The Mediterranean Cook

Meni Valle is a Greek–Australian cookbook author and food teacher. Her rich Greek heritage, coupled with her love for travel and food, has seen Meni become one of Australia’s most-respected authorities on Mediterranean cuisine. When she is not writing cookbooks, Meni shares her knowledge and passion for Greek food through cooking classes and culinary tours to Greece, where she loves connecting with locals and discovering new recipes. She also regularly presents at festivals and conferences and contributes to magazines. The Mediterranean Cook is Meni’s sixth cookbook, following My Greek Kitchen (2011), My Mediterranean Kitchen (2012), Everyday Mediterranean (2015), Mediterranean Lifestyle Cooking (2019) and Ikaria (2020).

Introduction 9
An ode to the Mediterranean diet 12
My Mediterranean kitchen 15

Spring – Summer 22
Artichokes & broad beans with lemon 26
roasted red pepper & walnut dip 28
bouyourdi 31
zucchini, feta & mint omelette 32
how to prepare an artichoke 34
black-eyed pea salad with herbs 36
raw zucchini salad 38
orzo pasta salad 40
cucumber, watermelon & olive salad 42
braised tomatoes & peppers 44
caponata 46
roasted zucchini on labneh 50
tomato & strawberry salad with burrata 52
potato salad with samphire 54
roasted eggplant & tomato salad 56
zucchini & lentil salad 58
charred cos lettuce with tahini dressing 60
roasted beetroot & carrot salad with labneh 62
Watermelon & feta salad with flaked almonds, honey vinaigrette & mint 64
Grating a tomato 66
Roasted eggplant with feta, tomato & caramelised onion 68
Asparagus risotto 70
Arakas 74
Penne with broccoli, pine nuts & ricotta 76
Fasolakia 78
Stuffed onion petals 80
Pumpkin & feta pie 82
Summer paella 86
Roast tomato tart 88
Batzina 90
Stuffed tomatoes 92
Baked okra & tomato 94
Summer lasagne 97
Pickled eggplant 100
Pickled stuffed eggplants 104
Pickled cucumbers 108
Pickled stuffed peppers 110
Apricot tart 114
Cherry clafoutis 118
Galatopita 120

Autumn – Winter 124
Celery avgolemono 128
roast pumpkin & chestnut soup 130
white bean soup 134
green minestrone 136
lentil soup 138
pasta e fagioli 140
cauliflower fritters with yoghurt sauce 146
leeks with romanesco 148
dolmades 150
spinach fricassee 154
cabbage salad with mint & dried figs 156
rocket, fennel & orange salad 158
baked frittata with greens & ricotta 160
roasted cabbage with yoghurt dressing 162
charred brussels sprouts with walnuts & honey 164
Paprika roast potatoes 166
How to prepare olives 168
Spinach gnocchi 170
Potato, cheese & egg peinirli 174
Pea & ricotta-stuffed conchiglie 176
Su boregi 178
Papoutsakia 180
Root vegetable tagine with prunes 182
Mushroom risoni 186
Pispilita 188
Mushrooms with katsamaki 190
Roasted stuffed mushrooms 192
Lahanorizo 194
Roasted eggplant with cannellini beans 196
Sarma 198
Chestnut & wild mushroom stifado 202
Pastitsio 204
Chargrilled plums with honey yoghurt 206
Prickly pear sorbet 209
Baked spiced quince 210
Apple pie 212
Melopita 214
Chocolate & fig tart 216
Bergamot spoon sweet 218

About the Author 223
Acknowledgements 225
Index 226