How to Roast a Lamb_ New Greek Classic Cooking - Michael Psilakis [17]
GRILLED SUMMER SQUASH, FETA & MINT SALAD
GLYKOKOLOKYTHA STIN SCHARA ME FETA KAI SALATA DYOSMOU
SERVES 4 TO 6, OR MORE FAMILY-STYLE, AS PART OF A LARGER SPREAD
Here’s a great summer dish that is really versatile. It morphs into a wonderful pasta salad with the addition of some penne or rigatoni. Serve hot, warm, or at room temperature. Because of all the herbs and spices, you develop interesting flavors. For a beautifully simple and light spring or summer meal, serve this salad with a piece of grilled chicken or a lamb chop. It even can be served cold from the fridge, along with some arugula leaves.
1 Spanish or sweet onion, sliced into ¼-inch rounds
Extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and cracked black pepper
2 green zucchini, cut inch thick on the diagonal
2 yellow squash, cut into -inch rounds
Tiny handful small, picked sprigs dill
10 leaves fresh mint
1 tablespoon crumbled feta cheese, plus a little more for serving
to ½ cup White Wine Vinaigrette (page 273)
1 teaspoon dry Greek oregano
Tiny handful small, picked sprigs thyme
Sea salt
Preheat a gas or charcoal grill, or ridged cast-iron griddle pan, until very hot. Brush the onion rings with a little olive oil and season with kosher salt and pepper. In a bowl, toss the zucchini and squash with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Grill all the vegetables until the onions are softened and the zucchini and squash are nicely char-marked.
While they’re grilling, chop the dill and mint roughly, and whisk the feta into the White Wine Vinaigrette until creamy.
In a large bowl, combine all the grilled vegetables (pull the onions apart into rings), chopped dill and mint, oregano, and picked thyme. Toss with clean hands, then drizzle with about cup of the vinaigrette. Season with a little sea salt and toss again. Scatter a little extra feta over the top.
GRILLED WATERMELON & GRILLED MANOURI
KARPOUZI KAI MANOURI STIN SCHARA
SERVES 4 AS A PLATED APPETIZER, OR MORE FAMILY-STYLE, AS PART OF A LARGER SPREAD
This dish can be prepared on the grill or in a very well seasoned, ridged cast-iron grill pan. Just make sure the cheese is very cold and very firm. Manouri is a unique, semisoft Greek cheese, but if you can’t find it, substitute a block of good Greek feta.
12 ounces manouri, very cold
1½ pounds seedless watermelon, in two 1-inch-thick, center-cut slices
Extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and cracked black pepper
20 leaves fresh mint
20 picked sprigs dill
Sea salt
Preheat a charcoal or gas grill until hot.
Cut the manouri into two 1-inch-thick circles. Trim the rind from the watermelon rounds and cut into large pie-shaped wedges, about 5 inches on the longer sides. Brush the watermelon and the manouri with a little olive oil and season with kosher salt and pepper.
Grill the watermelon wedges and the manouri rounds just until slightly char-marked on both sides. Transfer to a platter and cut the manouri into wedges about the same size as the watermelon. Drizzle with a little more olive oil. Scatter with the mint leaves, dill sprigs, and a little sea salt. Grind a little pepper over the top.
For an extra bit of tanginess, scatter with a few drops of aged or reduced balsamic vinegar.
SUMMER AND GRILLING IN MY FATHER’S GARDEN
Whenever summer arrives, my father’s garden comes to mind, and whenever my father’s garden comes to my mind, it means outdoor backyard grilling. It was a focal point in our house. We had a big swimming pool, and when it was hot there were always people around swimming, eating, drinking—and grilling. In the summer, I still love to keep away from pots and pans and have everything happening on the grill. So take summer vegetables, from the garden if you are lucky enough to have one, and season them with salt and pepper, coat them with good olive oil, and put them on the grill. (Use a ridged grill pan, if you don