Columbia Cooks - Greek Revival Style!

Yesterday was my first time attending a class by Columbia Cooks.  This is a program through the University of South Carolina Cancer Prevention and Control Program.  The class was Healthy Mediterranean Cooking and was taught by the "first lady" of the University of South Carolina, Patricia Moore-Pastides.   The Greek Revival Style in my heading relates to her cookbook Greek Revival Cooking for Life.

The class was a great learning experience and lots of fun!  There was even a lovely "floral arrangement" in the room with all sorts of vegetables and herbs included.  It made the room smell so good  As we went around the room and introduced ourselves it was apparent most of us did not fit the mold of being a "chef."  Some were learning to cook and some simply hoped to learn how to cook in a healthier way. .  

We prepared:

Sauteed Dates with Almonds
Roasted Beet and Arugula Salad
Spinach and Dill Pie
Braised Cauliflower with Slowly Sauteed Onions
Black-Eyed Peas and Swiss Chard
Seared Shrimp with Red Pepper Flakes and Basil
Spiced Walnut Cake

and I'm sure a few more recipes that I don't recall.  My friend and I prepared the Braised Cauliflower with Slowly Sauteed Onions.  It includes oregano and sage so the flavor was as delightful as the aroma.  At the end of the class we enjoyed all the dishes and our plates were heaped with delicious food.  Everyone certainly put their best efforts into cooking.  You would have thought each of us was a professional chef!

The program is also very conscious of environmental and health issues.  The food was locally grown and healthy, we did not use any disposable dinnerware, we used cloth towels, and we had a compost bin for waste as we chopped and peeled our vegetables.

I'll be checking out more of the classes that they have on their list once my schedule looks a little bit lighter.

Greek Festival Failure

I'm sure the Greek Festival was a big success, but I wasn't there.  I fell on Saturday and broke my pelvis so very little happened over the weekend other than my visit to the emergency room.  However, today I found out that my friend and I will be in the Mediterranean Cooking Class that is being held next week.  This should be so much fun!  I already warned the coordinator that if they normally stand throughout the 2 hour class I won't be able to do that and will need to sit part of the time.  Here I am planning on taking a class and I haven't been farther than across the street to the mailbox all week, but I think I can, I think I can, actually I'm sure I can!

Greek Festival - Maybe; Recycling - Yes

The Greek Festival is going on in Columbia, SC, this weekend and I had really hoped to attend.  I'm not too certain we will get there because our dog has been very sick.  Maybe we will make it though...

Because this blog is not only about Greek food but also about healthy eating and gardening, I will mention to you about a new group we are starting up on GardenWeb under the Exchange Forum - Round Robin groups.  It is called Friends of the Earth: Simple Swaps.  Part of the emphasis about this group is recycling (especially as it relates to gardens) so as we come up with ideas and swap creatively, I will pass along some of the ideas. Obviously with some of the swaps, we will swap seeds.  It's unfortunate so few people save seeds from their plants to use the next year.  In fact, many seeds are hardy enough to survive for several years.  If you don't know what part of the flower head or fruit is the actual seed, you can find information online about how to identify, save, and store seeds.
The gardener in all of us says that if this year was not a good year for gardening, we look forward to next year!

Greek Cooking Class May Be on My Schedule

I am trying to register for a Greek Cooking Class and hope that my checks gets there quickly enough.  There are only 10 spaces in the class.  Anyway, if I do get into the class I will definitely have lots of say here on my blog!
Meanwhile, my garden is definitely going into "autumn mode" - between the hot summer and the drought, not much is happening out there.  I would like to dig out, augment, and rearrange many of the beds over the next 6 weeks or so - just hoping for some rain and a little cooler temperatures before I begin.
I will be giving a talk about herbs on Monday.  When it comes to  herbs, most of them cope well with hot, dry weather.  The other great things are that they smell so good and they make food taste delicious!

Liberte Mediterranean Yogurt

It has been some time since I posted and I will try not to take this long again.  I was in California for two weeks visiting my older daughter, son-in-law and triplet grandsons.  The grandsons are only 6 months old so it was a busy time but lots of fun, too!
There is only one store in our area where I can find what is now my favorite brand of Mediterranean yogurt (the Greek style) - Liberte Yogurt which is made in Canada.  Anyway, if you are interested in reading about them, their web site is http://liberteyogourt.com/.  If you go to their site, you can go from there to your Facebook page and click on the "Like" button and get a $1.00 off coupon.  I will certainly be using my coupon the next time I go to the store!  I much prefer Greek style yogurt because it tastes more like what I remember yogurt tasting like when I first ate it - about 45 years ago.  It has that creamy texture and the natural fruit included  It has a thicker consistency and contains more protein than what I call "regular" yogurt..  With Liberte having flavors like Date and Fig, Apple Crumble, Peach and Passion Fruit, Wild Blackberry, and Coconut, I look forward to my next grocery shopping trip!