Thea Pope’s Greek Walnut Cake “Karithopita”

by Mary Papoulias-Platis

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 Thea Pope Panos was the only one in our family who had the winning Karithopita recipe!

As a child we would visit after church on Sundays, and all I wanted and waited for was one slice of that warm honey-drenched spiced cake, that she  mastered. Often times I do think back to the kitchen smells and aromas which drifted in and out  my cousins’ homes (and I had many), only to remember memorable family gatherings, happy faces and busy hands in the kitchen. This is a great cake for a crowd, or for a family picnic.

 

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Thea Pope's Greek Walnut Cake "Karithopita"

The best Greek walnut cake I know of ~ is my aunt Pope's cake. This is great for a crowd, and was always served at her home for us.
Course Dessert
Cuisine Greek
Keyword cake, Greek, karithopita, walnut
Author Mary Papoulias-Platis

Ingredients

Cake

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
  • 3 cups flour
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
  • 1 1/2 cups finely chopped walnuts
  • 3 tsp. baking powder
  • 1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
  • 1/2 cup fresh orange juice
  • Grated zest from one orange
  • 2 Tbls. ground cinnamon
  • 2 Tbls. brandy
  • 4 eggs- separated
  • 1 1/2 cups milk
  • 1 1/2 cups oil - vegetable or olive oil

Syrup

  • Syrup
  • 2 1/2 cups sugar
  • 1 1/2 cups water
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice

Instructions

Cake

  1. Mix the flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon together in a large bowl.
  2. With a mixer, beat the egg whites until fluffy. Place in a bowl.
  3. With the mixer beat the egg yolks and white sugar until light in color and creamy.
  4. Add the milk and oil. Mix thoroughly.
  5. Place the baking powder in a bowl , and mix in the 1/2 cup orange juice. Add to mixture and beat for 2 minutes on low.
  6. Add the brandy and zest.
  7. Add the dry ingredients and beat on low until all the ingredients are incorporated. Do not over-mix.
  8. Remove the bowl from the mixer.
  9. Fold in the egg whites.
  10. Fold in the nuts.
  11. Grease an 8x11 size baking pan.
  12. Add the batter. Bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes. Test with a toothpick.

Syrup

  1. Place all the ingredients in a pan and bring to a boil about 15 minutes.
  2. Let cool, and add to hot cake.
  3. When the cake comes out of the oven add the syrup. Let the cake sit for at least an hour before serving.

Recipe Notes

Note: Bake cake in the lower third of your oven to avoid the center from falling.
In the meantime, make the syrup.

 

 

My mother's old baking pan.

My mother’s old baking pan.

This is a very traditional cake made in our family for years during the holidays. You may want to try other traditional desserts from our family recipe book :

Greek Butter Cookies Kourambiethes

Melomakarona Honey Drenched Spice Cookies

Happy Holidays,

Mary 

 

 

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Summertime Fresh Cherry Salsa

by Mary Papoulias-Platis

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It’s cherry season, and I invite you to make this incredible fresh cherry salsa for your next BBQ!  Smit Orchards is the place to find them at your farmers market!  I recently bought a few pounds and pondered over a few ideas for this post, and decided that the cherries were so sweet and satisfying  just as they were, fresh and uncooked I decided on this salsa. Everyone enjoyed the crispness of the cherries with the fresh herbs as a new and creative use of this season’s new cherry crop.

Smit Farms in San Diego

Look for them in San Diego markets across town! They make a fantastic fresh apple cider too!

Fresh cherries on the Tree.

Although I have never seen a cherry tree, they are first on my list at the Spring farmer’s markets.

As you can see the chart below from the Cherry Commission of California the season is short, but worth the picking.

 

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Summertime Fresh Cherry Salsa

Try this simple cherry salsa and serve it with chips of your choice. A great outdoor dish to bring to any BBQ!
Course Appetizer
Cuisine California Greek
Keyword CaliforniaGreek, cherry, salsa
Servings 8
Author Mary Papoulias-Platis

Ingredients

  • 1 cup fresh cherries, pitted
  • 2 Tbls. fresh basil, chopped
  • 3 Tbls. red or green pepper, minced
  • 1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
  • 1/8 tsp. Tabasco sauce
  • salt to taste

Instructions

  1. Dice cherries and combine with the remaining ingredients.
  2. Refrigerate at least an hour before serving.

Recipe Notes

Can be served with pita chips, or chips of your choice.
This recipe can be doubled for a large crowd.

Cherry Tips

  • To pit cherries, smash with the side of a knife and remove pit. Or buy an inexpensive hand pitter at the grocery store.
  • Add pitted cherries to salad greens, along with nuts, and thinly sliced red onion.
  • Sprinkle chopped sweet cherries over plain or frozen yogurt.
  • Make melon and cherry skewers for a healthy snack.
  • Use cherry juice instead of vinegar for dressings.

How to Choose Cherries

  • Color is a good way to judge phytonutrient content in cherries, and sour varieties are higher in antioxidants. Here are some varieties to look for when this fruit comes in season this Spring.
  • Balaton is a deep burgundy cherry with a sweet-tart flavor.
  • Bing cherries developed in Oregon, are big and round with extra sweetness.
  • Lambert, similar in texture and taste to Bing, is small and heart-shaped.
  • Montmorency, a sour cherry that is often frozen, is smaller than sweet, bright red in color, and popular in pies.
  • Morello, useful for cooking as well as eating, has deep red flesh and dark  juice.

 

Recipe is inspired the  American Institute  for Cancer Research

 

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Stop by and Meet your Farmer’s – The “Trethowan Organic Farm”

by Mary Papoulias-Platis

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Stumbling upon a new booth at your local farmers market is always an exciting adventure, as you browse their homegrown products, hand-picked vegetables and fruits, and experience their one-of-kind creative displays. Meet the Trethowan Farm and family, they place so much effort and pride into their farm stand.

On Sunday, I had a wonderful opportunity to meet the Trethowan family, as I visited their booth at the Leucadia Farmers Market on Sunday.  Their welcoming and friendly smiles greeted me as I approached their farm stand, which makes it so much more inviting and comfortable, while searching  for that delicious something special to take home to your family.

I stopped by to tell them how much I enjoyed their aromatic and delicious honey that I had purchased during my last visit.  During my Open House I served it with my fruit dessert, and the guests loved the floral accents the honey had delivered.

I watched for awhile as the crowds arrived and I noticed how inviting they were to each and every customer. Conversations arose about every subject, from how the honey had developed it’ s unique taste, from how their fruit is dried, to how the homemade potpourri is gathered.

Instantly, I gravitated to the baskets of  aromatic offerings, and gathered many gifts for my friends and home. The bag of potpourri, perfumed my home as  if I had taken a trip to their family farm and back.

Stop by next week and meet this lovely family of farmers.  As you can see, this is one stand you can’t miss.

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Grilled Artichokes with Roasted Striped Beets

by Mary Papoulias-Platis

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It’s grilling season, and this combination of artichokes and beets, make a refreshing vegetable kabob. Many times when I visit the weekly Farmers Markets, I’m looking for what’s in season to be added to our menu. I’ll pick up fresh seasonal vegetables to take home and create a simple dish, with the addition of a protein. These beets are small and rainbow in color, so they cook up quickly. If using red beets also look for smaller ones for fast cooking. I added radishes, which are a Greek favorite, but you can add squash, small tomatoes, red onions, or whatever you find at the market!

A Few Artichokes Facts:

Fresh Artichokes

The globe artichoke, also known by the names French artichoke and green artichoke in the U.S., is a variety of a species of thistle cultivated as food. The edible portion of the plant consists of the flower buds before the flowers come into bloom.

 

Inside an artichoke

Make sure you clean the inside of the artichoke, where the hairy thistle is. Use a spoon to gently remove it. If you boiling the whole artichoke, I tend to clean the thistle afterwards because it’s easier to remove once cooked.

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Grilled Artichokes, Roasted Striped Beets with Rainbow Radishes

Ka-bob style grilled artichokes and radishes for an easy outdoor side.
Course Appetizer
Cuisine Greek
Keyword appetizer, artichokes, california greek, grilled
Author Mary Papoulias-Platis

Ingredients

  • 4 beets, washed and roasted whole
  • 4 small artichokes, cooked and cleaned
  • 2-3 radishes, halved
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
  • 2-3 leaves of parsley, finely chopped

Instructions

  1. Wrap the un-peeled beets in foil and roast in an 350 degree oven for 30-40 minutes until soft.
  2. Peel while still warm, and slice into quarters. Set-aside.
  3. Place artichokes in a pot of boiling water, and cook for 35-45 minutes until knife can be pierced easily in the stem.
  4. peel away all the leaves, remove the center carefully not to break the artichoke. Trim all around any rough outer-skin. Cut in half and set-aside.
  5. Wash and cut radishes in half.
  6. Skewer the cooked beets, radish, and cooked artichoke. Lightly oil the BBQ and cook the skewers for 2-3 minutes on each side.
  7. Sprinkle with fresh parsley, olive oil, and salt and pepper.
  8. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar. Serve warm.

Recipe Notes

BBQ techniques: I often BBQ the vegetables separate in a special grill pan, or on a greased foil sheet so the skewers don't burn.
Then, I take the separate pieces and place them on the skewer.

I love artichokes and they can be prepared in many different ways. The Greeks cannot wait for the first arrival of artichokes at the their farmer’s markets!

Thyme Infused Artichokes with Pesto

Lamb Stew with Artichokes

Greek Braised Chicken with Artichokes 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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The R.S.F. Farmers Market – What I Brought Home!

by Mary Papoulias-Platis

As you visit the many markets in your town, I almost can guarantee to you, that every time you shop at one, you will be welcomed with big smiles and friendly faces. Each morning their greetings, bring a special welcome to each and every visitor.  The RSF Farmers Market is open every Sunday, showing the community how important it is to buy locally, and develop relationships with nearby farmers and purveyors.  I don’t need to label these pictures because they tell their own story!

 

Fresh cherries and white peaches overflowing in the bins at  Smit Orchards.

Hot Kona coffee and many more varieties welcome you as you arrive at the market, from Great Coffee Makes Me Smile.

 

Wild but delicious, Bitchin’ Sauce offers many flavors to choose from- and all handmade from a local family.

Lavender permeated the air as I walked by this beautiful stand from the French Garden Shoppe.

Homemade Paella awaits you for take home or for a quick sit down lunch at the market.

Sage Mountain’s display of seasonal vegetables is breathtakingly beautiful! I chose greens, fresh garlic,beets, carrots, and kale.

Smit Orchards also had available early white peaches and apricots, so yummy!

And last but not least, fresh pasta from Lisko Artisan Deli! I couldn’t resists! I bought the garlic herb fettecine.

Dig his SMILE!

There are many other vendors at the market: I’ll catch them next time

Pangea Tea Company

Johann’s Bakery

Bella Vado

Wandering Lily

Archi’s Acres

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A Terrific Day at Our Culinary Open House

by Mary Papoulias-Platis

On Tuesday, I had the opportunity to showcase my culinary kitchen and introduce three  fantastic new guests and vendors to the garden club and community. Everyone who attended, admired this blue-inspired tablescape from our designer J.R.  His unique collection of English garden roses, fruit, and vegetables in his  flower demonstration were breathtaking. Many thanks to Temecula Olive Oil Company for coming out for a unique tasting experience, Suzie’s Farm for their bountiful vegetable C.S.A. box, Edible  for their generosity for supplying their magazine, and Wendy Woolf for her informative presentation on the benefits of having a C.S.A. box.

 

 

Here we are at the beginning of the presentation with, our floral designer J.R.,  the President of the Garden Club, Helen Dizio, and myself.



The garden display from  J.R. Designs with his private collection of nature-inspired china, blue and white containers, and an antique three tiered rose arrangement.

A few of the appetizers for our guests.



Suzie’s Farm display of one of the C.S.A. boxes they donated for our guests to view for our Open House.  For more information about Suzie’s Farm :http://bit.ly/a5hzFG

 


I was just beginning my demonstration on phyllo, and talking about quick tips on setting up.

 


Our guests enjoying the appetizers and class.

 Steve DiZio, our club director working on his first attempt at a tiropeta!


One of the club members, Janet Christ brushing her phyllo with butter!

Our Special Guest Wendy Woolf,  presenting the C.S.A. box from Suzie’s Farm, and the difference it has made in her life.

Edible magazines for our guests to enjoy!  For more information about Edible Magazine: http://bit.ly/3Ji6ld
Catherine, one of the owners of the Temecula Olive Oil Company during her presentation and olive oil tasting. For more information about Temecula Olive Oil.: temeculaoliveoil.com



Watermelon slices with local honey, one of our desserts we offered our guests.

 

 



Here’s J.R. enjoying his presentation and showing our guests how to build a centerpiece for you table from garden flowers.

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My Sunday Visit to the Leucadia Farmers Market

by Mary Papoulias-Platis

Welcome to the farmer’s market in Leucadia, in San Diego County. You can shop locally and pick up events such as this one to attend. Dirty Hands = Sexy Hands!  Weed dating is a new form of meeting singles in a farm setting. Apparently, you come down to the farmer’s market and farm and help hand-pick weeds and rotate among the fields every so often so you can introduce yourself to several singles in an afternoon. I couldn’t resist taking this photo and spreading this new dating option!

Sunday’s are always set aside for browsing through the sea-side market in Leucadia located along the coast of San Diego. Many markets are along main streets, but this market in located  in a near-by elementary school playground. Local vendors stretched out among the vast lawn area, are displaying fresh products and anticipate the arrival of their dedicated buyers. This fabulous setting allows visitors to sit and enjoy an early lunch in the sun while sitting on the old  cafeteria styled bench listening to great local music.

Above are large global striped beets from Suzie’s Farm, definetly my inspiration for my next post. Maybe, I’ll make a refreshing Spring salad, it all depends on what I find today.

 

In season now are these juicy ruby- colored blood oranges. Perfect for my beet salad today.  The vendor for these beauties is Smit Orchards.

 

Freshly picked herbs are available at almost every stand here in Leucadia. Today’s purchase included mint, dill, and parsley for my salad.

 

My husband came along today and look was on his mind, homemade pasta!

 

Kalamata, rosemary, cherry pecan, sunflower flax, focaccia, semolina jalapeno cheddar, asiago cheese, and many more available from Belen Artisan Bakers.

 

And you can’t leave the market without taking a few moments to listen to inspiring local bands and sing along to a couple of fun tunes!

 

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Holy Saturday at St. Constantine and Helen

by Mary Papoulias-Platis

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Holy Saturday is a day of expectation. The bread is baked with red eggs which symbolizes the blood of Christ as well as new life. The magesrista, a lamb soup is prepared for the midnight dinner often made from the lamb’s entrails. On Holy Saturday the Resurrection mass takes place. At 11:40 all lights are put out and candles extinguished as the priests appears at the royal door of the sanctuary with the new Easter flame, a triple candle. From this candle the congregation’s candle are lit. Many churches start a procession outside as midnight approaches, singing ” Christos Anesti” Christ has risen, and the response ” Alithos Anesti“, Truly He is Risen. Once midnight has approached everyone enters the church again for the remaining service. The church is draped in white. The priest has his white vespers on, the Easter lilies are welcoming Spring, and the red-dyed eggs are ready to be passed out and eaten, breaking the lenten fast. Many people stay for communion late into the evening, looking forward to the late night meal. The ceremony of lighting the candles is the most significant moment of the year. The congregation carefully take their lighted candles with the holy light of the Resurrection home with them. Before entering their homes they make a cross with the smoke of the candle on top of the door, they light their icon, and try to keep the light burning all year long.

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Good Friday Services at St. Constantine and Helen in Cardiff “Megali Paraskevi”

by Mary Papoulias-Platis

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Good Friday is a day of mourning. The traditional food is boiled vegetable and lentil soup. On this day Orthodox believers continue fasting eliminating milk, cheese, and yogurt as well as all meat products from their diet. Many followers practice fasting for 40 days, mostly eating a vegan diet. Today, most families sustain from animal products the week leading up to Easter. Traditional services are held every night during Easter.  Many attend the Vesper evening, a long service representing Christ’s  funeral, which is Good Friday.

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As you enter the church the icons are present for lighting of the candles.


The church has the large cross present representing the death of Christ. The burial is represented by the epitaphio- the holy tomb.
It is carried outside in a  procession followed by the cantors, the choir, the clergy, the altar boys, and the church’s congregation holding lighted candles as they walk around the church singing hymns.   

The holy tomb  is held high for all to walk under and back into the church.


The evening continues with solemn music as the service comes to an end. Spring is in the air, and the Greeks worldwide are preparing to celebrate their pascha or Greek Orthodox Easter.

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