DIANNA LEFAS
Ikarian Vegan Cuisine
Soufiko: From Simple to Sublime
Eating well in the Blue Zone
WILD BOUNTY ISLAND SALAD
Equal portions lamb’s quarters, young dandelion leaves, vleeta, and tender turnip or beet greens to fill large salad bowl.
½ cup fresh chives, chopped
1 cup fresh, raw green beans, chopped in ½ inch pieces
1 cucumber, quartered and sliced thin
1 red onion, sliced in thin rings
2 tsps. chopped dill
1 tsp. rosemary
1 tsp. thyme
1 tbsp. fresh parsley chopped
1 tbsp. fresh basil, minced
10 olives, pitted and halved
Olive oil to taste
Salt and pepper to taste
Goat’s yogurt (or any yogurt)
Fresh tomato wedges (optional)
Slices of bread (optional)
Wash greens, spin dry and place in large salad bowl
Add the rest of the ingredients, except yogurt.
Toss with olive oil to taste
Serve with a generous dollop of yogurt, and optional tomato wedges and bread slices on the side.
IKARIA: Echo of EDEN
A People, A Journal & Soufiko
LIVING (and eating), DELIBERATELY
Ikaria - Aegean "Blue Zone"
Food, family, philosophy, Ikarian Style
The Story of Ikaria, Greece,
in food, stories and philosophy
Ikaria, long overlooked in favor of more idyllic Greek islands, had not kept up with the times by reason of its isolation, so when Dan Buettner discovered in the Aegean island of Ikaria one of the world’s “Blue Zones,” where people live longer, healthier lives than the rest of us, he started a small fire storm of interest.
The Ikarians took it all in with a bit of amusement. They found it humorous that the world should find their casual way of life, as they have lived it for thousands of years, suddenly remarkable. But in today’s world, it is remarkable. It is remarkable because not changing to conform to the advancements of corporate farming, fast food and an inundation of sugar and chemicals is, itself, worthy of rediscovery. It is getting back in touch with the way we all once were, when we lived to enjoy life, and not merely lived to work.
LIVING (and eating), DELIBERATELY offers, through stories, a glimpse into Ikarian life, its people, their philosophy and, via island recipes, their cuisine. Like some of his fellow Ikarians,
my father made a living as a chef, but his connection to food was not merely a working relationship; it was a romantic attachment to the rhythm of life.