Day 1: Clean Monday, Καθαρά Δευτέρα, March 3, 2014

Welcome back to Great Lent Gourmet!

It is with great excitement and anticipation that we have been waiting to restart our annual tradition of writing for our humble blog about fasting and prayer over the duration of the Easter Lent, also known as Great Lent. We have been encouraged by the outpouring of support from people from all corners of the world, Greek and non-Greek, Christian and non-Christian, Orthodox and non-Orthodox Christians alike.

This year we realized that there were so many steps to take in order to get ready for our Koulouma.  It is known that Clean Monday refers to clean living, such as clean eating, clean mind, clean hearts, and also clean house.  This was traditionally the day for spring cleaning.  Once the house is clean and the table is set for the family and guests, we then begin our actual preparations for the meal.  Although one goal of Great Lent is self-control, Kathara Deftera is a day of celebrating the Great Fast.  So we thought we would take you through some of our preparations. It must be noted that the origin of the term "Koulouma" has been debated for awhile; the well known Aglaia Kremenzi has recently provided an interesting historical theory as to the origin of the term (see here for her explanation).

Our first job is to check our pantry to see what is available on hand already that would meet the requirements of Kathara Deutera -- that is, no meat (no blood!), no dairy, no cheese, no butter, no whey, no gelatin, no eggs, and no olive oil.  As we read labels and lists of ingredients, the choices become increasingly more clear that we must stick to simple foods, vegetables, fruits, and, of course, lagana bread (see last year's entry on lagana).

There are several choices already stocked in our pantry because our regular diet choices often revolve around Greek foods and since we do our best to maintain the fasting schedule of the church throughout the year, we have on hand various types of pickles and olives that will complete any table setting.  This year  we are delighted to have our own homemade green tomato pickles that we made in August.  As for the olives, we will have to choose the right varieties (for example, for today we chose not to include the California green olives marinated in wine and olive oil).

So, what else could we put on the table with our pickles, olives and lagana?  Well, the answer is found by walking through the grocery store and letting your taste buds guide you.  As we tour our neighbourhood market (Sun Valley, Toronto), we stay around the perimeter of the store which gives us an amazing view of fruits, nuts, vegetables, potatoes, and breads. It is true that we pass the butcher counter and the deli, but that takes us to the breads and desserts.  We are very fortunate to have a market that carries many of the Greek foods that we have become accustomed to having for our Koulouma.  With so many choices, how to you narrow it down?

We start with the selection of fruits.  We are now in March; only a few fruits are genuinely in season, while other, non seasonal fruits are equally available and attractive.  We know that citrus fruits (oranges, mandarins and grapefruits) are at the end of their season, but still quite tasty right now.  Globe grapes seem to be appealing with their size and firmness, so they may be a choice.  However, pineapples have come into their peak season, as have mangos, so they should be considered.  Any fruit is a good choice for tonight and would definitely add nice colour to the table.  In fact, fruit is a good addition to any meal, any time of the year. We will also choose a variety of nuts to accompany the fruits.

The next section of the store hosts the vegetables which are more abundant than the fruit, making it almost harder to choose!  With so many choices it is hard to know what is really in season.  In March, commonly seen are broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus, beets, avocados, Brussels sprouts, and carrots… and the list just goes on!  Narrowing the choices becomes increasingly difficult, but we decide on a handful of colourful vegetables that will be flavourful raw or steamed.  And anything that can be steamed and enhanced with a squeeze of lemon goes up the list of choices to the top!  As we choose our asparagus, a head of lettuce, some tomatoes (even though they are not in peak season), we think about the colours and variety of shapes that will adorn our table.  And, we think about the beauty and simplicity of the foods we are choosing.

Now, we walk a little more toward the deli counter. We are not there to buy our typical shopping list of salami and cheese, but to choose our varieties of halva, maybe a little taramasalata (although we prefer our homemade version, time was short), and even consider some pickled octopus.  The Lenten choices are abundant, and there are several varieties of olives, too!  Well, we settle on one or two deli counter items, choose our halva, and walk away to avoid any temptations.

As we  walk away from the deli, we round the corner of the store and land in the middle of the bread section.  This is where the grocery at which you shop really matters.  As we continually  mention, we are fortunate to have a Greek and Italian owned grocery that stocks many Greek specialty items.  They have a rack full of laganes (plural of lagana). By 2 in the afternoon our market had sold hundreds and all that were left were a few dozen (as can be seen in the photo below). This is great because this saves us a trip to the bakery, which is a little further down the road.  We can conquer our shopping in one stop.  That will give us a little more time to get everything just right so we can relax and enjoy the Koulouma with our family.

When we get home, we will steam the asparagus, boil the potatoes, cut the fruit, and plate the tarama.  We will serve a few items that are satisfying, healthy, clean, but most importantly assembled, cooked, and served with love.  It is not the quantity of food that makes a Koulouma memorable, it is the love in the preparation, serving, and consuming that makes this event memorable.  We pray for continued love, peace, and health as we take our Lenten journey together.

Kali Sarakosti.


Isaiah 1:1-20:

Wash yourselves and ye shall be clean; put away the wicked ways from your souls before Mine eyes; cease to do evil; learn to do well. Seek judgement, relieve the oppressed, consider the fatherless, and plead for the widow. Come then, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: Though your sins be as scarlet, I will make them white as snow; and though they be red like crimson, I will make them white as wool (vv. 16–8).