Vegetarian dishes have long been a large part of Mediterranean diets, especially on the Greek Isles where there’s little space for animals to graze. With simple, often very straightforward preparations, the region makes the most of the bounty of vegetables available.

Aglaia Kremezi at a recent book signing at Zaytinya. (Photo: Mark Heckathorn/DC on Heels)

Aglaia Kremezi, who first introduced Greek cooking to an American audience with her James Beard Award–winning book The Foods of Greece, recently published Mediterranean Vegetarian Feasts ($35, Stewart, Tabori & Chang).

Many DMV diners are familiar with Kremezi’s food even if they don’t recognize her name. Chef Jose Andres consulted with her on the original menu for his Zaytinya Mediterranean mezze restaurant in Penn Quarter. Kremezi said Andres traveled to the Island of Kea off the southern coast of Greece where she lives with her husband and operates a cooking school. “I told him the first thing he had to do was find someone who could make phyllo,” she told DC on Heels last week at a book signing. She continues to consult on the menu and visits the restaurant every January for the Grecian festival of Choirosphagia .

The book contains 150 recipes she grew up with and learned from her mother and grandmother. Although many people associate Greek food with lamb, gyros and moussaka, a big part of the Greek diet is vegetarian.

“There was no meat. I mean, there were goats and sheep, but basically to drink milk and to make cheese. And hens to lay eggs. So meat is a festive thing,” Kremezi said. “The country doesn’t lend itself to meat. It’s quite mountainous, and there’s no way to produce enough meat to feed everybody. People made do with whatever they could cultivate and forage.”

Opening with detailed descriptions of essential ingredients and the basic preparations that make the most of seasonal shopping at farmers’ markets, she takes readers from mezze and soups to mains and desserts, with dishes like toasted red lentil and bulgur patties; roasted cauliflower with zahter relish; pseudo-moussaka, a meatless version of the classic; quince stuffed with wheat berries, nuts and raisins; and rose petal and yogurt mousse.

Kremezi is also the author of The Foods of the Greek Islands and Mediterranean Hot and Spicy. She blogs for Atlantic Monthly and writes for Saveur, Bon Appétit, Food & Wine and other publications. Her blog, Aglaia’s Table chronicles food and life on Kea.

Here are four recipes from the cookbook:

Bouyourdi

Bouyourdi (Photo: Penny De Los Santos)

Ingredients:

• 1 large vine-ripened tomato
• 4 slices feta cheese (about 2/3 pound)
• 1 medium green bell pepper, sliced into thin rings
• 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely chopped, or a few pinches Maraş pepper or crushed red pepper flakes, to taste
• About 1/2 cup good olive oil
• 1 tablespoon Greek oregano, or more to taste
• Thick slices of fresh, crusty bread

 
Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 430˚F
2. Spread a double layer of paper towels on a large dish. Core the tomato carefully, slice horizontally into 5 to 6 pieces, and spread them on the paper towel to drain.
3. Oil a shallow 8- or 9-inch baking dish, or four individual ramekins, and spread the tomato slices at the bottom, reserving 4 nice slices for the top.
4. Sprinkle with some jalapeño and bell pepper slices.
5. Arrange the feta pieces on top, place one tomato slice on each piece of cheese, and finally place 2 or 3 bell pepper rings on the tomato.
6. Drizzle liberally with olive oil, sprinkle with oregano and the remaining jalapeño, and transfer to the middle of the oven.
7. Bake for 15 minutes, or until the feta turns a light-golden color and the oil is sizzling.
8. Serve immediately with warm bread.

Sautéed Olives and Carrots with Preserved Lemon and Thyme

Sautéed Olives and Carrots with Preserved Lemon and Thyme
(Photo: Penny De Los Santos)

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, peeled and smashed
• 2/3 pound full-flavored, brine-cured black olives (like Pelion or Niçoise), rinsed and dried on paper towels
• 2 cups Orange and Olive Oil Carrots (recipe follows)
• 1/4 preserved lemon peel, rinsed, dried, and cut into thin strips
• 2 teaspoons dried thyme, or Eastern Mediterranean Spice and Herb blend
• 1 teaspoon Maraş pepper or chili pepper flakes, or more to taste
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh thyme
• 1 lemon, halved, each half cut into 4 wedges (optional)

 
Directions:

1. Heat the olive oil in a skillet.
2. Add the garlic and toss for a few seconds until fragrant and discard.
3. Add the olives, carrots, and preserved lemon to the skillet and sauté over medium-low heat, stirring carefully for 2 to 3 minutes, until just heated through.
4. from the heat and add the dried thyme or spice blend and Maraş pepper, and toss.
5. Transfer the mixture to a shallow dish, sprinkle with the fresh thyme and serve warm or at room temperature, with lemon wedges, if you like.

Orange and Olive Oil Carrots

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 pounds medium carrots, preferably organic, sliced into 1/8-inch rounds (use a mandoline or a food processor)
• 1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1 cup fresh orange juice
• Maraş pepper or freshly ground black pepper, to taste

 
Directions:

1. Heat the olive oil in a large, deep, heavy-bottomed sauté pan and add the carrots.
2. Sprinkle with the salt and sauté, tossing often, for 2 to 3 minutes, until the carrot slices are coated with olive oil.
3. Add the orange juice and cook, uncovered, tossing often, for about 10 minutes, until the carrots are tender and the orange juice has evaporated.
4. Add pepper, taste, and correct the seasoning. Let cool, cover, and refrigerate for up to 4 days.

Crispy Cheese Pie (Lazy Woman’s Pie)

Lazy Woman’s Pie (Photo: Penny De Los Santos)

Ingredients:

• Olive oil, for brushing the baking sheet and the phyllo
• 2 eggs
• 2/3 cup milk
• 2 sheets homemade phyllo or 4 sheets frozen thick phyllo, thawed according to the package instructions
• 2 cups crumbled feta or a combination of feta and ricotta cheese
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan (optional when using frozen phyllo)
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano, thyme or marjoram
• 1 to 2 teaspoons Maraş pepper or a good pinch of crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

 
Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 430˚F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and brush with olive oil.
2. Make the egg wash: In a bowl, whisk together the milk and the eggs.
3. If using homemade phyllo: Stretch or crimp one sheet of phyllo as necessary to fill the baking sheet. Brush with olive oil and sprinkle with half of the feta or ricotta.
4. Pour half of the egg wash over the feta or ricotta and sprinkle with herbs and Maraş pepper, if you like.
5. Lay the second sheet of phyllo over the egg wash and brush with olive oil.
6. Crumble more feta or ricotta on top and drizzle with the remaining egg mixture.
7. Sprinkle with more pepper, to taste. Proceed to baking.
8. If using frozen phyllo: Lay one sheet of frozen phyllo on the baking sheet, brush with olive oil, and sprinkle with half the Parmesan, then lay one more sheet on top and brush again with olive oil.
9. Sprinkle half the feta mixture over the second sheet.
10. Place the third sheet on top, brush with olive oil, sprinkle with the rest of the Parmesan, then lay the last sheet on top and brush again with olive oil.
11. Crumble more feta on top and drizzle with the remaining egg mixture.
12. Sprinkle with more pepper, to taste. Proceed to baking.
13. Bake on a rack in the lower part of the oven for 25 minutes, or until golden brown and crisp. Check to make sure the pie is well browned at the bottom. If the top browns too quickly, cover loosely with foil and continue baking. If it is well browned underneath but the top is not yet crispy enough, heat the broiler and bake for a few minutes right under the broiler.
14. Serve at once, cutting pieces with a pizza wheel.

In celebration of Greek Easter (May 5), José Andrés and the folks at Zaytinya are in the middle of a five-week festival that features a special menu inspired by the traditions of Greek Orthodox Easter and Lent. As part of the festivities, Zaytinya hosted a market-to-kitchen cooking class led by head chef Michael Costa and  Greek author Aglaia Kremezi.

The Mediterranean Diet

At the Penn Quarter farmers market, Costa and Kremezi demonstrated firsthand the seasonality secrets of healthy Greek eating. Kremezi described the Old World cooking philosophy as a tradition of practicality. “Without supermarkets, people ate what was growing and available.” Now in vogue among foodies, the seasonal diet, she said, has always been a staple of Greek living and is a sustainable tradition that is good for the planet and maximizes taste.

Prep Time

Back at Zaytinya, our instructors set to work on the meal. While dicing onions, simmering beans and even sawing a tough lamb neck, Costa shared Greek cooking secrets while Krememzi gave the dish on recipes found in her book The Foods of the Greek Islands: Cooking and Culture at the Crossroads of the Mediterranean.

Time to Eat

Zaytinya’s class held all the appeal of a cooking show with the bonus satisfaction of tasting the finished product. The bean stew combined cranberry beans, sweet onion, diced tomatoes and a little lamb sausage .  As Kremezi said, one of the health benefits of Greek cooking is its use of meat as flavoring instead of the main plate protein, a practice originating from meat’s rarity in the hilly Greek landscape where raising stock was difficult.

The braised lamb neck with greens came courtesy of local mutton mongers Border Spring Farms. Costa toted the lamb neck as an underutilized cut that is as tender and tasty as it is affordable.

For a toothsome finisher, the class enjoyed baked apples in spiced sweet wine syrup. The caramelized delight came with a scoop of ice cream, just as nature intended.

Even though your peeps and chocolate bunnies are probably stale at this point, Greek Easter continues at Zaytinya until May 5 when they will host a Greek Easter brunch with spit-roasted lamb shoulder served alongside dishes like Omeleta me Horta, a Greek omelet with kale, garlic yogurt and kefalograviera cheese. To book a reservation, call (202) 638-0800 or book online.

Beginning Easter Sunday through May 5, José Andrés’ Zaytinya will celebrate Greek Easter with a five-week festival featuring special menu items inspired by the traditions of Greek Orthodox Easter and Lent from head chef Michael Costa. The restaurant, located at 701 9th St. NW in the Penn Quarter neighborhood, will also host its first agorá outdoor market featuring artisanal foods and traditional Greek music.

The entrance to Zaytinya (Photo courtesy of Zaytina)

The Greek Orthodox church calendar is calculated on the Julian calendar, so Greek Easter sometimes falls on a different date from the Western holiday. Greek Easter begins on Greek Orthodox Palm Sunday and ends the Sunday after Easter, the day of Saint Thomas. It is a time to honor the rebirth of spring and is considered one of the most sacred celebrations. Easter dishes play a significant role and many are only enjoyed during the Easter season.

Greek author to present wine dinner and cooking class

Greek culinary educator and cookbook author, Aglaia Kremezi, will collaborate with Costa for a wine dinner on April 3 and a cooking class on April 4. Kremezi is a contributing author for the Los Angeles Times, BBC Good Food Magazine, Bon Appetit, Food & Wine and Food Arts. She is also the author of The Foods of the Greek Islands: Cooking and Culture at the Crossroads of the Mediterranean.

Special Greek dishes on the menu

Throughout the festival, Greek Lenten dishes including lachanosalata, Zaytinya’s take on the traditional shredded cabbage and carrot salad with Brussels sprouts leaves, olive oil, lemon and smoked walnut skordalia will be on the menu along with sopa me lahanika aladoti, a Lenten vegetable puree soup with cauliflower, rice, mushrooms, onions, garlic, bay leaves, thyme, black pepper, cumin and tahini garnished with crispy cauliflower and black tahini; and clam stew from Lefkada, the essence of the traditional clam soup with basmati rice, scallions, garlic, black pepper and lemon.

The Apokreas cocktail, made from metaxa, verjus and maple syrup with red pickled quail egg and baby carrots, is Zaytinya’s special Greek Easter drink. (Photo by Mark Heckathorn)

There will be a $35 per person prix fixe Sunday brunch featuring spit roasted lamb shoulder on March 31 and May 5. The Apokreas cocktail, named after a Greek carnival celebrating the wine god Dionysos and created by ThinkFoodGroup’s Juan Coronado, will be the featured drink during the festival. Priced at $14, it is made from metaxa, verjus and maple syrup garnished with red pickled quail egg and baby carrots.

Greek festival planned two Sundays

A traditional-style agora, or Greek marketplace, will be held on Sunday, April 21, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The second agorá, a modern interpretatio, will be held on Monday, April 22, from 6-10 p.m. The agorá will feature vendors selling local Greek artisanal goods and live Greek music. Guests can enjoy Greek culture and cuisine while visiting the interactive stations, sampling traditional foods, wines and spirits. José Andrés’ Pepe food truck will also be at the festival serving lamb shoulder sandwiches (priced at $9). Guests will be able to participate in a prize-drawing benefiting World Central kitchen with an assortment of item including signed cookbooks, dinners at Zaytinya and wines will be offered.

Article by: Mark Heckathorn, DC on Heels Executive Editor