Okay. So the period of Great Lent has ended and here I am offering you a traditional Lenten meal! Wandering past our local grocer this morning I was lured in by the big healthy green bunches of spinach and I think after two weekends of feasting I was craving some simple, homely comfort food - and spanakorizo is just that.
Eaten as a main dish, just like a risotto, spanakorizo can be accompanied by some feta cheese or even a grating of kefelograveria. If you are in need of extra "comfort" you can also enjoy it with a few slices of rustic home-style bread for a full meal. It also benefits from a healthy drizzling of olive oil over the top just before serving.
As a primary schooler, Mr K can remember a big bowl of spanakorizio being loving placed before him after a day at school. I can see why. This is a relatively inexpensive dish, especially if you have an excellent crop of spinach growing in your garden. It has beautiful fresh flavors of lemon and dill - and there is little preparation involved.
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| Ba's amazing garden, jam packed with beautiful greens perfect for making spanakorizo |
The one bit of preparation that is absolutely essential though is washing the spinach properly. There is nothing worse than getting a big gritty mouthful. Traditionally, Greek Carolina rice would be used for this dish. It is very similar to Arborio rice, which I have used in this recipe. You can also use long grain rice and the dish will turn out just as well.
While Mr K's memories of spanakorizo are at the family table after school, my own memories of the dish are connected with Greece itself. On our last trip to Greece, Mr K and I had ventured on a precarious but absolutely breathtaking drive on the cliff edges (literally, on the precipice) of the Mani Peninsular. On the drive back to our base at Mavrovouni Beach near Gythio, we stopped in a beautiful little village, which time had forgotten.
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| Village in the Mani Peninsular, which has stood unchanged for many years |
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| The view driving towards the little village. The Mani is dotted with these little hillside villages and stone towers |
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| In the village we wandered through the twisting alleys of crumbling stone and whitewashed walls. |
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| The famous towers of the Mani |
At the village, we arrived just at the same time as the smiling vegetable seller, his open tray truck piled high with the best of the season, including healthy bright yellow thick skinned lemons, bouquets of dill, spring onions as thick as leeks and huge bright green bunches of spinach and other leafy greens. At the site of this bounty, Mr K got mixing with the locals and in his over excited state purchased about 3kg of leafy greens!! The locals were quite amused.
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| Some of the beautiful produce available from the village in the Mani |
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| I had to buy a jar of these home cured olives, packed with beautiful flavours |
Back at our beach side apartment, I coaxed our tiny little induction stove into turning the enormous amount of spinach into a tasty spanakorizo. Overlooking the beach as the sunset, we enjoyed our little bowls of green, lemony goodness with glasses of soft dusky pink local rose, little wedges of salty, plump red tomatoes, creamy oil cheese and tiny little green olives that had been marinating, since picked, in a mixture of bay leaves, rigani - and more lemon!! Taking in the view, I had to drag out my sketch book and capture this little moment.
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| Our feast by the sea on dusk, local oil cheese, olives, tomatoes and village bread |
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| My little pen and ink sketch of skordo, limoni, kremedi & elies |
Mavrovouni Beach was a very beautiful part of the world. When the beach was deserted in the early morning, with the morning light sparkling on the water like a sheet of glass, you really could be forgiven for thinking an Ancient Greek god might descend from the hills around the beach - or up from the sea. Whenever I make spanakorizo I think of these moments of calm and contentedness - perfect emotions to conjure up in the middle of the work week.
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| Early morning walk along Mavrovuni Beach |
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| The sun rising on Mavrovuni beach |
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| The crystal clear waters of Mavrovuni Beach |
Spanakorizo (Spinach Rice)
1 bunch of spinach1 bunch of beetroot leaves (or other interesting Greens)
1 bunch of chopped shallots
1 leek, chopped
½ cup olive oil
1-1/2 cups carolina or aborio rice
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon dill
4 cups vegetable stock or water
salt and pepper
Extra olive oil for drizzling
Feta and olives to serve
1. Wash spinach. Remove stems (or if using English spinach - just throw them in), drain leaves well and tear into pieces.
2. In a heavy based pan gently fry onion and leek in oil until soft.
3. Stir in rice and cook for a few minutes.
4. Add remaining ingredients (except spinach and other greens). Bring to a boil.
5. Add spinach and other greens. Stir well, cover and cook gently for 15 minutes or until rice is cooked to your preference.
6. Remove from heat, covered the pot tightly with a tea towel and place the lid on top. Allow to stand for 5 minutes, before serving with feta, a drizzle of oil and olives on the side.
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