Try an easy Greek meal

Press, 3 February 1982, Page 12

Try an easy Greek meal

Alison Holst’s

Food Facts

I went to Greece in late summer, when the weather was hot, and the vegetables and fruit in the markets were much the same as the produce appearing in our greengrocers and supermarket shelves at the moment.

I spent a lot of time wandering around open-air fruit and vegetable markets, poking around in dark little grocers’ shops, and standing outside open-fronted butchers’ shops and fish stalls.

It paid to go early, before the sun got hot and before the various smells got rather strong.

The butchers’ shops in Corfu were particularly interesting. A lamb carcase lay on a chopping board, and customers got a chunk cut from one end. Too bad if you wanted a piece of shoulder when the butcher was chopping off pieces half way up the leg! I wondered if this was one of the reasons that Greeks eat lamb as kebabs — you can cut walnut-sized cubes of lamb from shoulder or leg when you make these. Chops are good marinated with the same mixture used on the cubes, then grilled,

barbecued, or cooked in a heavy, preheated frying pan, without adding extra oil. Try an easy Greek meal one night — serve lamb and a Greek style salad with bread rolls, and finish up with raw fruit such as nectarines.

A meal like this is quickly prepared and cooked — and is low in calories if you limit your bread intake and drain extra marinade and dressing from the food, as you eat it. For four servings: 8 small middle loin chops, OR 600 g cubed lamb cut from shoulder chops or from part of a boned shoulder 1 to 2 tablespoons oil

2 tablespoons lemon juice 1 teaspoon dried oregano. Snip the edges of the chops to stop them curling as they cook, or thread the walnutsized cubes of lamb on four large or eight small bamboo or metal skewers. Pour the oil, lemon juice and oregano over the meat, turning it to coat. Put aside for 30 minutes or longer, then cook close to a preheated grill or barbecue or a in a heavy, preheated pah, for 5 to 10 minutes. Do not overcook, and plan to serve immediately. For the salad, cut an unpeeled cucumber lengthwise into quarters. Remove the seeds if the cucumbers are

mature, and cut into chunks crosswise. Quarter four medium-sized tomatoes and cut each quarter crosswise, so the pieces are about the same size as the cucumber. Put in a bowl with some thinly sliced strips of onion, or one or two chopped spring onions, if you like an oniony flavour. • Mix a dressing of 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 2 or 3 tablespoons of oil, and */z teaspoon each of salt, freshly ground pepper and sugar. Pour this over the vegetables, mix gently, sprinkle with chopped parsley, and chill for 10 to 15 minutes. Serve with bread . rolls heated on the barbecue or grill. It is not necessary to butter the bread if you use it to mop up extra dressing and. drippings from the cooked meat. Serve nectarines at room temperatures for best flavour. NOTE: If you cook with olive oil, use it in these recipes. Otherwise, use corn or soy oil.

The cucumber and tomato salad can be served as a separate course if you add

cubed or crumbled fetta : cheese as a garnish, instead of, or as well as, the parsley. |