Cretan Vibes - A Home Cooking Class In Greece
One of the most fun activities I did while in Greece was book a cooking class at a local farm - Cretan Vibes. A huge shout out to Marianna and her family for being such gracious and welcoming hosts, they created an experience I will never forget (and highly recommend to anyone visiting Crete!)
The meal was 3 courses and we created everything from nearly scratch. As we waited for the main course to cook, we went on a short tour of the farm to see how all this food was grown and maintained. Let's dive into how it all came together!
First up was the appetizer - stuffed grape leaves. Marianna already had the mix created from rice, a type of Greek flour, and some herbs and spices. The real challenge (and fun) was actually stuffing the grape leaves ourselves and learning how to wrap them properly so they wouldn't burst while cooking. I was able to get it down after a few and was very happy with mine!
The main course was lamb stew and this was much more involved as well as time intensive. We started off cooking chunks of lamb first along with some other local vegetables to sauté. The painful part - and yes I mean literally painful - was when we went out to the farm to pick our own artichokes and cut them straight off the plant. Not only that, you had to peel them while avoiding all of those super sharp spikes. Let's just say none of us made it through without a little blood being shed after accidentally stabbing ourselves.
While that cooked, we went out on our tour of the farm which included many different types of plants including watermelons, cucumbers, zucchini, and many smaller herbs for cooking. The farm also had some greenhouses to help create environments to support healthy growth year round. My favorite part though? The absolutely gorgeous view of the mountains in the backdrop. Farm life is tough, but having some great scenery where you work (and live) is always a huge plus!
The final course was dessert which consisted of cinnamon and sweet cheese inside of a fried pastry. It was delicious! Unfortunately I don't have any pics of the cooking process so we can jump into photos of the final products for all 3 courses.
The food was delicious and the company even better. I had a phenomenal time and would highly recommend anyone heading to Greece to try out the experience - specifically with Cretan Vibes! I know if I go back this is something I'd love to do again to learn more of the local cuisine and culture!