27-06-2008

32
ATHENSPLUS • FRIDAY, JUNE 27, 2008
GASTRONOMY
Eggplant – the ‘crazy apple’
Mediterraneans are mad about
Since the Arabs introduced it in the Middle Ages Greeks have embraced the aubergine
BY ALEXANDROS YIOTIS
The modern Greek name for the
aubergine – melitzana – derives
from the Italian melanzana, itself
a derivative of the original “mela
insana” or “crazy apple” because
when first introduced to Europe
by Arabs in the early Middle Ages
it was said to cause fever and
epilepsy.
It is true that it is slightly toxic
when raw but it is safe to eat and
delicious when cooked. Solanum
melongena var. esculentum did
not evolve naturally but, like
Healthy food
Lightly cooked, eggplant is
said to keep cholestorol
levels down, so salt and
strain it first to stop it
absorbing too much oil
corn, was developed by man.
The peoples of Asia and the
Mediterranean have developed
impressive ways to cook it that appear
to be cross-cultural. Moussakas
is not much different from
the Turkish musakka, nor
melitzanosalata from the Arabic
baba ganoush. It is said to help
keep cholesterol levels under control
– not in its deep-fried version,
of course. The globally popular
imam baildi reputedly got its
name from the imam who
swooned in ecstasy when his
wife served him the oil-heavy
dish. It is also said to be a diuretic
and beneficial to the intestines,
liver and stomach.
The most widely known varieties
in Greece are the small,
white Santorini aubergine, the
long, light violet Tsakoniki from
the Peloponnese, which is sweeter
and was recently granted the
status of “appellation of origin,”
the long dark-colored Langada,
the more well-known “flaska”
and the green flaska from the island
of Tinos. Harvesting begins
in May and continues
i n t o
June and July, though some varieties
are picked even later, into
the early winter months, although
these tend to be smaller and used
in pickles or sweets.
Sensitive fruit
Eggplant is usually
salted and strained
before cooking to ensure
that the slices absorb
less oil.
Be careful not to
bruise them and
keep them out of
the refrigerator –
aubergines are
sensitive.
They should
be consumed as
fresh as possible
but slices (peeled
or not) can be frozen and then
thawed by dropping them into
salted water with a little lemon
juice for around three to four
minutes.
Star turn in the central vegetable market
An Athens greengrocer with a difference – the biggest and best variety of produce
BY MARIA HAPSOULA
Among the stands selling nuts
and dried fruits in Athens’s central
Varvakeios Market is a greengrocer’s
with a range of fruit and
vegetables that local supermarkets
often never think of stocking
– wild greens, such as nettles (in
season) and Attica’s almyrikia,
tomatoes from Ierapetra, Crete,
and barbounia beans from Kalamata.
Constantinos Tsoupakis, his
wife and son and their staff of four
are there from the early morning.
“We have been here for about 35
years. My grandfather started the
business and my father handed it
down to me. It’s an 18-19-hour day
from dawn in the vegetable market
and then here all day. I’m not
complaining, though. It has raised
my four children, with a few euros
to spare,” Tsoupakis said proudly.
He buys through middlemen,
which makes it harder to choose
products personally, but his years
of experience help and as does a
choice of regular sources accord-
A bright display of Greece’s best in fruit and veg. [Mariliza Anastasopoulou]
ing to the season.
All the produce is clean and
clearly displayed – no mean feat
as the stands are set up every day
from scratch. Tsoupakis supplies
major restaurants and cafes and
even some private customers in
Athens, so he is a stickler for consistent
quality.
“Our prices are slightly higher
than some of my other colleagues
but we believe that quality is an
important factor because we
would suffer more from a mistake
than smaller suppliers and we
can’t risk losing a customer,” he
explained.
What makes Tsoupakis’s store
different, however, is his manner.
“We don’t cheat customers. In
any case, we can’t compete with
supermarkets with regard to parking
and other such facilities. What
we sell is quality and dependability,
because we don’t depend
on profit percentages but on consumption.”
Constantinos Tsoupakis, 10
Armodiou, Varvakeios Market,
tel 210.322.5154.
RECIPES
Baked Tsakoniki
eggplant
[Errikos Milioris]
Ingredients (for 4 people)
I kg Tsakoniki eggplant
0.5 kg ripe, chopped tomatoes
1 tbsp finely chopped basil
6 cloves finely chopped garlic
250 gr Feta cheese
Salt and pepper
Double-baked breadcrumbs (optional)
Pre-heat the oven to 180C.
Cut the eggplant (aubergines) into slices lengthwise,
and, after salting and straining, lightly brown
them in olive oil and lay them in a baking dish.
Mix the tomatoes, basil and garlic and spread the
mixture over the eggplant slices.
Pour a little oil over the mix and season, adding a
few breadcrumbs if desired.
Sprinkle with grated feta and bake for about 45
minutes.
Accompany this dish with a white wine such as a
Santorini Asyrtiko.
Aubergine croquettes
[Errikos Milioris]
Ingredients (for 4 people)
2 large flaska aubergines
2 eggs
0.5 kg grated kefalotiri
I tsp baking soda
1.5 cups of breadcrumbs
A little salt
Pepper
1 onion
Double-baked breadcrumbs for frying
Peel and wash the aubergines and chop into
large cubes. After salting and straining, drop into
boiling water. When they come to the boil, drain
well and then mash in a wooden pestle or food
processor.
Knead all the ingredients together well and shape
into balls; roll the balls in the double-baked
breadcrumbs and fry until golden.
This dish goes well with a fresh tomato sauce
with hot pepper or even a spicy sauce made of
Florina capsicums.
It goes well with a light, aromatic Macedonian
retsina, or a rose with high acidity in order to
balance the oiliness.