Last weekend was the Fourth of July (which already seems ages ago) and it was our off week for the virtual farmer’s market, so I ventured out to a local farm stand (set up outside the building in the garden center) instead, and also to the nearby Athena International Foods – a retail outlet for Greek and Mediterranean foods and beverages. I went there mainly for feta cheese (which I got) and tzatziki (which they were out of) but picked up a few other specialty items that caught my fancy, including halloumi (grilling cheese), stuffed peppers, and assorted olives.
I looked for loukaniko (Greek sausage), which we’ve had before and like, but I didn’t see any. (One more noticeable change during this mask-wearing time…no more asking questions or chatting at the store!)
At the farm stand, I picked up zucchini, tomatoes, snow peas, green beans, and one more flat of flowers for an empty flower pot in our yard.
Then it was time to get out the Mediterranean cookbooks!
Our working from home lunches are something I’m going to miss once we are back to normal. They usually look something like this, even without being on the Mediterranean diet – so beautiful I just have to take a picture of them!
I made Greek salad last week, of course, but I guess I forgot to take a picture of it! I also made a Greek Lentil Salad, Braised Carrots & Green Beans, an appetizer spread, and Swiss Chard with Currants & Pine Nuts.
The Mediterranean diet is a healthy diet with its emphasis on plant-based foods and healthy fats – it even has its own food pyramid – but I’m just dabbling, mainly because I like feta and olives.
For more about the benefits of the Mediterranean Diet, check out Oldways or the Harvard School of Public Health:
OldWays, Cultural Food Traditions – The Mediterranean Diet
Diet Review: Mediterranean Diet — The Nutrition Source, Harvard School of Public Health
The week before I made a low-fat version of pesto (using tomatoes instead of olive oil) from the Moosewood Restaurant Low-Fat Favorites cookbook and used it on pasta and zucchini noodles (“zoodles”).
Happy Weekend Cooking!
Shared to Weekend Cooking, hosted by Marg @ The Intrepid Reader.
Your interpretation of the Mediterranean diet looks perfect for both flavor and health. The carrots cut to match the shape of the greenbeans is beautiful. Please invite me to lunch as soon as it’s safe.
be well… mae at maefood.blogspot.com
wow, your food really is beautiful!
You’re on! An open invitation to all Weekend Cooking participants!
Everything on your Mediterranean diet looks really healthy and delicious. We eat a good deal of Middle Eastern and Greek food. Feta cheese is always on our list.
Everything looks so fresh and inviting!