In my kitchen April: Lemon-thyme fried feta

Καλό μήνα lovely readers and welcome to April!! If you are wondering what Καλό μήνα (Kalo Mina) means - it literally means "good month" and it is a Greek greeting given every first day of each month. It is the Greek way of wishing friends and family a good month ahead of them - a way of wishing you, lovely reader, well.






This April is certainly shaping up to be a good month in my kitchen, where I will be celebrating not only one but two Easters. We embrace both family traditions in our home and this weekend we celebrated Easter with my family. Next weekend, we will celebrate with our Greek family and friends.

In my kitchen this month...

There are my mother in law's home-cured olives, picked from the olive trees that grow in my in law's little piece of Greek paradise - their garden - in the middle of Sydney's inner west. The olives are kept in a big barrel in a corner of her kitchen and Ma uses a ladle to scoop them out into generous portions for us to take home. The olives are salty and taste of lemon and fennel, with just a touch of bitterness. Ma says the little bit of bitterness is the thing that makes them really healthy for you.

In my kitchen this month.....

There is some Greek red wine, which has made a perfect accompaniment to Ma's olives - along with a little rustic Greek style country bread - from my favourite local baker Yanni. The Greek wines that are available now in Australia are radically different from retsina - which is often the only Greek wine that many Australians have experienced.

This particular wine is made with the xinomavro grape, which is translated as "acid black." The xinomavro grape is known to age well and for its complex aromas such as gooseberry with hints of olives, spices and dried tomatoes.

This particular wine, Boutari 2009 Naoussa, won a position on the coveted Wine Spectator "Top 100 Wines" list for 2013, scoring 90 points. Wine Spectator magazine’s description of Boutari 2009 Naoussa: "A hint of orange peel to the lively dried raspberry, date and green fig flavors, which hang together with the support of vibrant acidity and medium-grained tannins. Complex and savoury, with an alluring finish of sandalwood. Xinomavro. Drink now."

Two years on, I think the description remains true. I would recommend it if you are a fan of Nebbiolo - or prefer a Pinot noir style of wine. I'm glad I have another bottle on hand because it is going to be wonderful with the roasted goat on Greek Easter Sunday.

In my kitchen this month.....

To go with the wine and olives - to be drizzled generously over the bread - there is a divine, full bodied Greek olive oil, from the Mani area in the Peloponnese. My olive oil connoisseur, Mr K had been dying to try this olive oil after he had seen it at our local grocer a few months back. He didn't buy it on the spot and went back to get it - but it had completely sold out. There is a reason why it had sold out - it is a fantastic full flavoured, full bodied olive oil. Mr K is now on the hunt to track down a tin of it - the bottle will not last long!

This olive oil is also making us want to desperately return to the spectacular Mani region. The landscape is so incredible, it is easy to understand why the olives grown here can make such a flavour packed oil. You can read more about our last adventure in the Mani here.

In my kitchen this month.....

There are still plenty of ripe, juicy home grown pomegranates and quinces are just starting to make an appearance. I think quinces are just a stunning fruit - there is a reason why they have been the subject of many a still life from the great masters of art. The pomegranates to are also spectacularly beautiful and I have found lots of sweet and savoury uses for them.

The pomegranate seeds and juice have being added to salads, such as my Lenten salad with quinoa and pomegranates and Ottolenghi's tomato and pomegranate salad from 'Plenty More'. Along with some Dodoni Greek yoghurt, from the Athena Deli in Melbourne, the pomegranates have made for a magnificent brunch for friends with slow cooked saffron quinces. I have also strewn the pomegranate seeds across some early season pears poached in red wine and cassis - and the quinces have been enjoyed in a steamed pudding along with a spiced syrup and end of season figs. I am building up my stockpile of quinces over the next few days to make my first batch of γλυκό κυδώνι (kythoni glyko) - Greek quince spoon sweets.

In my kitchen this month.....


There are also pumpkins and mushrooms. The pumpkins have gone straight into a simple soup and also into a classic Greek pie, Kolokythopita made with grated pumpkin and feta. The mushrooms are Swiss browns and buttons. I am really waiting for the delectable pine mushrooms of Autumn - but as my local Italian grocer (and my source of pine mushrooms) keeps telling me, there hasn't been enough rain yet to really start the pine mushroom season properly. So I will have to wait a little longer to make my favourite pine mushroom ragu with kalamata olive gnocchi. In the meantime, we have sufficed with mushrooms and caramelised onion on some homemade spelt bread - topped with crunchy little lemon-thyme fried feta.


Lemon-thyme fried feta

These crunchy little treats are great served with sauteed mushrooms, or can be added to a salad to make a light starter. They are also great drizzled with a little warm honey and served as meze.

Ingredients:

2 slices of Greek feta

1 egg

1/2 cup rice flour

1/2 cup panko crumbs

Few sprigs of lemon thyme (leaves only)

Olive oil for frying

Method:

Step 1. To prepare the fried feta, start by cutting the feta cheese into little blocks, about 1.5cm thick.

Step 2. Crack the eggs into a bowl and beat with a fork. Into another bowl add the rice flour. Into a third bowl, add panko crumbs and the leaves of lemon thyme. Mix well to combine.

Step 3. Roll each piece of feta into the egg, then roll into the flour. Roll each piece again into the eggs and then in the panko crumbs, so that all sides are covered.

Step 4. Heat about 6-7 tbsps of olive oil into a frying pan, just enough to cover the bottom of the pan and fry the feta until nicely coloured. Use a slotted spoon to flip the fried feta, so that it is nicely coloured on all sides. When done, place on some kitchen paper to absorb the extra oil.

I'd love to know what is in your kitchen this month – be it the start of Autumn or the start of Spring! Again, a big thanks to Celia, at Fig Jam and Lime Cordial, our lovely host of this fantastic monthly series.