Stunning Ways to Celebrate the Eastern Orthodox Spring Holidays

(Gerry Furth-Sides) Food plays a huge part in the Eastern Orthodox doctrine.  The church directs that  Pascha must take place after the Jewish Passover to maintain the timeline of Christ’s life and also celebrate life.  Eastern Orthodox Greeks are in church services the entire evening, then stay up till dawn with family and friends, enjoying homemade savories and sweets.  The next day, a whole lamb is cooked over a spit as part of a feast, as shown below

Other differences:  Easter eggs in the Eastern Orthodox tradition are dyed a deep red color to symbolize the Crucifixion and Resurrection of Jesus. Eggs are often incorporated into braided bread known as Tsoureki.   Every family has their own version of this bread, including the Kontos family’s recipe  here.

A spring salad filled with healthy seasonal greens is a perfect way to celebrate the Greek Orthodox Easter Season.  Gourmet olives now imported from Greece to the United States, Alive & Well Probiotic-Rich Organic Olives, convey a true spring season story. Long before today’s burgeoning resurgence of interest in regenerative agricultural practices and the inherent environmental benefits, a closely knit group of family growers tended 70,000 olive trees near the Grecian village of Rovies.   Known for a steadfast devotion to community and sustainable environmental practices, Alive & Well’s dedication to traditional cultivation methods helps to support a community of farmers  and a measurable amount of carbon retained in the soil.

Alive & Well Olives work beautiful against sweeter fruits in this Seven Sacred Species Salad with Wheat Berries, Barley, Olives, Figs, Dates, Grapes and Pomegranate on a bed of greens in Joan Nathan’s heavenly book that features many middle eastern recipes, King Solomon’s Table.  The book has biblical introductions and stories about how the recipes were created, whether by Joan or in her international travels.

A scourging, an ancient press to mash cured olives, is also the name of a very old biscuit, now served as an appetizer with drinks, a specialty of Nyons, in the south of France.  Joan added that she “changed the formula to make these biscuits, prepared from butter and sugar as well as the bits of symbolic olives left in the press, a bit less sweet and with salt only sprinkled on top.

New this year is the Jarlsberg Norwegian Cheese Omelette, perfect for Eastern (or Western) Easter.

SPRING PERSIAN-STYLE OMELETTE

Based on the classic kuku sabzi this traditional Syrian dish was created to commemorate the arrival of spring, which is celebrated as the beginning of the New Year.

Ingredients:

• 8 eggs
• 1⁄4 cup 3.25% milk
• 1⁄2 bunch fresh parsley, finely chopped
• 1⁄2 bunch fresh cilantro, finely chopped
• 1⁄2 bunch fresh dill, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp finely chopped fresh mint
• 4 green onions, finely sliced
• 1 tsp dried dill
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• 1⁄2 tsp kosher salt
• 1⁄4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 100 g Jarlsberg, grated (about 1 cup)
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 cup Greek yogurt

In a large bowl, lightly beat the eggs with the milk. Stir in all the herbs, green onions, spices, salt, and Jarlsberg.

Over medium-high heat, coat a medium non-stick frying pan with the oil and butter. Pour the herb and egg mixture into the pan, spreading it out evenly.

Cook for about 10 minutes, or until the liquid solidifies.

To flip, place a large flat plate over the pan and flip the omelette onto the plate. Then carefully slide it back into the pan. Return pan to heat for another 5 minutes, or until the centre is completely cooked and no longer jiggles.

Slice into triangles and serve with a generous dollop of yogurt – or labneh!

For more recipes and information about mild, nutty Jarlsberg® Cheese, popular since it was introduced in 1956 from an original Norwegian recipe, please see  //www.jarlsberg.com/us/recipes/spring-persian-style-omelette.