Tales of the Olive'

Through the better part of the past twenty years I have been eating at local tavernas in any of which I have yet to have been served a bad meal.  This must add up to a total of thousands of meals and, inevitably, there were occasional elements of meals which have been less than first-class.  Overall though I stand by my initial claim that food served hereabouts is generally fresh, well-presented and full-flavoured.  Menus however are tediously uniform; the menu of one taverna offers very much the same fare as the next.

'Tales of the Olive', a small taverna on the square at Petalidi, Messinias, is a sanctury from this sea of uniformity.  Owner / chef Mr Panagiotis has obviosly been taught his trade way beyond the borders of Messinia; he is both expert at finding first-class ingredients for the dishes he prepares and at preparing and cooking them.

Last Sunday, in the company of four chums, I enjoyed there four hours of slow food at its very best.

Stinging Nettle and Wild Garlic Soup

Ingredients
2 tablespoons of oil
2 tablespoons of white flour
1 onion, roughly chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 large handfuls freshly picked and washed young nettles
A handful of wild garlic leaves
2 cups milk
1 cup water or stock
salt and pepper to taste

Method
Fry the onion, garlic and chopped wild garlic leaves in the oil for a few minutes then stir in the nettles until they soften. Stir in the flour and gradually add the soya milk and water or stock, stirring all the time. Add seasoning and liquidise.