Easy Recipe Club

Smoked Greek Garden Packets

Posted on Jun 29, 2009 under Mediterranean

This dish is inspired by a classic Greek summer dish called briam,
which is a pan of thinly sliced seasonal vegetables—mainly potatoes, zucchini, peppers, and tomatoes —baked with plenty of olive oil. Briam often goes hand- in- hand with a side of feta cheese. Here, I have reworked the dish for the grill and called forth another typical Greek and pan- Mediterranean technique for wrapping foods in small individual packets before baking. The result looks lovely and the packets may be prepared several hours ahead and tossed on the grill on a moment’s notice.

Recipe: Smoked Greek Garden Packets

Summary: This dish is inspired by a classic Greek summer dish called briam, which is a pan of thinly sliced seasonal vegetables—mainly potatoes, zucchini, peppers, and tomatoes —baked with plenty of olive oil.

Ingredients

3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 scant teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano or marjoram leaves
6 small- to- medium potatoes, not more than 21/2 inches long, peeled and cut into 1/8- inch- thick rounds or ovals
2 medium red onions, peeled and cut into 1/8- inch- thick rings
3 garlic cloves, peeled and cut into very thin slivers
12 whole basil leaves
3 medium zucchini, trimmed and cut into 1/8- inch- thick rounds
2 medium green bell peppers, seeded and cut into 1/4- inch- thick rings
6 ripe, firm plum tomatoes, cored and cut lengthwise into 1/8- inch- thick ovals
6 tablespoons crumbled Greek feta

Instructions

Heat the grill to medium. Cut six 18 × 9- inch heavyweight aluminum foil rectangles and fold them in half lengthwise.
In a large bowl, whisk together the olive oil, mustard, salt, pepper, red pepper fl akes, and oregano. Toss the potatoes, onions, and garlic in the marinade, and, using a slotted spoon so that as much of the marinade as possible drips back into the bowl, place equal amounts of potatoes and onions on the bottom center of each rectangle. Place one basil leaf on top. Toss the zucchini in the marinade and add in equal portions to the potatoes, as if building a small mound. Repeat with the bell peppers, place a basil leaf on top, and then repeat with the tomatoes so that they are at the top of the small mound. Sprinkle a tablespoon of crumbled feta on top of each.
Fold the packets to close them, joining the bottom and top edges to seal shut. Place in a shallow baking pan on a hot part of the grill, close the grill lid, and cook for about 35 minutes. Remove, place on individual plates, and serve.

Diet type: Vegetarian

Number of servings (yield): 6

Meal type: hors d\’oerves

Culinary tradition: Greek

Rating:5.0 stars