I’ve been having a wonderful time thus far here in Greece. Wake up, have brekkie, a little Internet, coffee with friends and then off the the beach. After my swim I head home, have lunch and a brief siesta, then head back to the beach for my second swim of the day. Sometimes this routine gets interrupted, usually an annoyance and on occasion – it’s a fine diversion.
I had just come back from the Laiki Agora (farmer’s market) in our town and I also picked up some Tsipouro. Tsipouro is a firewater that’s made from the leftover grapes and stems – a by-product of wine making. Tsipouro usually hovers around 40% alcohol and it can come in a unflavoured version or with anise as a flavouring. I personally like the anise version.
Pretty much all of Greece makes wine and therefore Tsipouro is also made everywhere with discussions turning into heated debates about how to make the best Tsipouro and who has the best. I found myself to be challenged by some friends who wanted me to taste some homemade stuff. Yianni invited me over to his place and a total of four men sat around an outdoor table covered in vines and moscato grapes.
I knew my lunch at home would be nixed and the afternoon siesta surely out of reach. I would be initially sipping on the Tsipouro – slowly. A nibble of mezedes exchanged with more sips of Tsipouro would turn this diversion from my merry-old beach home routine into a blurry afternoon in Greece.
We nibbled on this wonderful young goat cheese. It had the texture of a Manouri cheese that was a cross of Feta and ricotta cheese in flavour. It was simply dressed with extra-virgin olive oil and dried Greek oregano.
These tomatoes were sweet, almost to a fault but I love’em like this. A drizzle of olive oil, grated dry Mizithra cheese and more of that pungent Greek oregano.
My fave for the afternoon was something Yianni described as a Vlahaki Salata. The salad takes its name from the Vlach population in Greece. The Vlachs are commonly referred to as descendants of Thracians and Illyrians. The salad was relayed to Yianni by a Vlach fellow living in Thessaloniki. He relayed this salad as being Vlach in origin for its simplicity: roughly chopped onions, slices of mildly hot green peppers, olive oil, red wine vinegar and lots of chopped fresh Greek basil.
When I first saw the dish, I was skeptical. As soon as I bit into it, had a sip of Tsipouro…I knew the dish was a winner! Simplicity rules! Fresh herbs from the garden and always with some booze to fuel the reminiscing, joke telling and camaraderie.
Vlahaki Salata (Βλαχακη Σαλατα )
1 small red onion, roughly chopped
1 small white onion, roughly chopped
1-2 mildly hot green peppers
1/4 cup olive oil
2 Tbsp. of red wine vinegar
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
sea salt to taste
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© 2007-2010 Peter Minakis
18 Responses
Oh Peter, such a rough life thus far!! You remind me of my days in Limassol, spending the entire summer between beach and restaurants.
When hiking in the mountains of Greece near Metsovo we met many people who spoke Vlach. Not speaking Greek I wouldn’t know the difference but Thordis did. I was never offered Tsipouro but plenty of Raki.
40% alcohol!! No wonder you’re having a good time ;-)
A gorgeous salad for onion lovers like me!
Cheers,
Rosa
I’ve never been able to find fresh basil in Athens. I’ve also never seen a Greek dish that uses it before!
Alysia, Practically every Greek home has a basil plant. Ask for it at the Laiki agora.
Oh Peter, what a perfect mesimeri mishap! First of all, I am now dying to try tomatoes with mizithra and second of all, the Vlahaki salata with tsipouro ( I prefer it with anise too). Is there any difference between Greek basil and US/CA basil?
Anna, the Greek basil is stronger. Grab some the next time you’re at a Greek church and taste the diff.
What fun you are having Peter. I love your travel log. Keep them coming!
You know life is good when drinking is an “interruption” ;-) The salad sounds nice and refreshing. I make something similar with tomatoes in it. I noticed you have “1 small red onion, roughly chopped” in there twice. By the looks of it I’m guessing you meant “1 small white onion, roughly chopped” for one of them?
That salad would be so good with anything off the grill. Or anything cheesy. Yum!
I am so jealous of your “routine”-if you want to call it that! Love the tsipouro-I also prefer the anise flavoured one. The salad looks great…the simple falvours of Greece are def there!
All those dishes look fabulous, but that tsipouro reminds me of Italian grappa. Is it similar in taste? I’ll be thinking of you swimming in that beautiful sea and having a great time.
What an afternoon!
Oh Peter, we had a similar schedule in Syros and it was divine! Makes one forget how any other schedules might work. I mean how do we cope in the winter?? The salad looks very “manly”, not for me thank you, I cannot stomach raw onions, but I am sure it is a great accompaniment to tsipouro. Give me a call when you are in Athens so we can meet up.
that salad with the onion and oregano sounds like it could be on a mezze here in lebanon, especially with the glass of arak; then a siesta next to people who have similarly eaten gobs of onion and everybody is snoozing happily
Thanks for keeping us up to date even when you are on holiday. This is my dream vacation, a holiday on a Greek Island!!