We love camping in the New River Gorge Area in West Virginia. It has the greatest Whitewater rafting.We also love good food, since we can't bring you the rapids we will share some of our favorite recipes. An eggplant and roasted pepper pizza was the inspiration for the souvlaki filling. For vegetarians, substitute hummus or a taboulleh for the lamb.
SAGANAKI - Serves 4
This fried cheese appetizer is presented on small heated plates and eaten with a knife and fork.
225 g (8 oz) Kasseri cheese or a good Parmesan
all purpose flour
110 g (4 oz) butter
2 tbsp lemon juice
oregano
Cut slices of cheese about 1 cm (1/2 inch) thick. Dust lightly with flour. Fry in very hot butter, about 30 seconds on each side. Sprinkle with lemon juice and oregano and serve piping hot.
SOUVLAKI WITH MARINADE- Serves 6
700 g ( 1 1/2 lb.) lamb shoulder, cut into 1 inch cubes
3 large firm tomatoes
1 large green bell pepper - cut in wide strips
1 large green bell pepper - cut in wide strips
12 slices (1/2 inch) eggplant
salt
small red onion, thinly sliced
sour cream or plain yoghurt
12 thick pita bread
extra virgin olive oil
bamboo or metal skewers
Marinade
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup dry red wine
1 clove garlic chopped
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp oregano
(or use an oil and vinegar dressing)
Marinate lamb cubes at least an hour, preferably overnight, in a sealed plastic tub in a cool place. About 1 /2 hour before cooking, salt slices of eggplant and let them sweat on a plate. Rinse. Thread eggplant onto skewers, likewise peppers, and lamb. Grill over a very hot fire. Turn from time to time. Lamb takes 8-10 minutes, vegetables cook more quickly. The meat should be well seared on the outside and juicy inside. The eggplant, browned and soft, the peppers blistered and browned. Remove food from skewers. Brush pita with oil to grill as a serving plate - Stopped with lamb, eggplant, peppers and a few slices of onion. Drizzle with sour cream and roll-up. Serve souvlaki the minute they are ready or the meat will become tough and stringy.
GREEK COFFEE-Serves 2
Use a breke (small brass pot with long handle) or a small enamelled saucepan. Greek coffee is very finely ground or pulverized. Instant coffee does not work
Bring to a fast boil 2/3 cup cold water and 2 tsp sugar. Remove the pan from the heat and vigorously stir in 2 heaping teaspoons of Greek coffee. The mixture will boil up and just before it overflows, remove from heat and tap the sides of the pan 3 times with a teaspoon until the foam subsides. Return the pan to heat a second time, boil and tap down off the heat. Repeat. Use a teaspoon to carefully divide the foam into 2 demitasse cups. Slowly fill the cups without disturbing the foam. Serve at once.
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