The Greek diet, long touted as supremely healthy, is once
more in vogue as the summer months come upon us. Rich in fresh produce and lean
meat, the “Mediterranean” or “Greek Diet”
is a great way to stay healthy and eat well this summer.
Now that summer is upon us, seafood is the seasonal dish to
keep in mind. The Greek diet is not complete without a thorough exploration of
the many seafood dishes that have become popular – a look at a map of Greece
can show you exactly how close to the sea the country is, and how easy it is to
get fresh, delicious fish.
The simplest way to cook any fish dish only involves two
ingredients: olive oil and lemon. In
Lesvos, the unofficial sardine capital, the small fish are quite sought-after,
and are often cooked in such a way. Lesvos’ Bay of Kalloni hosts a Sardine
Festival every August to show off their delicious sardine catch. Other ways to
cook sardines include baking in garlic, or wrapped in grape leaves.
Another popular way to cook seafood is kakavia, a rich fish
stew made of whatever is at the “catch of the day”. A recipe for kakavia can be
found here
.
Although a foreign food to many Americans, octopus and squid
are also great Greek summer foods. Octopus can be served as part of a tomato
sauce with pasta, in a stew, or simply grilled, as in this easy recipe.
Calamari are known best for being fried in rings, although grilled calamari with
feta cheese is a great way to cut out some of the fat in the deep-frying
process.
Finally, a last popular Greek seafood is mussels. A great
recipe from the North of Greece is
saganaki. Or, one can serve them with lemon and dill risotto.
This summer, remember that light, healthy Greek recipes can
be a great choice. These seafood recipes and more will spice up your summer
cuisine.
GRaBs, the Green and Blue Space Adaptation for Urban
Areas and Eco Towns, won in the sustainability department. Fourteen partners
from 8 countries across the EU to participate in the project that aims at
integrating climate change adaptation into regional planning and development.
The project focuses on developing “green infrastructure including gardens,
parks, productive landscapes, green corridors, green roofs and walls and blue
infrastructure such as water bodies, rivers, streams, floodplains and
sustainable drainage systems”, according to the GRaBs website. 
