Postcards from Greece: Pressing Organic Olive Oil in Paradise

Before leaving Crete, I made a couple of visits with our vendors. I had the pleasure of spending some time with one of our favorite suppliers on Crete, Giorgios Dimtriadis. Giorgos is the driving force behind the amazing Biolea line of organic stone ground extra virgin olive oils. There are three; his flagship Biolea Organic Stone ground Extra Virgin Olive Oil, his Biolea Lemon Oil and his Biolea Nerantzi Oil.

Last year we became his exclusive importer for the United States. I am pleased to say that we have placed his oils in some lovely chains such as Balducci’s and Dean & Deluca as well as many independent specialty food stores.

The Astrikas Estate, where Giorgos bottles these magnificent oils, is nestled in one of the most beautiful parts of Crete, the area of Kolymbari near Chania. From the peak of a hill overlooking his mill, you gain an amazing panoramic view of verdant olive groves stretching off as far as the eye can see. In the distance, you can even catch a glimpse of the calm blueness of the Mediterranean cut by three low, dusty hills.

As we have written here, Giorgos is committed to improving the process of organic olive oil production at Biolea. While I was there, Giorgos received some great news. Pulling a letter from a neat brown envelope, Giorgos showed me that Biolea had received certification as an ISO 9000 organic facility. This is an extremely rigorous process, and they are the very first (and consequently the only) facility to have received this distinction in Greece. What a splendid accomplishment!

Posted by Esther

Postcards from Greece: Domestic Cheese Making in Rural Crete

My mother-in-law Evangelia is an expert cheese maker. Over the years we have enjoyed the many different types that she makes: feta, mesithra, graviera and silocoupi to name only a few. Each year we return to the United States with our suitcases stuffed with cheese and other impossible-to-find goodies. We enter our house and the very first order of business is to open the oh-so-carefully wrapped cheese and stuff them in the freezer to be eaten over the coming months.

Even in Greece, domestic cheese making is a dying art. Women in Evangelia’s generation made all the cheese eaten by their families. In the next generation, women still made the soft cheeses, but the hard cheeses (like graviera) were all store bought. Few modern households even make their own yogurt which is a relatively easy process. Instead, housewives buy their yogurts in supermarkets from companies like FAGE.

Very late last night, Evangelia and I made anthortero. From my perspective as a woman with Italian blood it looks a lot like ricotta cheese. Evangelia milked a couple of sheep in late afternoon, and then strained and boiled the milk to kill off bacteria. After the milk cooled, a tiny amount of pitkray was added. These are enzmes added to the milk and are what convert the milk proteins into curds and thus cheese. We heated the milk to speed the process but didn’t let the mixture boil.  As the milk started to curd, we added salt.

While the milk curdled, Evangelia prepared a special form lined with cheesecloth to give the curds shape. She collected the curd with a slotted spoon and fills the form. Because the form has a woven bottom, any excess liquid in the curd - the whey - drained away. A few hours later, the cheese had cooled to room temperature, and we could enjoy anthortero with breakfast.

Eating a soft, creamy anthortero cheese, spread on a piece of fresh baked bread, and drizzled with honey is, as far as I am concerned, a perfect breakfast.

Posted by Esther

Postcards from Greece: The Potato Gun Wars

This year my son Adoni built a potato gun, a weapon that he has wanted to make for a couple of years now. He went into the nearby town of Kandanos and bought the cylinders, piping and materials he needed to make his potato gun.

Since then, his cousins, friends, and he have been blasting potatoes at all sorts of things around the farm. In fact, this morning, as we were preparing food for the big meal of day (with company to boot), we discovered that our stock of large cooking potatoes had been shot out of existence! Only a few puny potatoes remained at the bottom of the sack. Adoni’s grandmother was not too happy!

The gun is about 4 feet long and made from a piece of PVC pipe. A potato is pushed down the barrel until it reaches the combustion chamber. There Adoni attached a butane lighter with a trigger. The combustion chamber can be opened to spray in antiperspirant as fuel. Quickly closed, the gun is ready for blastoff!

Pull the trigger and with a huge thud, the potato flies two or three hundred feet through the air. At night, flames streak from the business end of the cannon. We don’t think Adoni has hit any of the goats or sheep grazing in the pasture, but who can sure? What I want to know, though, is what is that aerosol antiperspirant doing when we spray it in our armpits?

Yesterday, without my knowing it, Adoni hid his potato gun in the trunk of our car to take it to the beach to show some cousins and friends. After a couple of hours at the beach, he wanted the car keys. I asked why and he said he wanted to show off his potato gun around town.

Well, it’s one thing to be out in the countryside firing at the next hill. It’s quite another to be doing that in town. I nipped that idea right in the bud. The potato gun looks like a bazooka. I know southern Crete is rural and most people have guns, but you have to think they’d think twice about someone toting a bazooka around in public!

So, now the potato gun is back up at the farm. Today we had my sister in law Rena and her husband Manoli arrive for a visit. Of course Andonis saluted their arrival with a salvo of potatoes! I wonder where he found the potatoes.

Posted by Esther

Postcards from Greece: My Mother-in-Law Evangelia

My mother in law Evangelia is a person that I love and admire. She has faced much adversity throughout her life, yet with perseverance and her strength of character, she always moves forward. She has been a very integral and inspirational force in my life for the last 20 years. Her love for her farm and all that it has provided for her and her family inspired me to start Taste of Crete, trying to capture that spirit in our brand. Our Taste of Crete Cookies are named after her and are based on her recipes that she taught to me.

She was raised in a wild and very mountainous part of Crete called Panihori. She was one of 14 children born to her mother Alexcia; only eight of her siblings, though, lived to adulthood. Her father Kostos was a well known and respected Priest. She married Panagiotis Psarakis and moved to the village of Paleochora where her husband ran the Hotel Lybicos. There she gave birth to and raised her children, Takis and Rena.

The hotel has its own history. Built in 1922 by Takis’ uncle with monies he sent back from his work in the United States, the hotel was managed and improved by Kostos and his family. It was and remains the tallest and most impressive building in the village, although it stopped working as a hotel more than 40 years ago. Even now empty and with most of its window glass gone, it is a commanding structure, haunting and sad. There is so much history within its walls, For example, during World War II the hotel was the headquarters for the German Army of occupation in south-west Crete.

After the sudden death of her husband, Evangelia had to leave the hotel. She built herself a home, literally brick by brick, on a family property in an area called Koupatous. For years she had no running water or electricity, adding these things only as money permitted. She managed the family olive groves, vineyards, flocks of sheep and goats. She took great care of her two children with the fruits of her labor providing for all.

Now at the age of 83, she has much to be proud of in her life, despite the many setbacks and obstacles. Her two children married well, giving her 5 grandchildren and six great grandchildren! And considering that she still has physical stamina and health of someone much younger, I am sure she will be here to see my children’s children!

Posted by Esther

Postcards from Greece: New Product Development Made Easy

Nikos and Maria Psilakis are good friends. We’ve know for a while and it’s always good to see them. But, I also had ulterior motives (which they fully appreciate) for wanting to visit. I can safely say, I wouldn’t be in the specialty food business without Nikos’ help. On this trip, I’ll be making the rounds of our suppliers, pressing the flesh and affirming these relationships. But, I’m also responsible for finding and evaluating new products.  Because Nikos knows everyone, I wanted to get his thoughts on who we should meet, who is reliable, and who has high quality foods.

For example, we met a potential supplier at the Fancy Food Show this past July, and I plan to meet with them next week. Well, the jokes on me. It turns out that Nikos not knows them but know them well. He immediately picked up his cell phone to give them a call and put in a good word for us. Needless to say, this fellow was equally surprised to learn that Nikos and Maria know us.

We are also looking for a good supplier of pastelli which is one of my favorite snacks. Basically it’s sesame seeds mixed with honey and a touch of sugar to make it stick together. Well made pastelli is hard to put down; you have to eat the whole thing!

Inevitably, Nikos knows a supplier. Even though this is Sunday, as I was in Heraklion only for the day, he thought he could track down the owners to meet with me. An hour later, we’re standing in a pastelli plant with its owner and his wife. Even though the facility was shut down for the weekend, as soon as I walked in, my nostrils filled with the wonderful smell of honey.

Looking and around the plant, it was clean and modern, just the kind of facility we were hoping to find. When they brought out samples of the pastelli, we were in heaven. The flavor is complex and layered; the owner says the key is the caramelization process which produces a pastelli that is flavorful and doesn’t stick to your teeth. Best of all, he’s looking for an export partner in the United States. They say timing is everything! Naturallly, I am bringing back samples for my partner Maria to try out.

So, if you know Nikos Psilakis, New Product Development is a breeze. Give him a product category and he gives you the phone number of the best producer on Crete. Working with him, I set up more meetings over my remaining days on the island. Of course, pricing, labeling and myriad other factors could prevent us from importing these products, but if all goes well, we will soon be extending our product line to include new and delicious specialties foods from Greece.

Posted by Esther

Postcards from Greece: A Visit with Nikos & Maria Psilakis, Our Gurus of the Mediterranean Diet

Usually we don’t move too far from the farm during our stay on Crete. This year, though, we made a special trip to visit some friends. Taki, my husband, and I drove to Heraklion from the farm, a 3 ½ hour journey without any pit stops. I wanted to see Nikos and Maria Psilakis before they left for their vacation the next day.

They are an amazing couple, well known throughout all of Greece and in Europe for the many books they have written on various different aspects of the culture of Greece - such as Greek history, its Monasteries, olive agriculture, and lastly many books on Greek cooking. When the Olympics were held in Greece in 2004, they were commissioned by the Greek Government to write a book on the history of the olive wreath. Each Olympian and visiting dignitary received a copy of the book.

Nikos also has a radio program that airs live every day in Crete. It’s widely listened too, and he has become quite famous and well respected. Last year, my husband and I made an appearance on the show, answering questions from the radio audience. Taki has worked hard with the Pancretan Association of America as an advocate of Cretan culture in the United States and this was to be his moment in the sun. The show was about how as Cutlural Chair in the Associate he has promoted Crete by bringing Cretan artists and musicians to the United States.

I was there for moral support, and frankly, I really didn’t want to speak. Although my Greek is good enough for day to day use, I didn’t exactly feel ready for prme time radio! Eventually, Nikos introduced me and because Maria, my business partner, and I import some of his books, he talked about our company. Pretty soon, we had quite the little discussion going about Taste of Crete Olive Oil complete with call-in questions from the radio audience. My answers were fluent enough, but I just hoped Taki wasn’t upset by my taking some of his lime light.

As I said, we do import Nikos and Maria’s Cookbooks to the United States. They are available on our Demeter’s Pantry website, at Amazon, and in select stores. Our two best sellers are their wonderful books Cretan Cooking and Olive Oil - The Secret of Good Health. Both are excellent guides to the world-renowned Cretan diet; all the excitement about the healthiness of the Mediterranean diet seems have to been very good for sales of these fascinating books.

Posted by Esther

Postcards from Greece: Down on the Family Farm

The focus of our lives in Crete is our farm. Each year, for the past 20 summers, we have spent our vacations on this little farm in south-west Crete. It is a few miles from Kandano, a town which was bombed and then occupied by the Germans in World War II. Closer still is the village of Plemeinyana. It’s less a village than a postal stop. For a hundred yards or so, a crowd of little white houses cluster along both sides of the road. Our farm is about a mile further on down a side road.

The farm is run by my husband Taki’s mother, Evangelia. Even at the age of 83 and after a hip transplant, she’s still the star around which everything on the farm orbits. She literally built this house by herself, and in no uncertain terms it remains her farm. There are the inevitable olive groves, some vineyards, plenty of sheep, and chickens in endless supply. In the past we had goats and even a pig and a donkey.

It grieves me that we no longer have goats. They’re pretty smart animals and you can teach them to do tricks, just like a dog. When my children were small, they did exactly that. Their favorite goats would wag their tails just like dogs whenever the goats saw my children coming. As if they were dogs, they taught the goats how to roll over, heel, and presenting their hoof to be shook. Every visitor to the farm was treated the goats and their tricks.

And the cats. Endless posses of cats. At the moment, there are maybe 15 that claim the farm for their home. They are in every corner of the place. Of course, they’re not household cats. They work for their living, catching rodents and other pests. Still, we have taken so many pictures of them over the years that we could put together our own Cat Calendar, like the ones you see from Greece.

Like any farm anywhere, there is always plenty of work to do here. As a born and bred, suburban “Jersey Girl”, I’m always learning new things about how to work the farm. You have to be willing to try anything, pitching in to help wherever is needed. I think it’s good for my kids to see first hand how hard their grandmother works to gain a living from the land. I would like to think that it has made them appreciate some of the things and opportunities they have had in their short lives already.

Posted by Esther

Postcards from Greece: Returning to my Cretan Home

I always have a heightened sense of anticipation each time I return to Crete. I get a window seat and eagerly wait, peering out the window for my first glimpse of the island.I have been coming here for a long time. Twenty two years have passed since I first made this flight. And it’s been twenty years since my traditional wedding on our family’s farm in the mountains. Crete has gotten into my blood and has been a defining factor in my life.

I converted to the Greek Orthodox religion; I learned to speak Greek, cook Greek, and frankly, live like a Greek. Or more accurately, I learned to live like a Cretan, particularly when my family is on the farm. Crete is also what inspired me to start my business, Taste of Crete, a company which imported extra virgin olive oil from Crete and is now, having merged with Demeter’s Pantry, a brand within Demeter’s Pantry.

Our children, Antonios and Evangelia are fluent in Greek. We mostly speak Greek in our home in the United States, and they have spent every summer of their lives on Crete. As soon as school ends in the United States, they are ready to jump on the plane, ready to enjoy another summer in Crete with their many cousins and friends. They speak Greek like natives, and no one who meets them for the first time has any idea that they’re not from around here. That is, unless I happen to open my mouth. My heavily American accented Greek gives everything away!

This year, my kids left for Greece on June 25th. My husband followed on July 16th. Today is August 11th, and our family has not been together for the better part of six weeks. I have missed them terribly! Having not seen my kids for such a long time, the small differences are pronounced. Bronzed by the sun, they each seem a tad taller. Even my husband seems taller! I am glad that we are together again. Best of all, we are together in a land that means so much to us in so many different ways.

Posted by Esther

Postcards from Greece: The Waters of Athens

On Sunday, Laura treated me and her daughter Alexandra to a lovely outing at a famous ancient salt water lake slightly outside of Athens. Called Limni tis Vougliamani, it was so peaceful and relaxing to float in the warm salty water.

And then… menacing storm clouds rolled in, cutting short our visit to the lake. Laura hurried us out of the water, warning me that summer storms in Athens can be rather fierce and can quickly wreak havoc on the unprepared. We rushed back literally “to batten down the hatches” at her home.

I couldn’t believe the ferocity of the storm, complete with lightening bolts coming down on the city and followed by the roaring thunder. Out on the balcony I stood in awe of the intensity of the thunder rolling across the city. With the thunder claps echoing about my head, I thought how natural for the ancient Athenians to believe it the wrath of their gods.

Within an hour and half, though, it was all over, leaving little freshets of water streaming down the streets and Laura’s porch basically a pool.  Still we sat out on the porch and enjoyed the cool weather left in the storm’s aftermath.

Posted by Esther

Postcards from Greece: Old Friends Celebrating Older Festivals

As you might guess, the partners of Demeter’s Pantry spend quite a bit of time in Greece. Our need to stay in touch with our suppliers agrees well with the pleasure we get from seeing old friends and family. Esther is in Greece for the next month and will be sending us Postcards from Greece. A little work, a little play, and hopefully a lot of fun.

I landed in Athens, staying there for the weekend with my dear friend Laura Burke. We met in college, both majoring in Communications at Rutgers University, She grew up in Athens, going to the American High School, and then coming to the US for college. Her mom’s family is from Greece and her Dad was American. She is who introduced me to my husband Takis, thus starting my love affair not only with him, but with all things Greek. After college, Laura moved back to Athens, making her life here. It was great catching up with her.

This week was also the start of the big summer holiday for all Greeks. Many businesses shut down for at least a week for a big festival on August 15th - “Panayiri” - dedicated to Mary, the mother of Jesus. Technically, this day celebrates her passing and joining in her son in Heaven. It is the name day for people named Maria, Despina, Panayiotia and Panayiotis, my husband. Faith in the Virgin remains strong in Greece and the devout Greek Orthodox fast for the first 15 days of August, abstaining from meat in anticipation of this feast day.

So the normal hurly burly of Athens - filled with traffic, noise and tons of people - is gone. It was eerily quiet, since so many of its inhabitants had escaped the city for their summer homes or to visit the islands. Strange for once to have the streets and tavernas to ourselves.

Posted by Esther