Greek garden girl summer part 2 🌿🐟🍋

featuring garlic scape vlita, psari plaki and an herby flatbread

It’s a GREEK GARDEN GIRL SUMMER—and if you missed Part 1, catch up [here]! I’m on a mission to use as much as I can from the garden this season, and the meals will keep evolving as more starts to grow.

Right now, the dill is thriving like never before, the vlita is as wild as ever, and the garlic scapes are starting to curl, which means it’s almost time to pull the garlic. So for this round of Greek Garden Girl Summer, I’m pulling it all together: a fresh take on sautéed vlita, an herby flatbread to start chipping away at the mountain of herbs I’ve got growing, and psari plaki with lots of that dill. Let’s dig in, shall we?

watch me cook it all HERE!

Sautéed Vlita with Garlic Scapes

Ingredients:
1 large bunch of vlita (amaranth greens), washed and coarsely chopped
3 garlic scapes, thinly sliced
extra virgin olive oil
Salt, to taste
Juice of ½ lemon (or a splash of red wine vinegar)

Instructions:
1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Blanch the vlita for 5 minutes, until tender but still bright. Drain well and set aside.
2. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Sauté the garlic scapes for 2–3 minutes until fragrant and slightly softened.
3. Add the vlita to the pan and toss everything together. Cook for another 3 to 5 minutes.
4. Add to a serving dish and finish with a big squeeze of lemon juice or a dash of red wine vinegar, olive oil, and a sprinkle of salt.

Garden Herb Flatbread

Need some carbs to sop up your sauces? Try my quick garden herb flatbread! Use whatever herbs you like, I tend to like a mint and dill combo.

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose or bread flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
¾ teaspoon salt
¾ cup water (plus more, if needed)
2 tablespoons olive oil (plus more for brushing)
⅓ cup finely chopped fresh herbs (dill, parsley, oregano, chives—use what you have!)
Optional: flaky salt, sesame seeds

Instructions:
1. In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir in the water and olive oil until a soft, slightly tacky dough forms. If it feels dry, add another tablespoon of water until it comes together easily. Gently fold in the chopped herbs.
2. Let it rest (optional but recommended):
Cover the dough with a towel and let it rest for 15–20 minutes to help it soften and relax.
3. Divide into 4–6 pieces depending on how large you’d like them. Lightly flour your surface if needed, and roll each piece into a rough oval or round—don’t worry about perfect shapes!
4. Heat a cast iron or heavy pan over medium-high heat. Cook each flatbread for 2 to 3 minutes per side until golden, and lightly blistered. Don’t overcook or they’ll dry out—just enough to cook through with nice color.
4. Brush the warm breads with a bit of olive oil and sprinkle with flaky salt.

Psari Plaki with Dill & Lemon

Psari Plaki is a traditional Greek baked fish dish that’s herb-forward, lemony, and tomato-based. I have a version in my cookbook, but here is another that’s perfect for using up fresh dill. Serves 4.