I was introduced to the Giannakakises by Steve Kalenderidis, president of the Greek community in Canberra, following the lively Greek luncheon in Nimmitabel on February 23, where their son Stavros was the DJ for the Hellenic dancers and all the locals and visitors who, of course, joined in for Zorba.

Dozens of colourful heirloom tomatoes from the garden of the president of the Geldmacher House Museum, Sue Jardine, were served in a salad as well as a zucchini dip. The recipe, which follows, came from a Greek woman called Maria who sells produce at local farmers’ markets in Campbellfield outside Melbourne. Sue and her country friend Laine Lawson stopped there to get jars for the honey collected from Jim Jardine’s bees in Nimmitabel.

For our conversation in Wanniassa, we sat on a large back patio its ‘roof’ a vast pergola dangled with dozens of bunches of Shiraz grapes, like mini dark purple chandeliers. The word 'ambelos' means (grape) ‘vine’ and, on fertile, green Samos, there are ancient vineyards and olive groves. In their garden on Samos, George and his brother harvest four tonnes of white muscat grapes each year. Their kiwi fruit vines thrive and can be seen above the rooftops from the sea.

The Wanniassa garden, further up the slope, is edged with edible and ornamental plants, some like the shiny and shapely black eggplants and a balloon plant, originating in Greece. George is proud of his pots of orchids and, due to its microclimate, wild orchids are part of the flora of Samos.

The main vegetable beds are completely covered in netting. George saves seed from his best tomatoes every year and this season the 20 tomato plants include Oxheart and a huge variety raised from seeds from Greece. There are 10 chilli plants, seven varieties of capsicums, six eggplants, cucumbers, celery, parsley, thyme, rosemary, sage, oregano and Greek basil.

For afternoon tea Dimitra served the most delicious homemade baklava I have ever eaten, the filo pastry filled with ground walnuts and cinnamon and baked, with a light syrup that includes local honey. It was rolled into short ‘fingers’. George drank Greek coffee. An after-treat was their ripe green figs, dripping a drop of nectar from the base, which were luscious.

We discussed the family’s favourite, simple, seasonal dish which is: homegrown vegetables chopped into chunks including capsicums, beans, snake beans, potatoes, zucchini, lots of fresh tomatoes and a splash of olive oil, pepper and salt, cooked in a saucepan (preferably using electricity rather than gas which can burn the ingredients) on high for five minutes, then turn the heat to slow and cook for a further 25 minutes. Serve with feta on the side and olives, home-cured by George. He cooked for for five years at Government House and Kirribilli House for Governor-General Lord de L’Isle and Queen Elizabeth.

Dimitra says a dip is not hummus without tahini and a lady from Morocco who spends summertime in Greece told her the secret to the smoothest hummus is to include a spoonful of yoghurt. Dimitra uses tinned chickpeas which she strains and rinses to a recipe her granddaughter found on the internet.

INGREDIENTS 

METHOD 

Mix in blender and serve with a drizzle of olive oil and coriander.

Results are in from the 2019 Tomato Festival Sydney held at the Royal Botanic Gardens on February 16-17. The tomatoes, a mix of heirloom and other varieties, were supplied by Diggers, sourced from a number of growers.
People’s choice covered eight varieties weighing 125kg and most popular by a long way was ‘red cherry tomato’. The others were prolific Lemon Drop, hybrid grape tomato Cupid, large Roma, Black Russian, pink Oxheart heirloom yellow Jubilee and rare, organic blueberries.