Gaea was founded in 1995. The name is not an accident. In ancient Greek mythology, Gaea was Mother Earth – a symbol of fertility and all things new. As such, the company’s vision is to bring their passion and joy for life to the world through the undiscovered original Greek cuisine and lifestyle.

Dedicated also to protecting the environment, Gaea offers products that reach your table ethically, with 100% Natural ingredients, including handpicked olives from organically verified and committed farmers.

Enjoy the following recipes shared by Gaea with The National Herald, including tasty organic white butter beans in Gaea organic tomato sauce with healthy yet full of flavor raw Gaea organic extra virgin olive oil. This is a classic recipe cooked all over Greece featuring a true super protein in this flavorsome vegan dish.

Organic White Butter Beans in Gaea Tomato Sauce

INGREDIENTS

500 grams dried organic large white butter beans

500 ml tomato passata

100 ml Gaea Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil

2 red onions

2 garlic cloves

1 tablespoon dried oregano

1 bunch celery leaves

METHOD

Place the dried beans in 3 liters of water to soak overnight.

The next day change the water and boil for 40 minutes occasionally skimming the top to remove the froth. Drain the beans and transfer to a deep roasting dish.

Chop the onions and garlic and sweat in a saucepan, add the tomato passata, oregano, and chopped celery leaves. Stir well and bring to a boil.

Pour the sauce over the beans, add salt and pepper, drizzle with the olive oil, cover with foil, and bake for 30 minutes in a preheated oven at 180 degrees C (350 F).

Remove the foil and bake for a further 30 minutes.

Serve warm or chilled with herbs, feta cheese and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

TIP

You can also replace the passata and olive oil with Gaea ready-made Organic Tomato Sauce.

Greek Fava with Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Fava in Greek is yellow split peas. This is the ‘Greek hummus’, which is not made with chickpeas as many believe. Fava is a simple yet very tasty dish that is at its best when served with a generous drizzling of extra virgin olive oil and topped with raw Vatika or caramelized onions.

SERVINGS 4

INGREDIENTS

250 grams yellow split peas

2 red onions, roughly chopped

1 liter (3 1/3 cups) water

1/2 cup Gaea Planet Extra Virgin organic olive oil

1 teaspoon capers

Greek sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

METHOD

Rinse the split peas with plenty of water.

Heat a pot over medium-high heat; add 2-3 tablespoons olive oil, one of the chopped onions and the water.

Once the water comes to a boil, lower the heat and simmer with the lid on for about 40-50 minutes, until the split peas are mushy. While the split peas boil, some white foam will surface – remove the foam with a slotted spoon.

When all the water has been absorbed, puree with a stick blender until the peas become smooth and creamy.

Serve the fava drizzled with the rest of the Gaea Planet Extra Virgin Olive oil, the second onion finely chopped on top along with the capers. Enjoy with toasted sourdough bread.

TIP

Serve warm or chilled, with plenty of raw or caramelized onions on top and drizzle with some lemon juice.

Gaea Stuffed Tomatoes ‘Gemista’

There is nothing more exciting when summer arrives and the first tomatoes are perfectly ripe, than taking them, delicately hollowing them of their juicy ‘meat’, and using the very juices to mix with rice and herbs, to create a stuffing that is absolutely divine! This is the most highly anticipated summer dish in Greece.

SERVINGS 4

INGREDIENTS

7 large tomatoes

2 cups Gaea Kalamata Extra Virgin Olive oil

350 grams glutinous rice

2 finely chopped red onions

1 clove garlic

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

1 tablespoon salt

1 bunch fresh mint

1/3 bunch fresh dill

1kg potatoes

METHOD

Take the 6 tomatoes and cut the top just under the stalk to form a lid, with a spoon slowly hollow out the interior of the tomatoes without breaking through the skin, place the flesh of the interior in a bowl and the hollowed out tomatoes upright in a deep baking dish.

Roughly chop the remaining tomato and place in the bowl with the flesh of the hollowed out tomatoes. Using a stick blender, blend until smooth like a sauce.

Peel the potatoes and cut them in wedges, dip them into the tomato juice and place them in the baking tray scattered around the hollowed tomatoes.

In a frying pan, add 4 tablespoons of the olive oil and sweat the onions and garlic, with the salt, pepper and sugar, add the tomato paste, rice, herbs and sauté in the pan, add the tomato juice, stir well and then set aside to cool.

Once the filling has cooled enough to handle, start filling the 6 tomatoes carefully with a spoon, cap with the tops, drizzle with the rest of Gaea Kalamata Extra Virgin Olive Oil, and add salt to taste.

Cover with foil and bake in a preheated oven at 180 degrees C (350 F) for 20 minutes; reduce the temperature to 160 degrees C (320 F) and bake for an hour; once the hour has passed, increase the oven to 200 degrees C (392 F), remove the foil, and allow the tops of the tomatoes to brown for 15 minutes. Serve with fresh bread.