Saronida shore walk

Saronida is the shore town outside of Athens where I've been spending my summers. It reminds me of my Turkish-occupied Cyprus town of Kyrenia, where I spent a large part of my childhood. There's a beautiful municipal beach in Saronida where I watch the same families and clutches of children explore the rock pools, catch fish or learn to dive. I fell in love with this place ever since an octopus came to greet me as I first put my toes into the water!

The municipality has created a lovely shore path that they extended year after year. We were happy to see that even during the lean years they were able to complete it and extend a wonderful amenity to the town.  

 

 I love the indigenous shrubs, the wild thyme and other wildflowers that frame the path.

Benches to watch the sunset

Small beaches or boat launches dot the way and a swimmer may walk down to his or her favorite swim spot.

I'm mesmerized when the surf is up and it crashes against the rocks. I could watch it for hours.

Enjoy!

Maria

 

 

 

Psarou - Seafood restaurant in Greece

 

One of the great pleasures is the discovery of new culinary destinations. For me, this summer, it is the restaurant Psarou on the coastal road to Sounion just outside of Saronida.

That evening Stelios and I got dressed for dinner and off we went in search of "Psarou." Just a few kilometers out of town, there on the left hand side was the sign with the cat, smirking as if it had swallowed the canary. But of course it wasn't the canary, it was the fish!

Marinated Octopus

The outdoor tables

 

These destinations are not always found by accident, but usually they are shared by friends or neighbors in ecstatic whispers. Such was the case with Psarou, when my good neighbor Yiannis described in drooling detail the meals he'd had at the place.

 

Seafood pasta dishes, bulgur-wheat salad, marinated octopus and then he spoke of the double fried potatoes as if it where the gospel. That cinched it for me! Psarou it would be for dinner that evening. Yet, we were cautioned to go early(by 8:30-9:00pm) so we could get a table, that's how popular the place is.

These tables didn't stay empty long

Almira-salty greens- really yummy!

 

The double fried potatoes!

 

Our two glasses of ouzo- ouzo turns milky when you add water.

 

Three fried fish!

We were seated at a table for two and from there unfolded a delicious, romantic Greek dinner a deux, with a small bottle of ouzo Barbagianni providing that extra little spark.

Thank you Yianni, your recommendation was a winner!

Enjoy!

Maria

Farmer's Market in Greece

Every Monday morning on Kefalinias street in Saronida, tents of produce-sellers pop-up. Go early and have the pick of the offerings.

Mountains of fragrant melons and zucchini with the blossoms still attached

the scent of these peaches is like no other

summer oranges

Octopus anyone?

Kalamari

The sweetest figs!

Okra

Farmer's Markets in Greece are a norm not a trendy luxury as in the United States. Food there(mostly produce) is fresher and cheaper than the supermarket and people plan their week's meals around the shopping at the market. Greeks traditionally cook what's seasonally available and there's much talk about what's for sale at the weekly market called "Laiki" meaning, for the people.

The Greek countryside produces abundant fruits and vegetables, cheeses, herbs, meats and condiments with scents and flavors that seduce the palate. Produce is harvested at it's peak and the Greek consumer is very discerning when it comes to their food. There are heirloom varieties, varieties grown in specific locales that shoppers always look for.

Here's a bit of candy for they eye, I wish I could bring you the musk of the melons, the perfume of the peaches, the sweetness of the figs, the juiciness of the oranges.

Enjoy!

Maria

Saronida Restaurant-Cooking with Angeliki and Stavros in Greece

Yum!Stuffed peppers and tomatoes

Eggplant stuffed with meat sauce, béchamel sauce and topped with grated cheese. Yum!

 

One of my favorite places to have dinner in Saronida, Greece is the Saronida Restaurant of Mr. Stavros and his wife, Angeliki. It's down home Greek cooking at its best! I've always wanted to visit their kitchen and witness the culinary alchemy that produces succulent, flavorful dishes but had never had the chance until recently.

Stavros and Angeliki welcomed me smiling into their spotless kitchen, even though they were in the process of cooking for the evening's crowd.

I was impressed by the freshness and quality of their ingredients and the pride which they take in cooking traditional Greek recipes with locally grown products. They only use olive oil for cooking, grown in their own groves and pressed in the local Messinia olive press. The meats are always Greek, the eggs come from their own chickens and the rooster stewed in wine is also from their own flock. The olives are cured by them and the quince preserves served over Greek yogurt are made by Angeliki from quince grown in her yard in her hometown, Drakoneri, Messinia.

Angeliki's Quince Preserves

eggs from their own chickens!

 

I'm impressed by the amount of work involved and by Stavros' and Angeliki's good nature despite the heat in the kitchen and the preparation. They are not new to this business, they've been at it for 24 years, since they moved upstairs from the restaurant with their young children. Those were hard years but with a philosophy of cooking simply good dishes using only the best ingredients they've built a loyal clientele that dines there night after night.

There's nothing like sitting in their large courtyard under the stars and dining on specialties like roasted lamb, stuffed peppers, Greek salads, feta cheese and pints of ice cold draft beer.

Next time you're thinking about where to go on vacation you should consider Saronida, in Attiki. It has one of the most wonderful beaches and that might be reason enough, yet Saronida Restaurant's culinary feasts are a reason to visit in and of itself!

Enjoy!

Maria