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Favorite Greek Dishes for Spring

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voula_slat

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I’m planning some springtime meals and would love to get your advice and opinions on your favorite Greek dishes for spring. I know Greece has such a rich food culture, and spring is a beautiful time for fresh herbs, greens, and lighter flavors.

What dishes do you love making (or eating) this time of year? I’m especially interested in seasonal recipes—like ones with fresh spinach, peas, artichokes, dill, or wild greens. Lent-friendly or vegetarian options are more than welcome, too!

Some I’ve heard of but haven’t tried yet include artichokes à la polita, maroulosalata, and hortopita. Would love to hear if those are worth making—and any tips you have for preparing them.

Also open to seafood dishes, spring desserts, or anything you associate with Greek Easter.
 
Such a fun topic—Greek springtime cooking is full of vibrant flavors and fresh ingredients! Artichokes à la Polita is a must-try—tender artichokes with carrots, peas, dill, and lemony olive oil. Just make sure you use fresh dill and good olive oil; it makes all the difference. Maroulosalata is another favorite of mine—crisp romaine, scallions, dill, and a simple lemon-olive oil dressing. It’s so refreshing and pairs well with anything.

Hortopita is absolutely worth making if you have access to wild greens or fresh spinach. I like to mix in leeks and herbs like mint or parsley for extra flavor. For Lent, I often make revithada (slow-baked chickpeas) or fava (yellow split pea purée) with caramelized onions.

For seafood, grilled sardines or bakaliaros skordalia (salt cod with garlic dip) are classic. And don’t miss tsoureki for Greek Easter—it’s delicious with a little orange zest and mahlepi!
 
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Favorite Greek Cheeses Beyond Feta

Feta gets most of the attention when people talk about Greek cheese, but there are so many other varieties worth trying. I’m curious which Greek cheeses everyone enjoys most beyond feta.

Graviera is one of my favorites because it works so well on a cheese plate, grated over dishes, or just eaten with bread. Kasseri is another one I really like, especially melted. I’ve also been interested in trying more regional cheeses like metsovone, manouri, kefalotyri, and formaela.

Some Greek cheeses seem to be much easier to find outside Greece than others, so I’d also love to know which ones people regularly buy and where they usually find them.

What Greek cheeses do you keep coming back to? Are there certain ones you associate with a particular region, dish, or family tradition? And if someone has mostly eaten feta, which Greek cheese would you recommend they try next?

What Is the Best Way to Serve Taramosalata?

I absolutely love taramosalata and have it pretty regularly at home, but I’m having some people over soon and was wondering about the best way to serve it when entertaining.

Normally I just eat it with some bread or pita, so I don’t really put much thought into presentation. For guests, though, I’d like to make it part of a nice Greek-style spread with a few other things on the table. I was thinking warm pita triangles, crusty bread, maybe some cucumber and other vegetables for dipping, but I’m curious what everyone else usually serves with it.

Do you drizzle a little olive oil over the top or add any kind of garnish? And are there particular meze that you think pair especially well with taramosalata?

I’d love some ideas for making it look a little more special while still keeping everything traditional and simple.

My Family’s Keftedes Recipe

Keftedes are one of those foods that always remind me of family gatherings. Everyone seems to make them a little differently, but this is the basic version my family has always used.

For about a pound of ground beef, we add one small grated onion, a handful of chopped fresh parsley, a little fresh mint, one egg, breadcrumbs, salt, pepper, oregano, and a small splash of red wine vinegar. Sometimes we add a little grated garlic as well.

The important part is mixing everything well and then letting the mixture sit in the refrigerator for a little while before shaping the keftedes. We make them fairly small, roll them lightly in flour, and fry them in olive oil until browned on the outside and cooked through.

We usually serve them with lemon, potatoes, salad, or tzatziki.

How does your family make keftedes? I’m especially curious about which herbs and seasonings everyone uses. Thought I'd share!

What is your favorite Greek potato dish?

Potatoes show up in so many Greek meals, and I think they are often at their best when they soak up plenty of olive oil, lemon, herbs, and cooking juices.

Greek lemon potatoes are probably the first thing that comes to mind for me. I love when they are roasted until they are soft inside, a little crisp around the edges, and full of lemon and oregano. Potatoes cooked alongside chicken or lamb are also hard to beat because they absorb so much flavor from the pan.

I also enjoy simple boiled potatoes dressed with olive oil, lemon, parsley, and salt, especially with fish or grilled meat.

What Greek potato dish do you make most often? Do you prefer lemon potatoes, potatoes roasted with meat, fried potatoes, or something else? And is there a particular seasoning or family method that makes your version especially good?

Do You Make Avgolemono Thick or Brothy?

I usually prefer avgolemono somewhere in the middle. I don’t like it so thick that it feels almost like a cream soup, but I also don’t want it completely thin and brothy. For me, the best version has enough egg and lemon to give the broth some body while still keeping it light.

A lot probably depends on what kind of avgolemono you’re making, too. In chicken soup, I like it a little more brothy because I want the rice or orzo and chicken to still stand out. With something like lahanodolmades, I don’t mind the avgolemono sauce being thicker because it is coating the food rather than serving as the soup itself.

The lemon level matters just as much as the thickness. I like enough lemon to make it bright and noticeable, but not so much that it overwhelms everything else. I think balance is really the key.
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