Beets with Scordalia

Scordalia is a very popular Greek side dish. Basically it's a garlic dip or spread made with either a base of mashed potatoes or bread. Both are delicious and add a lot of flavor to a meal.


Today, our scordalia is made with mashed potatoes and it accompanies  a dish of red beets.

Steam 2lbs. of beets until a fork goes through without effort(about 40 minutes)

Let them cool

Boil about 2lbs. of peeled and diced white potatoes

Chop 3-4 garlic cloves

Drain the cooked potatoes(reserving some liquid) and mash them. Add some of the reserved liquid if the mashed potatoes are too thick. Add the garlic, half a cup of extra Virgin Greek olive oil, salt and white pepper and, mix well.

 

I chopped some arugula and topped it with tomatoes and cucumbers, dressed with extra virgin Greek olive oil and vinegar. Of course, don't forget the sea salt.

Peel and dice the cooled beets. Drizzle some olive oil and wine vinegar. Sprinkle some Greek sea salt and dig in!

 

It was a fabulous meal!

 

For an easy, tasty, healthy, meal do try this. The beets and the scordalia can be made earlier in the day and kept at room temperature until mealtime. They also make great leftovers! Truth be told, though, the meal tastes best the same day.You won't be disappointed!

 

Enjoy!

 

 

Maria

Kythera-Paleopolis Beach and Skandia Restaurant

On the second day of our Kytherian sojourn, after a breakfast of fresh figs and prickly pears, we drove to one of the most spectacular beaches, Paleopolis, also called Laggada. It is close to the picturesque village of Avlemonas with it's grotto beach and good fish tavernas, yet expansive and uncrowded.


 On the road to Paleopolis



Soup stock boiling on the stove at Skandia

I love to float in the sea at Paleopolis Beach and feel the openness around me.

 Mrs. Evanthia

What's also great about this beach is it's proximity to Skandia restaurant. The food there is so good that we go back year after year and let our palate travel through the menu, tasting as many dishes as we can muster.I could eat there every day at the tables shaded by the giant trees.

Fresh Fish

 

This time we had gone into Mrs. Evanthia's kitchen earlier in the day and saw the fresh-caught fish being prepared into a fish soup.

Skandia's dining area

 

We sat under the trees and watched the resident cat sun herself close by while we enjoyed plate after plate of sublime dishes.

The amazingly delicious fish soup served with the fish and vegetables that flavor it

Roasted Eggplant

Bread drizzled with olive oil and oregano

Beets and beet greens dressed in olive oil

Fish soup with the fish and veggies

Grilled Fish

 

White Kitty kept us company

Goodbye Paleopolis- in the distance the white buildings of Avlemonas

Wild Thyme

 

White Lilies growing on the beach

Kytherian home

Renovated Kytherian home

Tomorrow we'll visit the wine museum and sample some of the local delicacies. Don't forget to come along and bring your appetite.

Enjoy!

Maria