My 2010 edition of Vacation in Greece is coming to a close. This time tomorrow I will be in transit and on my way back home to Toronto, Canada. As much as I would love to stay here, life goes on (ie. I need to work to afford coming back to Greece each year). This vacation began with some unease – wildcat strikes in various sectors of the Greek economy were making travel difficult and I was thinking of cancelling the trip (glad I didn’t).

The packed my suitcase, mentally prepared myself to accept and tolerate the delays that would await me but they never came. I had an almost seamless and flawless holiday with near on time buses, boats, ferries, trains and planes. The odd Greek friend or relative would be late but that”s Greek Standard Time for ya!

This past summer I spent time at my family’s summer home in Halkidiki, climbed the humongous rocks of Meteora to visit the monasteries, visited the amazing island of Crete and ate and drank my way through Athens. I visited wineries, went to one of the most beautiful towns in Greece, Siatista (Kozani), sampled new Greek ingredients,  visited farmer’s markets, haggled with street vendors and poked, sniffed and gleaned over many a fish and seafood.

I cooked for family and friends, I enjoyed the warm hospitality of others and savoured their home-cooked meals. I supped in some wonderful tavernas and estiatoria with good friends (and made some new ones along the way). I swam in the sea as much as I could and I was grateful that the Gods blessed us with a hot and dry summer. When the weather didn’t cooperate, I took a side trip to Constantinople (Istanbul) and immersed myself in the city, mingled with its citizens and got a better understanding of Turkish cuisine. I met people who were passionate about the products that they produced or represented. People who proudly tended farms, artisanal food products, wines, spirits.

I passed through Thrace and eastern Macedonia and had one of the most memorable seafood experiences at a tiny seafood taverna in Kavala. I traveled from Thessaloniki and all the way down to Crete and back up and around a bit. I took over 4,500 photos of food, beaches, markets, landmarks, people, cities, towns, museums and archaeological ruins, wineries and fruit stands. I’ve made note of the foods that I ate, the dishes that were enjoyed and I’ve plotted to share many wonderful memories through food, travel and my still vivid memories of Greece in Summer 2010.

One of the most enjoyable dishes I had this past summer was this baked Chicken and Okra dish that my mom made. I was reminded that some recipes really shine when they aren’t fussed over too much and the ingredients are kept to a minimum. If there was one lesson to be remembered this summer – it was to eat locally, eat seasonally and choose good quality ingredients when prepping a meal. Half the battle in the kitchen is won when one chooses good ingredients for a dish.

Take this chicken and okra recipe: free-range organic chicken, small and tender okra that just melt in your mouth, ripe, sweet and juicy tomatoes from the family garden, fresh herbs and the best olive oil in the world…Greek extra-virgin olive oil. Add in sea salt, fresh ground pepper, some whole allspice berries and the meal is complete!

Kotopoulo Me Bamies (Κοτόπουλο με μπάμιες)

(serves 4)

1 whole free-range chicken (cut into segments) or 4 chicken/thigh segments

1kg of small, fresh okra, rinsed and trimmed (view link to see how to trim okra)

2 large onions, sliced

4 large, very ripe tomatoes, passed through a box grater

5-6 cloves of garlic, sliced

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 bunch of fresh parsley, chopped

4-5 whole allspice berries

Pre-heated 375F oven

1. Rinse your chicken segments and season well with salt and pepper. Cover the chicken with just enough water to cover and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for another half hour, skimming the fat all the while. Remove the chicken from the pot and place in the bottom of a baking vessel. Reserve the stock.
2. In a  large skillet, add the olive oil, onions and some salt and and saute for 7-10 minutes or until just translucent. Add the okra and saute for 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, garlic, allspice berries and chopped parsley and stir and simmer for 5 minutes. Add just enough of the reserved stock to cover the okra. Gently stir.
3. Pour the contents of skillet (okra, onions and tomatoes) over the chicken in your baking vessel. Season with salt and pepper and place in the pre-heated oven (covered) for 30 minutes. Take the cover off and bake for another 15 minutes. Allow to cool for 5-10 minutes and serve. Pair with Gerovaslliou late harvest Malagouzia white.