bathroom | Gourmet Concoctions in Assini, Kopiaste!

Μετάφραση της συνταγής πιο κάτω

I wish that the day comes when I will be able to tell you that I made this recipe or any others from vegetables from our garden, but at the time being I am still buying my vegetables from the farmers’ market.

The plot is small but hopefully there will be a small garden one day.

We made another short trip to Assini to finalize a few loose ends. We left early on Wednesday morning and came back Thursday afternoon.

It’s been a long time I updated the blog but the economical crisis in Greece has changed our plans radically after seeing our pensions drop to almost half. Under normal circumstances the house would have been ready by 100% last August and now we would be living in the countryside and relaxing.

Since last year we have been striving to finish at least the ground floor (which is about 40% of the whole structure) but there is still a lot to be done, which of course requires a lot of money.

Our family has been helping us out with loans, so on Wednesday we had an appointment for the fixing of the closet, which took about three hours.

In the afternoon we looked around for a shower cabin, washing basin and toilet, to finish the bathroom, kitchen tiles to put above the counter and doors for the bathroom and bedroom. The kitchen tiles will be a mosaic of turquoise blue, which matches with the doors but as well as the brown counter and closets. I am really anxious to see how it turns out,

We gave an advance payment for the electrical appliances for the kitchen, which is the oven, the stove top, which is both with gas and electricity, a ventilator and a washing machine for the clothes. Unfortunately, we will not buy a new refrigerator as we do have a smaller one in Athens which will be used temporarily until we can afford one and will not buy a dish washing machine.

Hope now that we finally have a new Government, after the failure of the previous elections in May, that the banks may now have cash to give us the remaining part of our loan in order to cover post-dated cheques issued and repay our debts. The house still needs a last layer of plaster on the walls, painting and the electrical wiring, plugs, sockets, etc., to connect electricity and water. At a later stage we still need outdoor rails, to pave the driveway / garage, fence, central heating, a solar water heater, central heating etc., etc., not to mention furnishing the house.

On Thursday we had to be there to receive the equipment we ordered the previous day for the bathroom and then to look around for the bathroom and bedroom doors .

I chose the dark brown colour, second row, first one, which is similar to the kitchen closets and island. These will be ready by next week.

The exterior painting will start this week and as you can see scaffolding has been set around the house.

The most difficult part was to decide what colour to paint the exterior. The doors and windows are in a light greyish-blue colour so we wanted something to match. We went to a store selling paints to choose the colour. The decision has been taken: the majority will be a mustardy-yellow colour and frames around doors and windows navy blue. A stripe of ice-white colour will be separating the storeys.

I played around colouring the house on the computer but I don’t think the colours match to the ones we have chosen. This is just to give you arough idea.

Update: Here is the house after it was painted.

Finally we also went to an electrician’s store to buy sockets, plugs etc. Next week, we will have to go again when the electrical appliances are fitted.

We had some time to go for swimming.

Although the heatwave has passed, it was still 38 degrees C in Argolida but as it was partly cloudy and windy, it was bearable. The first day we went to Castraki, picture above, which is the closest to our house and the second day to Karathonas beach which is near Nafplion.

Koukoulopites are Greek pies, similar to galettes made with phyllo. I filled them with grated zucchini, lots of herbs, especially peppermint and Greek cheeses. You can use any flour you like to make the phyllo but this time I opted for whole wheat flour.

The filling is inspired by two other Greek pitas called plasto and badjina, which however although both are without phyllo they have some minor differences. Badjina is with pumpkin and cheese whereas plasto is with herbs.

I made half of the mixture into small galettes and the remaining in a baking tin which I froze and baked it another day.

You can see a video here:

Kolokythopita (Zucchini Pie), recipe by Ivy

Preparation time: 1 hour

Baking time: 45 – 50 minutes

Makes: 10 galettes (or 5 galetes and 1 baking tin)

Ingredients:

Whole wheat flour Horiatiko phyllo
600 grams zucchini, coarsely grated
Salt (no more)
1 medium red onion, coarsely grate
1 spring onion, finely chopped
A handful of fresh peppermint, finely chopped
2 eggs
120 grams ladotyri
150 grams halloumi
150 grams feta
1/4 cup olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper
1 cup all purpose flour
Extra olive oil for brushing the phyllo and baking tray

Directions:

Prepare the dough, cover with cling film and set aside for at least half an hour.
Preheat oven to 180 degrees C / 350 degrees F.
Grate zucchini on the large side of a box grater.
Put it in a colander and sprinkle some salt. Let it sit for half an hour and then squeeze to remove as much fluid as possible.
Grate the onion or chop it in a food processor.
Wash and finely chop the herbs: a handful of peppermint, 1 green onion, including green parts and zucchini blossom flowers (optional).
Put the herbs and grated onion together with grated zucchini in a large bowl.
Add the eggs and grated cheese. Season with pepper (do not add salt as zucchini have already been salted and the cheese are also salty).
Finally add the flour and mix well.
Divide the dough in ten equal parts. Shape them into round balls.
Roll out each ball into a round phyllo around 20 cm diametre. Brush it with 1 tbsp olive oil.
Add a generous amount of filling in the middle.
Fold the outer parts of the galette into the centre, forming a round galette. Brush with olive oil.
Place them in a well oiled baking tray and bake for 50 minutes, or until lightly brown.
You can serve it as a main dish with a salad or as I did, with marida or maridaki the Greek equivalent of the north Atlantic whitebait, Greek fried potatoes and salad.

Κουκουλόπιτες με Κολοκύθι ή Κολοκυθόπιτα, συνταγή της Ήβης

Χρόνος προετοιμασίας: 1 ώρα

Χρόνος Ψησίματος: 45 – 50 λεπτά

Γίνονται: 10 κουκουλόπιτες ή 5 και μία σε ταψί

Υλικά:

Χωριάτικο Φύλλο με αλεύρι ολικής άλεσης
600 γραμμάρια κολοκυθάκια, χονδροτριμμένα
Αλάτι
1 μέτριο κόκκινο κρεμμύδι, τριμμένο
1 κρεμμυδάκι φρέσκο, ψιλοκομμένο
Μία χούφτα μέντα, ψιλοκομμένη
2 αυγά
120 γραμμάρια λαδοτύρι Μυτιλήνης ή γραβιέρα
150 γραμμάρια χαλλούμι
150 γραμμάρια φέτα
1/4 κούπας ελαιόλαδο
Φρεσκοτριμμένο μαύρο πιπέρι
1 κούπα αλεύρι για όλες τις χρήσεις
Επιπρόσθετο ελαιόλαδο για άλειμμα του ταψιού και του φύλλου

Εκτέλεση:

Ετοιμάζουμε τη ζύμη, τη σκεπάζουμε με μεμβράνη κουζίνας και την αφήνουμε να ξεκουραστεί για μισή ώρα.
Προθερμαίνουμε το φούρνο στους 180 βαθμούς Κελσίου / 350 βαθμούς F.
Τρίβουμε τα κολοκυθάκια στον τρίφτη.
Το βάζουμε σε σουρωτήρι με αλάτι. Το αφήνουμε για μισή ώρα και το στύβουμε να φύγουν τα υγρά.
Τρίβουμε το κρεμμύδι στον τρίφτη ή στο μούλτι.
Πλένουμε, στραγγίζουμε και ψιλοκόβουμε τα αρωματικά χόρτα: μια χούφτα φρέσκια μέντα, 1 κρεμμυδάκι φρέσκο με τα φύλλα και μερικά λουλούδια από τα κολοκύθια (προαιρετικά, εάν υπάρχουν).
Βάζουμε τα αρωματικά χόρτα, το τριμμένο κρεμμύδι και κολοκύθι σε ένα μεγάλο μπωλ.
Τρίβουμε και προσθέτουμε τα τριμμένα τυριά, τα αυγά και πιπέρι. Προσοχή δεν βάζουμε αλάτι (γιατί ήδη έχουμε αλατίσει τα κολοκυθάκια και τα τυριά είναι αλμυρά).
Τέλος προσθέτουμε το αλεύρι και ανακατεύουμε καλά.
Διαιρούμε τη ζύμη σε δέκα ίσα μέρη. Τα κάνουμε μπαλάκια.
Ανοίγουμε κάθε μπαλάκι ζύμης σε ένα στρογγυλό φύλλο διαμέτρου περίπου 20 εκατοστών και το βουρτσίζουμε με 1 κουταλιά ελαιόλαδο.
Προσθέτουμε αρκετή γέμιση στο κέντρο.
Διπλώνουμε τις άκριες και σχηματίζουμε ένα στρογγυλό πουγκί. Το βουρτσίζουμε με ελαιόλαδο.
Τοποθετούμε σε λαδωμένο ταψί και ψήνουμε για περίπου 50 λεπτά ή μέχρι να ροδίσουν ελαφρά.
Μπορείτε να τις σερβίρετε σαν κυρίως φαγητό με σαλάτα ή σαν συνοδευτικό όπως έκανα εγώ με μαριδάκι, πατάτες τηγανιτές και σαλάτα.