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Skordalia. Photo / Annabel Langbein Media

I've been lucky enough to spend some time in Crete this year, staying with New Zealand friends who have a house in the hills near Chania, on the northwest end of the island.

Eating out in the restaurants and tavernas, I noticed the tendency (common throughout all of Greek islands) for menus to draw heavily on seasonal vegetables. Always there's a Greek salad, with the regulatory-sized slab of feta on top (EU rules say there can be no crumbling) and dishes like artichoke hearts and peas, giant beans in a homemade tomato sauce, iterations of tomatoes, peppers and vine leaves stuffed with various tasty, herby rice mixtures, and creamy fava bean (broad bean) puree. There's usually a big plate of wild greens on offer (there are around 300 different types of edible wild greens in Greece).

It was the season for vlita, the Greek name for amaranth (Amarantus blitum). The greens are boiled, and dressed with nothing more than a sprinkle of salt, olive oil and lemon juice. Rabbit is a regular menu item, usually cooked with wild greens, as is octopus - cooked to tender succulence in red wine and herbs. Everything is doused liberally with the island's luscious olive oil.

There is much to learn about the traditional Cretan diet and how it became the guiding principle behind the much-lauded Mediterranean diet. After World War II and four years of occupation by the Germans, the people of Crete had little to eat except for wild greens, olives and olive oil, wheat, barley and flour (which they transformed into various products), a little goat's or sheep's cheese, white wine, and raki, the island's fiery alcoholic beverage.

In 1947, two years after the Armistice, when the American Rockefeller Foundation arrived to survey the condition of the islanders and offer assistance where they could, they were horrified by how little protein was being consumed. At the same time, they were astounded by the good health of the Cretans, despite the lack of protein in their diets. Heart disease and cancer were apparently unknown on the island and no one was suffering from malnutrition. It took decades and numerous global studies before the notion that diet could affect health took hold and that this particular way of eating was to be recommended.

The Cretan's dietary habits of the 1950s and 60s revolved around fresh fruit and vegetables, bread and cereals, as well as olive oil, fish, and plants rich in alpha-linolenic acid. At that time, they obtained alpha-linolenic acid from wild leafy greens gathered in the field in any season of the year, from walnuts, and from the eggs of free-range chickens. I read a statistic that 40 per cent of the Cretan diet was fat, but that fat was monunsaturated, derived from the olive.

These days, when I'm cooking, I find myself now reaching for the olive oil more freely. It feels slightly decadent to use something so luxurious with such abandon, but apart from making my food taste great, I figure it could also be very good for my health.

This creamy garlic and potato spread/dip is served with crusty bread or pita crisps. It makes a great snack with a glass of smooth red wine.

Ready in 30 minutes Makes 2 cups, enough for 6-8 serves

500g floury potatoes, e.g. agria, peeled and chopped 6 cloves garlic crushed to a paste with 1 tsp salt ½ tsp finely ground white pepper ½ cup extra virgin olive oil 1 Tbsp lemon juice, or more to taste ¼ cup finely chopped dill

TO SERVE: Crispy pita wedges (see below)

Cook potatoes in salted water until tender. Drain well, reserving ½ cup of the cooking water, and mash finely. Mix in garlic and salt paste, white pepper, oil and the reserved potato water, mashing until smooth and creamy. (Don't use a food processor, as mixture will go gloopy.)

Stir in lemon juice and dill, adding more lemon juice to taste as preferred.

Transfer to a serving bowl and accompany with pita wedges. Keeps in the fridge for 2-3 days.

CRISPY PITA WEDGES Split large pita breads. Brush on one side with olive oil and sprinkle with a little flaky salt and oregano. Cut into wedges. Spread out on a baking tray and bake at 180C for about 15 minutes until crispy. Cool and store in an airtight container.

This is delicious with roast chicken or lamb. For a fully vegetarian option, serve with roasted pumpkin wedges. For a gluten-free version, replace freekeh or farro with quinoa. If you can't get broccolini use broccoli florets and swap beans for asparagus if desired.

Ready in 20 minutes Serves 4-6

1 cup cracked freekeh or farro 2 handfuls broccolini 2 handfuls asparagus spears, trimmed ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil 1pinch of salt ¾ cup roasted almonds, walnuts or pumpkin seeds, coarsely chopped 75g feta, crumbled ¼ cup coarsely chopped dill ¼ cup coarsely chopped mint leaves 3 Tbsp lemon juice, or more to taste Salt and ground black pepper, to taste

Cook freekeh or farro according to packet instructions. Drain and set aside to cool.

Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil and cook the broccolini and asparagus for 1 minute. Scoop out with a slotted spoon, rinse under cold water, drain well and pat dry. Transfer to a large bowl and drizzle with 1 Tbsp of the oil and a pinch of salt. Toss to combine.

Heat a grill pan over a high heat and grill the broccolini and asparagus until charred (about 5 minutes).

To serve, arrange freekeh or farro on a serving platter and top with charred veges. Top with almonds or pumpkin seeds, feta and herbs and drizzle with lemon juice and the remaining olive oil. Season to taste before serving.

This will keep, covered, in the fridge for 2-3 days.

Slightly cooking the cauliflower before roasting ensures it is tender and caramelised.

Ready in 45 minutes Serves 2-3

1 cauliflower, cut into florets 3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil 2 tsp ground cumin 1 tsp salt ½ cup whole blanched almonds ½ cup fresh or frozen peas 2 Tbsp coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley or coriander leaves or torn basil leaves 2 Tbsp lemon juice

WHITE BEAN PUREE 400g can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed 1 small clove garlic, crushed ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil 3 Tbsp lemon juice ¼ tsp smoked paprika ¼ tsp salt, or more to taste

Preheat the oven to 200C fan bake and line two oven trays with baking paper for easy clean-up.

Place cauliflower in a large bowl. Cover with boiling water and leave to stand for 5 minutes. Drain into a colander, shaking out all the water. Return cauliflower to the bowl and add oil, cumin and salt and toss to coat evenly. Spread out in a single layer on one oven tray and roast until golden and crispy (about 20 minutes).

Spread almonds in a single layer on the second oven tray and roast until golden (8-10 minutes).

While the cauliflower and almonds are roasting, make the white bean puree. Combine all ingredients in a food processor and pulse to combine. Season to taste and set aside. If using fresh peas, cook in a small pot of boiling water for 1 minute, then drain, rinse under cold water and drain again. If using frozen peas, place in a bowl and cover with boiling water. Leave to defrost for about 1 minute, then drain.

When ready to serve, spread the puree on to a serving dish or platter. Top with the roasted cauliflower, then scatter the peas and almonds on top. Garnish with the herbs and drizzle with lemon juice to serve.

(Skordalia) Drummond Farm Happy Jack Martinborough Sauvignon Blanc 2020 ($30)If you were going to go full authentic on what to sip with skordalia, then best you bust out a bottle of retsina to remind yourself of when you were 20 and took a Contiki to Mykonos, drank buckets of resinous wine, ate some charred octopus (so edgy) and pashed someone from Scotland. Otherwise a glass of this intense, apple, apricot and lime-saturated sauvignon made by Alex Muir will serve just as well. In a Leah Craven-designed label dedicated to Alex's boating-mad grandad Jack, this complex, toasty, saline-edged stunner will slice across the garlicky, oily spread sensationally. And if you see tiny crystals (wine diamonds) in the bottom of the bottle, they're harmless and natural, so just enjoy them. drummondfarm.land or martinboroughwinemerchants.com

(Chargrilled greens with feta and freekeh)

I don't know about you, but I can't think of anything tastier when I'm attempting to successfully burn a brassica or faffing about with feta and freekeh, than an intensely hop-crammed, craft beverage like this beer. this cheek-slappingly fresh and frisky brew uses concentrated lupulin pellets from loads of different hop varieties to create a briskly bitter, resinous rockstar that will help these smoky greens spark some serious joy with every bite and sip. epicbeer.com

(Roasted cauliflower, peas and almonds) Tony Bish Heartwood Hawke's Bay Chardonnay 2021 ($33-$39) If you're new to the concept of roasted cauliflower, then may I suggest that sipping a salubrious chardonnay will help turn the whole thing into one of life's golden discoveries. The trick is to find one to find one that has citrus muscle, sculpted, sinewy stonefruit, on-point oak and the lithe, energetic disposition of this example. Still a puppy, and crying out for food, this chardonnay has caramelised, toasty oak, baked almond complexity, a solid core of spiced grapefruit and whipcrack acidity up the wahzoo. Grown from Mendoza clone vines in Hawke's Bay's Bridge Pa Triangle, it'll happily cellar to 2026 and beyond. tonybishwines.co.nz

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