Update From Sparta Greece

My theia/aunt Xakousti making coffee for us...at age 94!

This Sparta update is actually from Kalamata, where we've been busy walking and eating. Imagine that! More on Kalamata later. In Sparta (or Sparti as it's known in Greek) we traveled mostly by foot, which is a good thing, because the food was fantastic and we sampled many things at lunch and at dinner. The seasonal specialty in the Sparta area, indeed most of Laconia and Messinia, is Kolokythokorfathes. Try saying that three times! This is the shoots, leaves, tender stalks and flowers of the growing zucchini plant. This dish is prepared by cooking onions, often with a little garlic, with the korfathes/shoots, along with lots of olive oil and tomatoes. Cook until tender and serve topped with a little crumbled feta cheese for an authentic summertime dish. That's it. Served with bread on the side (as everything is in Greece) for sopping up the nutritious juices.

Walking through the farmers market on Saturday or Wednesday, you will see the zucchini shoots, zucchini, varieties of eggplant, perfectly ripened tomatoes, fresh onions, garlic, greens of all kinds, fruits and local mountain teas. You'll also see many local herbs and spices, predominantly fresh and dry oregano, and honey harvested in the area's many villages.

We enjoyed many of the traditional foods that I remember growing up with, most of which I still prepare on repeat. Eating out every day is wonderful. You get to sample everything, but you've got to stay diligent to work off the extra-delicious calories. Greek food is meant for sharing. Portions are made for sharing. Be prepared before you order the salata and the tzatziki and the pastitsio and the moussaka. A nice bonus is that many of the restaurants will bring you a few fresh fruit slices or a small sweet treat when you ask for the bill. Dessert is not something that happens often. Learn the Greek way--order that baklava in the middle of your afternoon stroll, but not once a day. It's a treat. Do it once a week. And during the oppressive summer heat, drink water throughout the day to stay properly hydrated.

En Hatipi was a last day in Sparta surprise. A treat of authentic home-style cooking. We ate lunch under a mulberry tree and had to force ourselves to continue through too many dishes. I got carried away with ordering! This neighborhood restaurant cooks whatever they find at the Sparti farmers market twice a week, and it shows. The boiled vegetable salad was outstanding. Dressed with olive oil and lemon juice, it does make a full meal with a few olives, feta and bread on the side. We should have stopped there.

So grateful to my cousin Mary for making this last minute recommendation.

Our waiter, Stefanos, who bonded with Dewey over
their mutual love of bicycling.