Join the Greek Feast – Opah!

Our Greek feast was a delicious affair that featured perfectly Grilled Lambs Chops with Pomegranate Relish, Greek Baby Potato Kabobs and Braised Radishes with Honey. That was just the main course! There were also 3 additional courses rounding out this fun evening with our Gourmet Group. Read on to hear more! Remember to Share and Comment. Want to receive these posts directly?  Then follow the link and Subscribe from the Home page.

Greek Feast

Brian and Lynda were the hosts for our Greek-themed Gourmet Club this past weekend. What a fabulous time! In addition to the sumptuous feast, our friends did such a great job of creating an authentic atmosphere with a beautifully set table, candles aglow, and strains of Greek music wafting throughout the house. A wonderful coincidence, was how well their dining room columns, echoed the architecture of ancient Greece.

Appetizer

In keeping with our Gourmet Club format, each couple is responsible for a course. We were assigned the appetizer course, or as they call it in Greece, the Meze. I selected a Spiced Roasted Pepper Humus and a Tzatziki Dip. Most people have heard of humus, but in case you are unfamiliar with Tzatziki, it’s that wonderful cucumber yogurt sauce they serve on gyros. These dips were served with home made Pita Chips, Feta Cheese Wafers, a Feta and Watermelon Meze (a watermelon feta combo on toothpicks) and a selection of olives.

First Course

Sue and Gary came up with a perfect idea for the next course in our Greek Feast. They selected a Greek Salad with a slight twist on the traditional favorite. It combined chopped veggies, olives, feta and a red wine vinaigrette, served in romaine leaves. The result was a fun finger food, similar to a lettuce wrap. At times we’re almost too full after the first course, but this salad kept things light, and left room for the next two wonderful courses yet to come.

Main Course

As already described, Linda and Brian’s main course was outstanding. They decided to serve their course family style, because they felt that best represented the Greek culture. I felt this struck just the chord. After 14 years of breaking bread together, our Gourmet Club friends really do feel like family.

Their lamb chops were simply prepared with olive oil, crushed fennel and salt & pepper, which left room for the sweet and salty elements of the pomegranite relish to shine. Brian had the brilliant idea of “re-purposing” some of the Tzatziki sauce with their course, which paired quite nicely with both the potatoes and the lambs chops. Great creative improvising, Brian! The radishes were also a culinary adventure, combining cooked and and semi-cooked versions, for a delightful duo of textures.

Desert

Mike and Carol treated us to a Greek dessert called Galaktoboureko. And no, I can’t pronounce that, but that’s not required to enjoy it! By some means of magic, the full dessert pan seemed very heavy, yet it actually tasted quite light. A good thing to be when you’re course number four! The lightness is the result of a half dozen eggs, which creates a baked custard-like effect. At the last minute, Linda suggested adding some fresh mint from her garden and a balsamic glaze drizzle to jazz up the dessert photo. As it turned out, the balsamic glaze also provided a lovely flavor complement to the dessert. Looks like she and Brian are both clever improvisers!

The grand finale was a round of ouzo, the Greek licorice-flavored liquor, which Brian served in family heirloom glasses. A perfect way to honor the Greek toast – Opha!

Grilled Lamb Chops with Pomegranate Relish, Potato Kabobs and Braised Radishes

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Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Greek

Keyword: baby potatoes, lamb chops, pomegranate, radishes

Servings: 8

Author: Grilled Lamb Chops with Pomegranate Relish adapted from Bon Apetit * Greek Potato Kabobs adapted from food.com recipe * Braised Radishes adapted from Experience L!fe

Ingredients

Grilled Lamb Chops with Pomegranate Relish

• 1/2 cup pomegranate seeds
• 1/4 cup chopped black olives
• 1/4 cup crumbled feta
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons chopped flat leaf parsley
• kosher salt and ground black pepper to taste
• 8 lamb rib chops
• 2 teaspoons crushed fennel seeds

Greek Baby Potato Kabobs

• 3 pounds red potatoes unpeeled, washed, and dried
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder or 1-2 teaspoons fresh minced garlic
• 2-3 teaspoons dried oregano rubbed between fingers to release the flavors
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme rubbed between fingers to release the flavor
• melted butter
• fresh ground black pepper to taste
• bamboo skewers

Braised Radishes

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 pound radishes halved
• 1 clove garlic smashed
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
• kosher salt to taste

Instructions

Lamb Chops with Pomegranate Relish

• Prepare grill or grill pan for medium-high heat. Mix pomegranate seeds, olives, feta, 1/4 cup olive oil and parsley in a bowl; season with salt and pepper. Rub lamb cops with remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil, then fennel; season with salt and pepper and grill to desired doneness. Serve with relish.

Greek Baby Potato Kabobs

• Slice each potato in half, then poke a few holes into the skin-side. Place in large heavy resealable plastic bag. In bowl whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, oregano, thyme and kosher salt; pour over potatoes. Seal bag and turn to coat. Place in refrigerator for 2 hours.
• Soak bamboo skewers in cold water for 30 minutes. Remove potatoes from marinade and skewer each potato with flat side facing down. Discard marinade.
• Preheat grill to medium heat and oil the grates. Place potatoes flat side down on grill and cook, uncovered (so you can keep an eye out for flare ups) for 20-22 minutes, or until golden brown. Cooking time will vary based on the size of your potatoes. After cooking, brush with melted butter and then season with ground black pepper and kosher salt.

Braised Radishes

• Heat oil in a medium saute pan over medium-high heat. Add half the radishes and all the garlic, and cook until radishes are lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add the honey and pepper and allow honey to caramelize, about 1 minute. Add the vinegar, the remaining radishes and the salt. Cook until the second batch of radishes is just warm but not soft. Serve warm.