Re: Medit.-style eating
hi Mark
You are so right. the mediterranean diet is such a good one....... buuttt I
would add that the statement is only true for rural areas now. I can of
course only speak for Greece,- my adopted country- and even then only of my
experience of it, but in cities where supermarkets and money is plentiful
the diet is rapidly deteriorating with the introduction of fast foods, ready
prepared meals etc and cheap imported oils.
The rural diet here though is still an excellent one consisting mostly of
vegetables and occasionally meat. Most Greek families where I live have
small plots of land on which they grow veg, keep animals etc. Chickens,
goats, pigs and rabbits are fed household scraps and weeds from the orange
orchards. They in turn provide manure for the trees and meat for the family.
chickens giving both eggs and meat. Goats give milk and cheese. Olives are
grown for oil and fruit. And all kinds of fruit and nut trees are grown
where possible. Oranges in our valley, and Olives, Chestnuts etc higher up
the hillside. Local people here use large quantites of olive oil, but you
must remember that even olive oil when heated is no better - healthwise -
than any other oil. The traditional way here is to grill fish and then
smother it with oil and lemon.
<For example, figs are a good case>
Figs grow really well here, we grow several kinds of which Beal is
unbelievably delicious. Grown organically they do not need peeling, just eat
and enjoy. they do, though, mean an exceptionally clean colon LOL
> For almonds, even though California has over 400,000 acres of almonds (if
I
All kind of nuts are popular. Walnuts, Almonds, chestnuts - all are consumed
both fresh and salted. All markets hve stalls selling lots of different
varieties of nuts and seeds.
> Another example, roasting peppers are not eaten in California as they are
in
> the Medit.
We grow all colours and shapes of peppers. I love to roast them and drizzle
oil and lemon over them when cool, but I think the Greek people mostly stuff
them. delicious they are too, filled with a well herbed and flavoured riced
mixture.
> Several alcoholic beverages from the Medit
Locally here the mentality - of which I heartily approve - is not too waste
anything. so when the grapes are harvested and pressed for wine, the grape
skins and pulpy bits are left to ferment for about a month and then
distilled in the the world famous 'raki' Though the product you can buy in
duty free shops etc is considered firewater, our locally produced liquor is
both smooth and strong and excellent to ward of a cold in the winter.
Recently though I have observed that with saturation advertising of chemical
fertilisers and pesticides, more and more local farmers are using them, even
though it means that the financial input is higher.
We moved here when we retired in order to take advantage of the rural
lifestyle. We grow as much of our own food as we can, are fishitarian, and
use organic methods. The plan is that on this healthy diet, of homegrown
fruit, veg and locally purchased freerange eggs and cheese we can live long
to enjoy it:)!!! closing now as I seem to risk spilling over into a book
rather than a posting.
regards to all
janet b
Janet Blenkinship
Crete, Greece
What is this life if, full of care,
we have no time to stand and stare.
William henry Davies
----- Original Message -----
From: M. & L. Doster <mld@theworks.com>
To: <medit-plants@ucdavis.edu>
Sent: Sunday, March 12, 2000 4:53 PM
Subject: Medit.-style eating
>
