Blueberries Bring Love

This past week has been busy keeping up with the explosion of blueberries from our seven bushes.  Our first home came complete with a blueberry patch off the deck.  That was an added bonus.  I look forward to this time each year when my first duty of the day is picking the largest, juiciest berries at sunrise before the birds get the best.  Since there are plenty to go around, I leave the smaller berries for our feathered friends to enjoy.

I feel so decadent with all the blueberries.  I'm eating them all the time: in yogurt, cereal, oatmeal, salads, pancakes, and just by the bowlful like popcorn.  It's also a great reason to invite family and friends over for berry picking.

Looking forward to my mom, aunt and uncle's visit on Sunday.  We plan on a cookout with ribeye steaks, corn on the cob, my aunt's highly demanded and delicious French onion chip dip (my husband's favorite ever, so he says) and Mom's heavenly creation of baked apples on puffed pastry.  I plan on adding a scoop of vanilla ice cream with a handful of blueberries and calling it a great day.  We will also be doing a traditional Hungarian appetizer on the grill that I can't wait to share.  Hint: it has bacon in it.

I also can't wait for two beloved friends who will both be bringing their adorable toddler daughters over here this week to pick berries and make jam.

What a wonderful season!

The Annual Greek Festival, a Favorite Summer Tradition

I met Maria at auditions for the school play in my Freshman year of high school.  She got a small role and we both volunteered for make-up crew.  The school was doing Dracula so we were excited with the ghoulish creativity we could discover.  We discovered we liked the new wave of British music in the early and mid 80s - Duran Duran, Sting,  New Order, as well as a deep respect for Queen, Pink Floyd, and the 80's U2.  Bod Geldof was our hero; the founder of Band Aid and Live Aid.  We both read his autobiography.  We became good friends quite quickly.

She lived close, so we carpooled for rehearsals.  I'll never forget the first time I was invited into Maria's home.  I knocked on her back door.  Her father opened the door with one hand and held a long, thin, meat carver's knife in the other.  He only had to lean down and over a few inches from where he was in the kitchen to the back door.  He was slicing meat off a large bone which I'd never seen before.

As he opened the door to let me in I said hello.  With a straight, but sincere face, wide eyes and friendly voice, he held out his knife straight to my face with a few chunks of meat, which did smell delicious, and said,

"You like lamb?  Taste.  It's good."

How could I refuse, especially with a knife in front of my face?

Actually, I wasn't that intimidated, with the lamb or Maria's father, especially with his welcoming smile and wide eyes. I  knew I was going to taste something wonderful.  I instantly loved lamb and Greek hospitality.  It reminded me much of the bare-bones sincere hospitality my family gave to long time friends.  Later in high school, her sister and my brother joined the theatre, music and arts crowd as well.  We, with a handful of others backstage became a tight group, often hanging at our house or Maria's house discussing the arts.

Our two high school friends with their kind father, a friend of theirs on Crete, and their beautiful, kind, mother, who makes the best baklava, pastisio and stuffed zucchini blossoms. 2001

Through the years I remember when their mother was making a kitchen full of pans of baklava for the Festival: light, flaky phillo pastry with a walnut and honey filling for the annual festival on Memorial Day Weekend.  I fondly remember helping my friends and their parents pass trunk loads of baklava into the large kitchen packed with volunteers and trays of other Greek delights the night before.

My brother, our group of theatre friends and I enjoyed when Maria and Tina performed their traditional dances they've learned the through their church.  We'd cheer them on, get a juicy grilled souvlaki, sit on the steps of the church and wait until the parents have had their time socializing.  Souvlaki is a skewer  of chunks of pork marinated in lemon, garlic and oregano, grilled to perfection, served on a lightly grilled pita with onions, tomatoes, and tzatziki sauce (yogurt, cucumbers, garlic, lemon and dill).  My husband now looks forward to at least two at the festival and two to take home each year.

Souvlaki: marinated chunks of pork, onions, tomatoes and tzaziki sauce on the side

TheGreek Fests have not been the same without my close high school friends.  The family has since moved back to Crete and are all doing well.  I haven't been able to visit them since October of 2001, so it's been too long.

Greek dancers, like our friends used to do
Click here for a video of the dance!

Until I can see them again someday I make it a point of going to the Greek Fest each year.  I'm happy to say I've shared my tradition with my husband and other friends and family through the years.  I need my Greek food fix, Greek music and dance, and the chance to spend time with family and friends, new and old.

Cousins enjoying gyros

Lots of folks at this Cleveland tradition.  During the festival, everyone is Greek.

The end of one of the indoor food lines

More people!

Not the best photo of the Cleveland Skyline from their parking lot, but you get the idea.

My friends' family's village on Crete.  Accessible only by ferry, as there are no roads or cars in this remote area. 1997

My friend and her grandpa on Crete. 1997

My friend relaxing with a frappe. Crete 1997

How to Make Grandma's Potato Pancakes

There's nothing like cooking with those you love.  My friend Jessica and I had a blast together while making my family's recipe for potato pancakes.

I have probably eaten thousands of these since I was a child, yet, I never tire of them.

Grandma and Mom always made these because they were inexpensive. Plus, it was often requested for Lenten Friday dinners. It takes a little work and time to grate the potatoes (less if you have a food processor with a grater attachment, and/or a good friend), but it is worth it. It is SO worth it.

We have always used Russet potatoes for this recipe, so I have no experience the texture or tenderness others may provide.

This recipe has never been written down before, it has always been done as we go - a little of this, a little of that until the consistency is right.

For a reference, consider that a medium-sized Russet will make two medium pancakes.  One to two are filling for a side dish, three to four are a meal for myself, but my husband and other hungry guys may prefer more.

We ended up making 20 for five of us with eight potatoes, two of them large.

This recipe is for about a dozen pancakes:

6 medium or 4 large Russet potatoes, peeled and shredded

2 small or 1 medium onion, minced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 teaspoons Hungarian sweet paprika (or paprika of your choice)

2 large eggs, beaten

1 tsp baking soda

3/4 cup all-purpose flour  (I guess whole wheat or any flour could be used, too - for those who would prefer)

Canola or vegetable oil for frying

Salt and pepper to taste after frying


After shredding the potatoes squeeze out the excess liquid, ESPECIALLY if you grate them by hand.  I grew up helping Mom and Grandma on box graters.  For some reason, the potatoes are not as soggy when I've grated them in a food processor.  You want them moist, but not soggy and wet.

Once the potatoes are drained, add the rest of the ingredients.

You want a consistency that looks like your potatoes are coated in a pancake batter.

If it's too thick, let it rest for 5 minutes, then stir.  If still too thick, you can drizzle a little water or milk in a tablespoon at a time.  Don't let it get too thin.  After frying your first few pancakes you will see that more liquid from the potatoes will be released and the batter will eventually be thinner.  You can always add a bit more flour to thicken it up if necessary.

Have a pan on medium high (8) heated with a light flavored, medium to high heat capacity oil like canola or vegetable oil coated on the bottom.  Do this even if you have non-stick, and especially if you have not made this before.  In order to do this 'traditionally,' you need to bind this mixture quickly at high heat.  I have tried this with no oil in a non-stick pan, and it did not turn out the same.  I wound up making hash browns.  Tasty? yes. Pancakes, no.

Sometimes making something quickly at high heat is difficult.  Not for Jessica.

She's been around the kitchen before.  She knew her way around a fry pan.  And, as a vegetarian for over 15 years, she knows a bit about 'taters, too.  I made the first couple of pancakes, then she took over, making the rest of the batch.  The batter did get thinner at the end.  But, if the pan and the oil are hot enough, it should be fine. You can always add a little more flour if necessary.

Fry about 2 minutes on both sides.  You can flip again until they are brown and firm when lightly pressed with a spatula.

You will want a crispy outside and a moist inside.

Serve with ketchup, sour cream, or traditional applesauce.

You can also customize your pancakes by adding a teaspoon or two of your favorite herb.  Jessica brainstormed using all kinds of herbs such as dill or rosemary.

Enjoy!