3.2 Metre Basil Plant In Greece - Tallest Ever?

 Image: Wikipedia Commons


Owners of a 3.2 metre Basil plant in Ierapetra on the Greek island of Crete are claiming that it should go into the Guinness Book of Records.

Mrs Anastasia Grigoraki claims that her basil has been helped by the rich soil and the fact that it is sheltered from the wind by the blocks of flats around it. The Guinness record for a basil plant stands at 2.10 metres at the moment, but Mrs Grigoraki's plant - which has been growing for 10 months, and is still growing - is much taller than that.

You can see the height of the plant in the photo below, which is from the online Crete newspaper Nea Kriti. If you can read Greek, then do follow the link!

Basil was first introduced to Greece about 4000 years ago, when Alexander the Great brought it back from India. You can read our post about Basil here.

All I can say is there must be a wonderful aroma coming from that huge plant!

 Image: Nea Kriti

 

Authentic Greek Recipes - The Google+ Page

Authentic Greek Recipes

on Google+ 


We're happy to let you know that we now have our own Brand Page - Authentic Greek Recipes - on Google Plus. If you are on Google Plus, then click on the image above to go to the Page and follow us.

See you there!

Greek Spinach Pies (Spanakopitakia) With Pine Nuts (Koukounares)

 These little spinach pies are delicious little 'nibbles' which you can have either as part of a buffet, a side dish or part of a light lunch. Easy to make and delicious!

Ingredients

½ kg spinach

2 cloves garlic crushed

2 tbsp pine nuts

2 tbsp butter

2 sheets filo pastry

2-3 hot red peppers chopped

1 tbsp butter melted and mixed with 1 tbsp olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

Put the spinach with ½ tsp salt in a pan (no water) at a moderate heat and stir until the liquid comes out and it becomes tender. (approx. 5 minutes)

Drain the spinach and chop finely.

In a small frying pan put the 1 tbsp butter at a moderate heat and add the pine nuts. Stir for 1-2 minutes.

Remove quickly from the heat before the pine nuts turn black, remove the pine nuts and place on kitchen paper.

In a shallow pan put the other 1 tbsp butter and heat.

Add the peppers and garlic and mix.

Add the spinach and stir.

Add salt and pepper to taste and mix for about 1 minute until the liquid is absorbed.

Add the pine nuts and remove from heat. Place in a bowl and set aside.

When the mixture has cooled, brush 1 sheet of filo pastry with butter and score it (not cut) lengthwise so that you have 4 long strips and then once across the width in the middle. You have now ‘scored’ 8 sections of pastry.

Using half of the spinach mixture, place approx. 1 tbsp on each of the 8 sections – place them at the outside edge of each section.

Fold each section into a triangle (see photo) and place in a buttered shallow oven dish.

Repeat this process with the other sheet of filo pastry and the remaining spinach mixture and add them to the others in the oven dish.

Place in a preheated oven at 180 degrees Celsius for approx. 40 minutes, until they turn golden brown.

Remove twice before the 40 minutes is up, brush with the melted butter and olive oil mixture and put back in the oven.

Eat and Enjoy!

 

Greek Vegetarian Pastichio

 We have already posted the recipe for Pastichio - one of people's favourite Greek dishes - here. This is a recipe for the vegetarian version. Whether you're a vegetarian or not, I think you'll find this dish delicious. It has a wonderful sauce!

Ingredients

½ kg pasta size 10(hollow pasta)

½ kg eggplants cut into small cubes

250g button mushrooms chopped

2 large onions roughly grated

1 or 2 hot red peppers chopped

250g tomatoes roughly grated

1 tsp tomato paste

Bunch of fresh basil chopped

200ml sunflower oil

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp olive oil (for the pasta)

50g butter

¼ tsp ground nutmeg

Salt to taste

For the Béchamel

1 litre fresh milk

250g butter

1 cup all-purpose flour

150g grated parmesan cheese

Preparation

Sauce

Put the eggplant cubes in a bowl in enough salty water to cover them. Cover with a plate and set aside for an hour.

Put the sunflower oil in a large frying pan and when it’s very hot add the mushrooms.

When they have turned a golden colour, remove with a draining spoon and place on kitchen paper to absorb the oil.

Place half of the eggplant cubes in the oil and when they turn a golden colour, remove with a draining spoon and place on kitchen paper to absorb the oil. Repeat with the remaining eggplant cubes. (We don’t put them all in together as this could reduce the temperature of the oil)

Remove the sunflower oil, clean the pan and add the 2 tbsp olive oil in its place.

When the oil is hot, add the onions and chopped red peppers and stir for 2-3 minutes.

Add the tomatoes and the tomato paste along with 60ml water and stir for about 10 minutes until most of the water has been absorbed.

Add the mushrooms and eggplants and bring to the boil for about 2-3 minutes.

Add the basil, remove from the heat and set aside.

Pasta

Put the pasta in a pan with plenty of boiling water, along with the 1 tsp of olive oil.

When the pasta is ready, drain it and put it in a large bowl along with the butter and nutmeg.

Béchamel

In a heavy-bottomed pan gently heat the butter until it melts.

Add the flour and stir continuously.

Add half of the milk and continue to stir with a whisk.

When the mixture starts to thicken, add the rest of the milk whilst stirring continuously.

When it starts to thicken again, lower the temperature to the minimum and add the grated cheese.

Add 2 large spoonfuls of béchamel to the pasta and mix in.

In a large oven dish (approx. 35cm long and 5cm deep) place half of the pasta in a layer to cover the bottom of the dish.

Spread all of the sauce on top of this layer.

Place the remaining pasta in a layer on top of this.

Spread the béchamel on top.

Place in a preheated oven at 180 degrees Celsius for approx. 45 minutes until it turns golden brown.

When you remove from the oven, leave for about an hour before cutting into portions so that it is firmer.

Eat and Enjoy!