TRAINING COURSE: FOOD CULTURE
HELLENIC CULTURE CENTRE
SANTORINI 2017
Products of Santorini island
White Eggplant
Another rare product of the Santorini soil with many comparative advantages. It has
very few seeds, does not absorb much oil when fried and has a particularly sweet
taste. So sweet that there is no need to de-bitter it at all. You will find white eggplant
dishes at various restaurants on the island. It is really worth trying ‘melitzanosalata’
(white eggplant paste)!
Caper
Essential for accompanying salads and fava, caper is always present in every real
Santorinian dish. It is a wild bush thriving in rocky areas; that is why it is said that
“caper is planted by ants”. It is collected at the end of spring and throughout
summer. From the bush are taken the ‘kaparokoumba’ (caper buds) and ‘kaparofilla’
(caper leaves). Once they soak in water for at least one week, with the water being
regularly renewed in order to take the bitterness out, they turn into pickles by
adding vinegar and salt. Caper buds are also dried out in order to be used in various
dishes. Caper packed in glass jars can be bought at the Association Cooperative of
Theraic Products, while caper spoon-sweets and other rare caper products are sold
exclusively at Carlos store in Akrotiri.
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TRAINING COURSE: FOOD CULTURE
HELLENIC CULTURE CENTRE
Cherry Tomato
SANTORINI 2017
Being the most famous and popular product of Santorini, cherry tomatoes with the
slightly hardest skin and rich juicy body, can be savoured fresh, sun-dried, in the
form of paste or even as spoon-sweet. Cherry tomatoes used to be systematically
cultivated before the earthquake. Most probably the tomato was introduced to
Santorini by local captains who transported soil from Santorini to Egypt for the
building of the Suez Canal. Due to the dryness of the soil the tomato, which is
sometimes no bigger than a cherry, is so delicious that at one point there were 10
factories on Santorini exporting tomato paste. In the early 20th century in particular,
Santorini’s tomato and its soil were the island’s main exports but this small industry
was destroyed by the 1956 earthquake and by the fact that its modest production
yields could not withstand stiff competition. Today, the tomato is one of the island’s
typical products and a factory (Association Cooperative of Theraic Products)
producing tomato paste gives hope for the future. In addition to tomato paste,
delicious fresh salads as well as the unique tomato croquettes can be made with
Santorini tomatoes.
Fava
Had you ever thought that a fava could differ from another one? Indeed, should you
place the Santorinian fava next to another one, the difference in taste is obvious!
The first one has a much more full taste. The reason for this is not only the soil. The
Santorinian fava is unique because it comes from a different variety of fava bean,
Lathyrus Clymenum, which according to excavations in Akrotiri has existed on the
island since 3.500 years ago. One of the first factories producing fava is that of
Spyros Nomikos in Vothonas. You will try it with onion, octopus, caramelized onions,
pieces of pork meat, even with cuttlefish.
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TRAINING COURSE: FOOD CULTURE
HELLENIC CULTURE CENTRE
Peanuts
SANTORINI 2017
Although peanut trees in Santorini seemed to have declined paying the price for
touristic development, Yannis Nomikos and his model craft enterprise Agroktima,
located in Vothonas, brought Santorinian peanuts back again to the island products’
list in 2006. Parched and very mature in taste, they are sun-dried twice –once before
and once after being salted– and are sold in packages at the island’s supermarkets.
Hloro Tyri
Its production is very small, so the likelihood to find it on the island is really low. It is
a fresh caprine (goat) cheese with creamy texture, made by the locals usually for
domestic use. You can occasionally find it at the Selene restaurant.
Greek / Santorini salad
Ingredients
4 large tomatoes, cut into irregular wedges
1 cucumber, peeled, deseeded, then roughly chopped
½ a red onion, thinly sliced
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TRAINING COURSE: FOOD CULTURE
HELLENIC CULTURE CENTRE
6-8 olives
SANTORINI 2017
1 tsp dried oregano
85g feta cheese, cut into chunks (barrel matured feta is the best)
4 tbsp Greek extra virgin olive oil
Some vinegar, if you wish
Capers, caper leaves, and parsley are also optional.
Preparation
In a large bowl cut the cherry tomatoes in half, slice the cucumber and cut the onion
in thin, half-moon slices.
Add the capers and caper leaves, oil, salt and oregano at the end.
Serve with hloro cheese or Feta cheese on top.
Tips: Cut the tomatoes just before eating. Add the salt at the end.
Do not use any pepper.
Tzatziki appetiser
Ingredients
150g Greek yoghurt
One cucumber
2 - 4 crushed garlic cloves
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp lemon juice (or white wine vinegar)
1 tsp chopped or dried dill (or mint)
1/2 tsp salt
Pepper to taste
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TRAINING COURSE: FOOD CULTURE
HELLENIC CULTURE CENTRE
SANTORINI 2017
Preparation
Slice the cucumber in half lengthways and cut or scrape out the seeds – this is where
most of the water content is. Grate the remaining cucumber.
Place the grated cucumber in a sieve, rest it on a bowl and add some sea salt. Give it
a stir, and leave to drain for a few hours, or overnight in the fridge. Stir now and again,
helping it along by pushing the liquid out with a spoon. Combine with the garlic
mixture, then stir through the yoghurt until evenly distributed.
Add all ingredients in a bowl and mix. Serve cold, with one olive and olive oil.
Tips: An essential step is removing the liquid from the grated cucumber to prevent the
yoghurt from becoming diluted and thin, which would affect both the flavour and
texture.
Another key point is to use thick and strained yoghurt for an authentic texture – runny
Greek yoghurt is more suitable if you want to achieve a sauce.
Lemon chicken with potatoes
Ingredients
1/2 cup olive oil
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
2 lemons, juiced
1 (4 pound) chicken, cut into pieces
Preparation
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TRAINING COURSE: FOOD CULTURE
HELLENIC CULTURE CENTRE
SANTORINI 2017
In a glass dish, mix the olive oil, garlic, rosemary, thyme, oregano, and lemon juice.
Place the chicken pieces in the mixture, cover, and marinate (from 20 min to 8
hours or overnight).Cut potatoes in large pieces.
Lightly oil the grill grate. Place chicken and potatoes on the grill, discard the
marinade, and add some more olive oil on top. Cook chicken pieces up to 15 minutes
per side, until juices run clear.
Tip: add some mustard before cooking it.
Preheat grill for high heat.
Yogurt with spoon sweet on top
We need Greek yogurt.
On top we place spoon sweet, made of any fresh fruit or even some vegetables
Spoon sweet
A traditional and delightful Greek custom is the offering of spoon sweets to guests as
a symbol of hospitality. They are called spoon sweets because the usual serving size
is a well-filled teaspoon.
Legend has it that when the custom first began, everyone took their sweet from the
same bowl in order to assure that it was safe for all to eat ... not poisoned.
The ancient Greeks savored combinations of nuts and fruits with sweeteners like
honey and petimezi (grape molasses). However, it was during Ottoman times, when
sugar was more readily available, that syrupy preserves of fruit, rinds, nuts, and
sometimes vegetables became well known. Spoon sweets were favorites of the
Turkish pashas (governors) during the Ottoman occupation of Greece, and they
became a part of the Greek culinary experience.
Fruits, nuts, and vegetables are harvested when firm (often slightly underripe) and
made into spoon sweets. These sweets are made with simple, natural ingredients
that transform them into something entirely new, exciting, and delicious.
Tip: It should be quite syrupy - but thick enough to coat a metal spoon
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TRAINING COURSE: FOOD CULTURE
HELLENIC CULTURE CENTRE
SANTORINI 2017
Green Salad/ marouli
Ingredients
Lettuce
Dill
Fresh onion
Salt, olive oil
Finely chopped lettuce, dill, fresh onion, and scallions with extra virgin olive oil and a
touch of lemon juice and / or vinegar. Add one olive on top.
Tip: you can add croutons.
Tomato croquettes
Ingredients
1½ kilos of Santorini (or any other kind of) cherry tomatoes
4 dried onions
1/2 bunch of peppermint
Salt according to taste
Freshly ground pepper
4-5 spoonfuls self-raising flour
Olive oil for frying
Half a bunch of parsley (optional)
Preparation
Cut the tomatoes into small squares and squish with your hands to drain.
Finely chop the onions and herbs/spices and mix them all together in a bowl.
Add salt and pepper.
Add the cherry tomatoes.
Stir in as much flour as needed for the mixture to become firm. Add salt and pepper
and knead the mixture.
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TRAINING COURSE: FOOD CULTURE
HELLENIC CULTURE CENTRE
SANTORINI 2017
Put the olive oil into a hot pan. Roll the croquette mixture into walnut size balls.
Fry until well browned on both sides.
Drain on absorbent paper and serve.
Rice Pudding/ Rizogalo
Ingredients
1. Place milk, sugar and lemon peel (just the peel - none of the pith) in a heavy
saucepan
2. Cover the pan and cook until the rice / milk mixture has gone thick and creamy
(about 30-35 minutes).
3. Turn off heat
4. Whisk together egg yolks with corn flour.
5. Quickly whisk egg yolks into the rice mixture, stirring well.
Tip: it takes quite a bit of stirring for the pudding to thicken but the result will
definitely reward you!
Homely, comforting and extra creamy! Greek rice pudding (rizogalo) is a no butter,
egg-free traditional Greek recipe, which looks more like a thick custard than a
pudding and is flavored with vanilla, lemon peel or orange zest. Perfectly served
warm, at room temperature or straight out from the fridge, this extra creamy Greek
rice pudding recipe (rizogalo) is a definite must-try treat.
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TRAINING COURSE: FOOD CULTURE
HELLENIC CULTURE CENTRE
SANTORINI 2017
Chicken in vinsanto, peppers and Santorini sun-dried tomatoes
Ingredients
• 6 chicken parts
• 3-4 tbsp Olive oil
• 2 coloured peppers (orange, yellow)
• ½ cup sweet Vinsanto wine
• few Santorini sun-dried tomatoes
• Salt
Preparation
Wash the chicken and leave to drain. Heat the oil and add the chicken. Turn in the oil
for 5 minutes. Add the wine and cook 2-3 minutes. Add 1 cup water and cook for 510 minutes. Add the peppers cut into large pieces and boil for another 10 minutes.
Finally, season with salt, add the tomatoes and boil all together for 20 minutes,
adding water as needed. Don’t turn often during the last phase.
"Tiropitakia" - Cheese pies
Ingredients
Fyllo dough (pastry sheets)
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TRAINING COURSE: FOOD CULTURE
HELLENIC CULTURE CENTRE
½ k. feta cheese
SANTORINI 2017
1 (or 2) eggs
pepper, salt, origano
3⁄
4 cup
melted butter or olive oil
Milk
Optional: 1 cup grated kefalotiri or 1 cup parmesan cheese
Optional: 1 ⁄3cup chopped parsley (chopped spearmint is also nice)
Preparation
Crumble or mash the feta cheese with a fork or hands.
Add the grated cheese, egg(s) and pepper.Cut pastry sheets in strips about 2x12
inches.Brush a strip of phyllo with melted butter/ oil, lay another strip on top and
brush that one with butter / oil too.
Continue folding pastry strip from side to side in the shape of a triangle until the
entire pastry strip covers the filling. Proceed in this manner with remaining pastry
strips and filling until all are used.
Put "tiropitakia" on a buttered baking sheet, brush generously with melted butter/
oil and bake in a moderate oven for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Serve hot.
Pantespani – Greek sponge cake (Mrs Popi’s recipe)
Ingredients
6 eggs
Sugar (as much sugar as 6 eggs weight)
Flour (as much flour as 3 eggs weight)
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TRAINING COURSE: FOOD CULTURE
HELLENIC CULTURE CENTRE
Vanilla powder
SANTORINI 2017
Preparation
We mix well the egg yolks with the sugar. Beat for 3-4 minutes
Then we mix/ beat the egg whites in a separate bowl.
After that we put all together and add the flour and some vanilla powder.
Lightly grease bottom and sides of a 15 3/4 X 12 inch (or equivalent) pan / roasting
pan with the butter, dust with flour, and transfer cake batter to the pan.
We bake the sweet for about 50 min in 170 C.
Tip: Do not open the oven during baking except to test for doneness.
Mixed vegetables grilled
Ingredients
Different vegetables like aubergines, zucchini, carrots, mushrooms, potatoes etc
Preparation
Place a grill pan over medium-high heat or prepare the barbecue (medium-high
heat).
Brush the vegetables with 1/4 cup of the oil to coat lightly.
Sprinkle the vegetables with origano and pepper.
Working in batches, grill the vegetables until tender and lightly charred all over. Add
salt and balsamic vinegar.
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TRAINING COURSE: FOOD CULTURE
HELLENIC CULTURE CENTRE
SANTORINI 2017
Portokalopita- Orange pie
Ingredients
One packet of filo pastry 450-500 gr
1 cup of sunflower or corn oil
1 small cup of sugar
1 small cup of orange juice
4-5 eggs
Orange zest
One sachet of baking powder (20 grams)
One strained yogurt or cream.
One sachet of vanilla extract (optional)
For the syrup:
2 small cups of sugar
2 glasses of water
Orange zest
Cinnamon
Preparation
Open packet of filo pastry and spread over oven dish.
Beat the eggs in a bowl. Add the sunflower oil, baking powder, orange juice, sugar
and the yogurt or cream.
Add one sachet of vanilla powder extract (optional)
Mix well and pour over the filo pastry
Bake in an oven preheated at 180-200◦C for 30-35 minutes.
Preparing the syrup.
In a saucepan boil: 2 cups of water, 2 glasses of sugar and the orange peel.
Remove the cake from the oven, allow to cool, then pour the syrup over it.
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TRAINING COURSE: FOOD CULTURE
HELLENIC CULTURE CENTRE
Potato salad
SANTORINI 2017
Ingredients
5 -6 large potatoes, cooked (I peel them and nuke them on high for 12 minutes,
leave in microwave for another hour.)
1 1 ⁄2tablespoons finely minced garlic
1teaspoon salt
1tablespoon red wine vinegar or 1 1 ⁄2lemons, juice of
3⁄
4cup
olive oil
1cup chopped parsley (or spearmint)
1-2 eggs, capers, optional: caper leaves
Preparation
Drain the (hot) potatoes of any liquid and cut into nice big chunks.
Add all the ingredients, except parsley and stir, carefully, to incorporate the oil into
the potato
Many of the potato chunks will start to puree and others will stay in nice big piecestexturally you're going from creamy to chunky in ever bite. When the salad has
cooled a bit, add the parsley
Tip: If it's not all gone by the end of the day, it can be used as the base for a yummy
(garlicky) soup.
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TRAINING COURSE: FOOD CULTURE
HELLENIC CULTURE CENTRE
Tyrokafteri- Spicy cheese salad
SANTORINI 2017
Ingredients
Feta chees
Olive oil
Boukovo (chili peppers smashed)
Black pepper
Optional: dill or parsley, one Florina sweet red pepper
Preparation
Mix all ingredients in the mixer to have a puree
Serve with some boukovo and olive oil, and one olive on the top. Good with a pita
pie as a dip.
Tip: add a bit of (white) vinegar or lemon
Fasolia Gigantes- Giant beans in the oven
Ingredients
Giant beans (best are from Kastoria)
Carrots
Salt, pepper, oregano
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TRAINING COURSE: FOOD CULTURE
HELLENIC CULTURE CENTRE
Fresh tomatoes
SANTORINI 2017
Celery
Parsley
Garlic
Preparation
(Optional: put the beans in a bowl of water the night before cooking)
Boil the beans in water (about 40 min).
Take the beans and put them in a roasting pan.
Add all ingredients in small pieces and bake for 45 minutes in 200 C.
Tip: you can add some tomato paste, especially if is coming from Santorini
Halva 1-2-3-4 (Mrs Athina ‘s recipe, from Constantinople)
Ingredients
1 glass of virgin olive oil (if you want it lighter, replace half of the olive oil with
sunflower oil)
2 glasses of semolina (large grains)
3 glasses of sugar
4 glasses of water
Cinnamon, some drops of lemon juice
Optional: nuts, almonds, raisins
Preparation
We need two casseroles. In the one casserole we boil in low temperature the water
with sugar and could add some cinnamon and lemon, this is the syrup.
In the second casserole we put the oil and add the semolina. We cook until semolina
changes colour (and according to your taste. Some cooks prefer it slightly brown)
We take the two casseroles out of the fire and let them be a bit colder. Then we add
the syrup to the casserole with oil and semolina. We again put on the fire and cook
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TRAINING COURSE: FOOD CULTURE
HELLENIC CULTURE CENTRE
SANTORINI 2017
for some 3-5 minutes, so that it will be a mixture. We serve warm or cold and add
cinnamon on top.
Tips: in case you want to make it richer, add the nuts, raisins, almonds while
semolina is being cooked. You can add cinnamon to the semolina too, while being
cooked.
Zuccini croquettes
Ingredients
1½ kilos of zucchini
2-3 mature tomatoes
4 dried onions
One egg
Feta cheese
1/2 bunch of peppermint
Salt according to taste
Freshly ground pepper
4-5 spoonfuls self-raising flour
Olive oil for frying
Half a bunch of parsley (optional)
Preparation
Cut the zucchini and the tomatoes into small squares and squish with your hands to
drain. Finely chop the onions and herbs/spices and mix them all together in a bowl.
Add the egg, the feta cheese, salt and pepper.
Stir in as much flour as needed for the mixture to become firm. Add salt and pepper
and knead the mixture. Put the olive oil into a hot pan. Roll the croquette mixture into
walnut size balls. Fry until well browned on both sides. Drain on absorbent paper and
serve.
Tips: served with yogurt.
Καλή όρεξη! (kali orexi!) Bon appetit! Enjoy your meal!
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