Brrrrr...”
That icy wind blowing outside is showing no mercy! I'm feeling very content in my little apartment all rugged up with a cup of tea. The best part of winter for me, is being able to cook up comfort foods. Nourishing, warm “soothe the soul” kinda foods. Comfort food doesn’t always have to equal “stodge” though. Nor does it involve a journey to a “drive through” restaurant. For today's dish I've gone the all “veg” route. It's a simple dish of peas, potatoes, dill finished off with a light, tangy, lemon sauce. “Arakas me patates” translates as peas and potatoes. It can be also made with a tomato based sauce and I've also seen it served with meat.
I've always maintained that the best cooked dishes are the simplest ones. And in my biased, humble opinion the Greeks do these simple, vegetarian dishes brilliantly. Similar to my braised okra recipe the secret behind this dish is the use of olive oil. (preferably extra virgin, of course!). It comes together beautifully with the lemon and dill and it packs a flavourful punch. The peas provide a lovely sweetness and they complement the earthiness of the potatoes perfectly. Just a note-the peas I used for this dish are of the frozen variety. I always keep a bag in the freezer but if you have fresh ones available-even better! I've probably been a little over zealous with the amount of dill but I adore its aromatic qualities. Just use a little less if you’re not that keen on it. And most importantly you're going to need some crusty bread to mop up that lemon-y, dill-y goodness.
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