Mother of God.

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