Nature’s seasons and religious fasting periods profoundly influence what our Greek village relatives eat for dinner.

Many are farmers, relying on the fruits (and vegetables) of their labors for sustenance.  Most supplement their diets with wild greens and snails, mushrooms and sea urchins, rabbits and octopus.  All generously share abundant seasonal harvests with friends and neighbors.

To honor church teachings, religious Orthodox Greeks follow a near-vegan diet (certain seafoods are allowed) on most Wednesdays and Fridays throughout the year.  Greeks also fast during Great Lent (starting seven weeks before Orthodox Easter), Christmas Lent, and the first 15 days of August.

In modern Greece, not everyone fasts with the same rigor.  Many younger people exclude only meat and poultry from their diets, while the devout also fast from dairy products, fish, olive oil, and alcoholic beverages. The fasting structure is complex enough that a church calendar is helpful to determine the precise nature of the fast required on any given day.

The first day of Great Lent is called Clean Monday, and marks the end of Carnival indulgence (called Apokreas - Απόκριες in Greek).  Clean Monday is a national holiday; and the highways are full of urban Greeks leaving the city for country picnics or seaside tavernas. 

Island families celebrate the day with a picnic of what is best and freshest from the fields and sea.  On the island, sea urchins are a perennial Clean Monday treat and are hand-gathered by the gunnysackful.

One year on the island, the confluence of perfect rains and temperature brought forth an unexpected bounty, just in time for Clean Monday.  My husband returned home from surveying a mountain pasture with a big bag of horse mushrooms.  After vetting their edibility with a knowledgeable Aunt (the primary rule of wild mushroom gathering is “when in doubt, throw it out”), I constructed a hearty stew using this unexpected treasure.      

Mushroom Stifado (Μανιτάρια Στιφάδο)

Mushroom Stifado tastes best when made with wild mushrooms or a mixture of cultivated cremini, oyster, and shiitake mushrooms.  Even when made with a single type of mushroom, this hearty stew is wonderful.  Serve it over pasta, with roasted potatoes, or as an appetizer.  The chopped leftovers, with the addition of vegetable (or chicken) stock, make a very flavorful soup.

• 2 cups pearl onions (1 pound) or 14-ounces frozen
• 6 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
• 6 cups mushrooms, cleaned, trimmed, and cut in 1” chunks (1 1/2 pounds)
• 2 cups diced yellow onions, 1/2” dice
• 2 Tbsp. minced garlic
• 1 tsp. Aleppo pepper or 1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper (optional)
• 1 cup red wine
• 1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes or 2 cups fresh, with juices
• 1 Tbsp. minced rosemary
• 2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
• 2 tsp. sugar 

Peel the pearl onions and cut an X in the root end to help hold the onion layers together.  An easy way to peel the onions is to drop them in boiling water for a minute and then slip off the peels.

Sauté the peeled (or frozen) pearl onions, lightly seasoned with freshly ground black pepper, in 2 Tbsp. olive oil until the onions are well browned on all sides and cooked through.  Remove the browned onions from the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside.

Sauté the mushrooms, lightly seasoned with freshly ground black pepper, in the oil from the onions until they are well browned on all sides, adding olive oil as necessary.  Scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.  Remove the browned mushrooms from the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside.

Sauté the diced onions, lightly seasoned with freshly ground black pepper, in the same oil until they soften and begin to turn golden, adding olive oil as necessary.  Scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.  Stir in the garlic and Aleppo pepper, and cook for one minute.  Stir in the wine and cook until reduced by half.  Stir in the tomatoes, rosemary, vinegar, and sugar.  Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 15 minutes.  Stir in the browned mushrooms and simmer for 15 minutes.  Stir in the browned pearl onions and simmer for 5 minutes. 

Serve with pasta or potatoes that have been tossed with olive oil, minced garlic, salt, and pepper.

About Laurie Helen Constantino

Laurie Helen Constantino and her husband have homes in Anchorage, Alaska, and on a rural Greek island. In both kitchens, the foods of the Mediterranean play a starring role. "Tastes Like Home: Mediterranean Cooking in Alaska" is her first cookbook. All proceeds from the sale of Tastes Like Home go to the Holy Transfiguration Greek Orthodox Church Building Fund in Anchorage, Alaska.  For readers with questions about the cookbook or the Building Fund, please write to Laurie at This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it and she will promptly respond.

PermaLink