Melbourne has the largest population of Greeks of any city in the world outside of Greece. Originally discovered in an old monastery cookbook, this recipe is representative of many Greek dishes called lathero, meaning vegetables cooked with olive oil, tomato, and herbs. If you eat dairy, serve it with a briny chunk of feta cheese.
Ingredients
- 6 scallions, trimmed, white and green parts thinly sliced crosswise
- 1 pound white mushrooms, cleaned, trimmed, and sliced
- 1 pound leeks, cleaned, the white and pale green part sliced crosswise
- 2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 cup grated or crushed tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- Coarse salt (kosher or sea) and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons chopped at-leaf parsley
Directions
Step 1
In a large pot add the olive oil and sauté the scallions at medium to low heat for about 2 minutes.
Step 2
Add the mushrooms and leeks and a bit of salt, and continue sautéing for another 3 to 4 minutes.
Step 3
Add the tomato and the tomato paste and stir, and then add just enough hot water to partially cover the vegetables.
Step 4
Cover the pot and simmer (it should not be boiling) for about 30 to 35 minutes. It should not be watery. Remove from heat and let it cool to room temperature. Sprinkle with parsley and freshly ground black pepper.
Serves 4 as a side dish; 2 as a main course — Recipe adapted from olivetomato.com