Something a little different on my blog today, as Eva Glyn author of The Santorini Writing Retreat joins me to talk about food featured in her book.
I’ve also included my own review of this fabulous title at the end of the post. If you are quick, you can get the Kindle edition of this book at the bargain price of 99p, as it is on offer at the moment. Links at the end of the post. Over to Eva …
FOOD IN THE SANTORINI WRITING RETREAT
Much as food is an important part of any overseas holiday, I believe it’s an important part of a virtual trip too. And I know from experience my readers love learning about local dishes, so in The Santorini Writing Retreat I didn’t hold back.
It helped that the retreat in the book is set on a farm growing traditional Santorini products – or at least, trying to. The inspiration was Nomikos Estates, which we visited when I went on my research trip to the island, and spent a fascinating morning with the owner, talking and tasting.
Being volcanic, Santorini has rich agricultural land, but sadly it’s being constantly eroded by tourist development, a trend Yiannis Nomikos is keen to reverse, and a theme I carried into the book. Tourism may earn the big bucks, but the traditional way of life is important too; who wants to visit an island that has basically become a theme park?
Leaving vines to one side, the typical crops are pistachios, fava beans, tomatoes and capers. The fava beans are more akin to yellow split peas than the more broad bean like legumes we find in the UK under that name. They are used to make delicious thick purees, often served with grilled octopus, or simply sprinkled with capers and spring onions.
Capers are not actually cultivated, but harvested from plants growing wild. They spring out of almost every nook and cranny in the rocks on the hills, and from walls in people’s gardens. They don’t feature in the book because they’re collected earlier in the year, but if you visit the island they will pop up in all sorts of meals – both as buds and leaves – and it isn’t a Greek salad on Santorini without them.
The crop which takes centre stage in The Santorini Writing Retreat are pistachios, largely because they are harvested in late summer when the book is set. We wandered the pistachio orchards with Yiannis, learning about how they are grown, harvested, and dried in the sun. And how the trees had been planted by his father from seed in the year he was born. His connection to them was palpable and showed us, more than anything, what traditional farming on the island is all about.
If you are interested in recipes for fava beans in particular, please visit the blog on the Nomikos Estate website here: https://nomikosestate.com/blog/
About Eva Glyn
Eva Glyn writes destination based fiction set in sunny Mediterranean climes for One More Chapter. She lives in Cornwall with her husband of almost thirty years and is a travel-holic. She also writes as Jane Cable.
To find out more, follow Eva on Instagram @evaglynauthor or on Facebook Eva Glyn, Author.
More About The Santorini Writing Retreat
Bestselling author Jessica Rose needs to escape from a terrible secret that’s robbed her of her creativity. Could leading a retreat on a gorgeous Greek island be just what she needs?
Coming home to Santorini was never in Zina’s plans, but now she’s determined to make her new business a success.
And then there’s Karmela, who just wants to write her book and make her mother proud.
In the heat of their Greek island paradise, these new friends find the courage to shape their own stories, and write endings they can all be proud of…
Buying Link: https://mybook.to/SantoriniRetreat – don’t forget if you are quick you can get the Kindle edition for 99p!
My Review of The Santorini Writing Retreat – Absolutely 5 star!
I absolutely loved this book and it is my new favourite by Eva Glyn whose books I have enjoyed before. It really felt as if I was part of the writing retreat myself with its wealth of characters with challenges and interesting back stories.
You quickly become involved with the dynamics of Karmela, her mother and Iain, Zina, Lambros and her mother, Jo with her secrets and the other participants on the retreat who all have their own resons for being there. I was keen to read the book having encountered character Karmela in The Dubrovnik Book Club by the same author.
Lots of words of wisdom for everyone in the pages of this book too which have been noted for use at a future date. Thoroughly recommend this title.
The Santorini Writing Retreat is available here.
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