Viking Cruises

viking.com 19 I love the Mediterranean, not only is it a place of amazing architecture and culture, but the weather is sublime, and the scenery is simply stunning. I was lucky enough to live and work in Cyprus for many years, where the influences of past inhabitants, namely Arabic, Greek, Turkish, French and Italian, are still evident in the island's cuisine. Mediterranean cuisine is predominately sourced from fresh local ingredients such as sheep and goat cheeses, fresh vegetables, fresh fish and the ubiquitous olive oil. But although many of the countries use the same ingredients, regional recipes are diverse and very much tailored to each country's cultural identity and terroir. Popular herbs are thyme, oregano, rosemary and basil, and these aromatic herbs are infused through so many of the region's recipes. From colourful tians in the South of France, tomato- rich pizzas in Italy to spicy kebabs in Turkey, these often-wild-grown herbs are woven through many a Mediterranean recipe. It was extremely difficult to choose just four recipes to share, but I have chosen some tantalising recipes from Greece, Italy, Spain and Portugal, although you will see variations of all these recipes right across the Mediterranean. I hope you enjoy them if you are tempted to make them and you'll be transported back to this bountiful region. BIOGRAPHY Karen Burns-Booth is a freelance food and travel writer, as well as a food stylist and recipe developer. Originally from South Africa, she now lives on the edge of Snowdonia National Park, UK. Serves 6 INGREDIENTS 500g fresh Baby spinach leaves 3 tbsp rapeseed oil 1 shallot, finely chopped 8 spring onions, trimmed and finely chopped 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped ¼ tsp ground nutmeg 250g feta cheese, crumbled 1 large egg, beaten 6 sheets filo pastry Salt and pepper, to taste Nigella seed 1. Place the spinach leaves into a large bowl and pour over boiling water. Press down with a spoon, so they are all wilted. Then pour the water away and squeeze the spinach with your hands to get rid of all the water. Roughly chop them with a knife. Set them aside. 2. Heat 2 teaspoons of the oil in a large frying pan and gently sauté the chopped shallot, spring onions and the garlic until they are soft and opaque. 3. Add the drained spinach, along with the nutmeg and the crumbled Feta cheese. Season to taste before adding the beaten egg. Mix well. 4. Pre-heat oven to 200C/180C Fan/400F/Gas 5. Lightly oil a 20cm square x 4cm deep baking tin, cake tin or Pyrex dish. Lay the filo pastry sheets on a large board. Brush the top one with a little of the oil, then carefully lower it into the tin to line the base and 2 of the sides, with an overhang on both sides. Brush a bit more oil over the second pastry sheet and this time lay it down in the tin the other way round, so it drapes over and lines the base and the other 2 sides. Repeat the layering with 2 more oiled filo sheets. 6. Spoon the spinach and cheese mixture into the filo pastry case and then bring the pastry sides up and over the filling, brush a little oil over them. Brush the remainder of the oil over the last filo sheet left on the board. Cut the sheet in half widthways and lay one half over at a time, in big folds, to cover the filling and give you a pastry topping. Brush with a little more oil and sprinkle with nigella seeds. 7. Bake for 25 to 30 mins until the pastry is crisp and golden. Leave to cool for 15 to 25 minutes before cutting into squares and serving. A fabulous vegetarian recipe for Greek Spanakotiropita, which is similar to the more well-known Spanakopita, but with the addition of feta cheese and eggs, as well as the hero ingredient of fresh spinach. Allow this to cool to room temperature before serving, cut into squares. This spinach and cheese filo pie is wonderful when served with a big bowl of Greek salad. METHOD GREEK SPANAKOTIROPITA R E C I P E

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