Ancient Grains for Modern Meals - Maria Speck [67]
The moment the first heaping plate is set down, we all compete for slices of delicate zucchini with a crisp flour coating, deep-fried to perfection, with no residue of fat—bite-size delicious. A large platter of traditional Greek salad comes next, with the proverbial vine-ripened tomatoes, red onions, crisp cucumbers, olives, and thick slices of feta cheese roofed across the top—in a pool of aromatic, peppery olive oil to sop up with bread. Next come tiny deep-fried anchovies, a savory-sweet tidbit from the ocean, which we eat bones and all. They’re followed by glistening black-skinned halves of charcoal-grilled eggplants, their cross-hatched interior spiced with more than enough minced garlic, parsley, and an ample dose of olive oil.
A rich assortment of finger food like this is, naturally, served with a signature drink: a shot of the Greek spirit ouzo for everyone at the table. To me, this highly aromatic distilled spirit equals home. This Greek national drink simply doesn’t taste as good much of the year in Boston—it waits to be savored at the end of a sweltering-hot day, ideally with a slight breeze from the ocean whispering across your filled glass.
Ouzo’s dominant note is that of anise. Together with other spices such as coriander, star anise, cloves, and cinnamon, it blends into a superbly aromatic yet delicate sweetness that is just right with any meze. In 2006, ouzo won the status of protected designation of origin from the European Union. Today there are many producers, each distilling its own herbal concoction. The French enjoy a similar anise-scented pastis, the Italians sip on sambuca, and in Turkey raki accompanies meze.
In the heat of the summer, be sure someday to try ouzo “on the rocks.” Pour it with a few ice cubes into a clear, tall slim glass, and watch as the aquatic spirit turns stunningly white, resembling a glass of milk. This so-called louching is the result of an emulsion, created when the essential oils of anise react to the addition of water—a feast for the eyes to accompany the feast on the table.
Acorn Squash Soup with Spicy Yogurt Topping
Made with acorn squash, this savory soup is inspired by the winter pumpkins Greeks use for cooking. During my years in Germany, I fell for the comfort of soups thickened with naturally sweet rolled oats. Here I grind them into coarse meal, which adds an addictive voluptuousness to every spoonful. Serve with the Floating Sesame Loaf, or, for heartier fare, with the Aroma Bread with Coriander and Fennel. SERVES 4 TO 6
SOUP
¼ cup old-fashioned rolled oats (not instant)
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup finely chopped yellow onion (about 1 small)
1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic (about 3 cloves)
¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
2 pounds acorn squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into ¾-inch cubes (about 6 cups)
½ teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 quart low-sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth
SPICY YOGURT TOPPING, AND TO FINISH
½ lemon
1 cup plain whole-milk Greek yogurt
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or just a pinch
½ to 1 teaspoon sugar
¼ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 To prepare the soup, grind the oats in a food processor until you have coarse meal, about 20 seconds. If you don’t own a handheld blender, do not clean the processor bowl yet.
2 Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the onion, garlic, and ¼ teaspoon of the salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is glassy and soft, 6 to 8 minutes. Increase the heat to medium, add the squash, and cook until the pieces shine with a coating of oil, stirring, about 1 minute. Sprinkle the oatmeal, nutmeg, pepper, and pepper flakes