Wild Food
Culinary favorites like oregano, thyme, marjoram, parsley and fennel might be cultivated in some places but they also blanket countryside in several regions without any encouragement from people.
Gorgeous caper plants with their delicate white petals and pink sprays appear like magic in places like the side of a rock wall or the second floor of the Minoan Palace of Knossos in Crete. Their spicy leaves are tossed into salads, while their buds are dried in the sun. Dried capers,
simply pureed with a little olive oil, are an indescribable taste of earth and sun.
This preservation method is popular in the Cycladic Islands. Wild greens (horta) can be picked for free by any of the interested locals. There are dozens of plants to choose from depending on the location and season, like leeks, dandelion, chicory, arugula, stinging nettle, artichokes and other types of thistle roots that have a delicious similarity to artichokes. Some plants might be indigenous or simply a result of gardens left to fend for themselves in deserted villages, of which there are sadly many.
Although horta is free, it takes hours of hiking to collect enough for a family meal. It’s an adventure and often a social event. You’ve got to trek to rocky hillsides away from urban areas to find hidden treasures that your neighbors, including sheep, goats and snails, have not discovered. The rewards are worth it. Snails don’t put a dent in the horta supply and are a preferred meze when they are plump from the winter rains. They are a favorite in Crete, prepared in dozens of ways.
Fruit and nut trees hiding in the gorges of Crete, that were once riverside operations for Venetian-era flour mills, are also fair game. Trees that can handle the climate flourish on their own in areas near natural springs. Figs, apricots, prickly pears, lemons, oranges, loquat, walnuts, almonds and sometimes chestnuts and pomegranate thrive in warmer regions.
From the bounties of the earth, a host of simple or complex dishes can be enjoyed. Each ingredient is free to shine on its own. There’s no need to add sauce to an already delectable gift from nature.
From the Sea
At dawn, small, colorful fishing boats named Maria or Eleni are chugging toward the docks. Weary fishermen are returning home after a night on the sea with hopefully enough of a catch to delight local diners and cover the rent. The seafood selection varies by region and often includes swordfish, sea bream, cod, red mullet, sole, smelts, sardines, shrimp, calamari, cuttlefish, octopi, sea urchins, clams, lobster and mussels. |
