This may seem like a strange thing, but oh my goodness....they are a Santorini speciality that is not to be missed.
My journey to these began in a potter's gallery on Santorini, along the caldera.
We met the owner, a Greek/Canadian from Winnepeg who is back in Greece now with her family, and creating some beautiful things in clay.
I sent a boxful of bowls and art home.
My wise and wonderful friend Sarah thought to ask her about food and the local specialties that should not be missed....she recommended tomato balls/keftedes.
Hmmmm....I don't really like tomatoes so this was hard to imagine enjoying, but being game to try almost anything.......I went for it at the next available restaurant.
Tomato balls/keftedes are not really a ball, more of a patty, and made up of mint, veggies, courgettes, cheese and ofcourse tomatoes ( no kidding hey :) ) some mystery ingredients and then deep fried. They remind me a bit of pakoras....and they are seriously delicious.
We all enjoyed them in Fira, high atop a cliff spilling white and blue onto the landscape, and watching a train of Donkeys being driven down the road.
Mythos beer and Tomato balls/keftedes.......yes please.
Tomato balls - (tomatokeftedes)
Category:appetizers
INGREDIENTS
1 kg. tomatoes cleaned and mashed
2 courgettes grated and drained
4 spoons grated cheese
2 beaten eggs
2 minced onions
Flour
1 spoon dried mint
Salt
Pepper
Oil for frying
METHOD
In a large bowl, mix all ingredients. Add flour and work the mixture until it thickens. Heat olive oil in a frying pan. Drop teaspoons of mixture into the oil. Fry them on both sides and serve hot or cold.
I have a Greek friend...mean lady has never shown me these!
ReplyDeleteThey sound quite good (if quite bad for you...cause no way I would eat a small one and be done...*sigh*)
This is one of those recipes that begs to be messed with. One of my fave summer recipes is a zucchini (courgette) fritter that is similar but uses thyme and goat cheese (or farmer's cheese)so this is similar.
I also have "sometimes" issues with tomatoes...hard to explain but I don't always like them...it depends. This sounds good, and I think I will try it out in a pan first rather than deep-fry simply because I never keep that much oil around (and do try to deep fry only very sparingly.)
I would try it first with the mint, but that is an ingredient in savory foods I just can't make myself like much, and I may have to substitute. I imagine that waiting to make these properly for the first time would pay off in spades when using fresh, ripe in-season veggies (like I am sure you had there) come summer. Mmmmm.
Part of me wants to drop the mint, use a tangy feta and some kalamata olives in the mix, and top each with a stuffed zucchini blossom.
Mmmmmmmm. Thanks Kimmee. I really love the posts here, and you know my recipe addiction. :)
The way you tell the stories make them very real for me!