The greens are prepared by simmering them in extra virgin olive oil for about an hour, usually with a little bit of salt. Some of the greens are quite bitter eaten raw, but once cooked in the oil, the bitterness tends to dissipate. The greens are then drained and are then placed in a simple rolled out dough (which includes more extra virgin olive oil) and folded up into a little individual pie. When I ate green pies in Crete they were usually golden brown rounds about 3 to 4 inches across containing a warm and moist heaping of greens in the center.
A study was done recently on the Green Pies of Crete (now that's a study I want to participate in). They found that two small green pies had "12 times more quercetin than one glass of red wine (100 ml), and three times more quercetin than a cup of black tea (200 ml)." "Quercetin is a flavanol which may have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties." The study went on to say that "wild greens potentially are a very rich source of antioxidant flavonols and flavones in the Greek diet."
Purslane, another green eaten often in Crete, is also known to be quite high in Omega-3 fatty acids.
So, the difference between a comfort food in Crete and one in America is that the one in Crete will actually promote health and healing.
While I was in Crete I met the Webmaster of the top Cretan website.
He has a recipe for a version of this green pie (MARATHOPITA). There is a link here for it.
Green Pie Recipe
Just so you know, raki is an alcohol that is drunk in Crete. It is the distilled grape skins and seeds leftover from the wine making process. I think your best bet would be to substitute grappa for the raki or you could use a small amount of vinegar or lemon juice (I am just guessing here, I need to try it myself).
Also, here is a picture of the leftovers from the traditional Cretan meal I had with my guides. There is a round green pie left in the upper right hand corner. I am sure I brought it home with me.
Good eats!
Bill
