I’m sitting here boiling some organic greens (“Chorta”) from my parents garden.

My heritage is Greek, specifically from Crete and the food that I grew up on here in Australia has been from that part of Greece. So lots of greens (organic, no pesticides), olive oil, fruits, pulses and meats.

Today my mum gave me so many of them.

The rain we have had means the garden has overgrown. Kale, spinach, peas, broad beans, silver beet, lettuce, vetchling, purslane, parsley, coriander – it’s all there for the taking. I’ve not spent any money on my vegetables at the supermarket because they all come from my parents garden.

I came back from there today after dropping around a chocolate cake I baked and celebrating my dad’s birthday. He’s teaching his first ever 9 week class at the University of Third Age in Drawing for Beginners so he’s quite excited with what’s ahead. As an artist for all of his life, he’s got this well and truly in the bag. I think he’s just looking forward to getting out of the house a bit post Covid.

I surprised them while they were having breakfast this morning. I think my father forgot it was his birthday so he was happy he got to eat chocolate (albeit sugar and gluten free) so they don’t worry about what’s in it. It was quite delicious.

Back home, I prepared all the greens. I wash them all thoroughly in the sink with a mix of water and Vinegar to remove any insects or slugs. Andrew is mortified when he sees insects on greens. I warn him it’s when you DON’T see insects on greens that you should be worried.

After I was and then dry the greens, I wrap them in paper towel and put in an air tight container. They last for a couple of weeks. Sometimes I freeze them.

Today I thought I’d boil them for lunch. I put them into a pot of boiled water, threw in some broad beans (with skin, didn’t peel them because you can eat the skin) and a potato. A true peasant lunch.

Andrew once again was mortified.

“What on earth are you eating?”

Once the greens are well and truly soft and well cooked, you drizzle liberally with a very good extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice and salt. The potato is like your bread. I like to cut it up and swirl it around in the oil and lemon.

My mum also gave me my most favourite food in the whole wide world.

They are “spanakopita” (fried spinach pies). These are usually made in winter. The stuffing is made of any greens and herbs you have available. The pastry is made from scratch. They are made into half circle shapes and with a fork you indent the ends. For years, I have been indenting those pastries…. Then whack them into boiled oil and fry those babies up. They are DELICIOUS and you cannot stop at one. I like to eat them cold but you can eat them hot too.

I have included a recipe from The Cretan Cooking Book by Maria and Nikos Pailakis.

I think with the amount of greens I eat and have eaten over the years, this has helped me with my health.

Growing up, I never understood why my parents would stop their car and get out to pick what I thought was wild weeds on the sides of roads and highways. I thought they were nuts. I’d sink down low in the back seat of the car embarrassed they were out there picking greens from the ground. Usually there was a cow or a horse nearby looking on and I’d think, “my parents are stealing it’s food!”

However afterwards back at home they were boiled up, or fried in olive oil and they were utterly delicious.

Amusingly I think that if the world went to shit, I’d be able to survive by eating weeds. I e got experience now in how to cook and prepare them.