Shamali

Wash and clean the octopus well, put it in a pan with a little water and let it boil over low heat. Mix it occasionally. When the octopus is tender, cut its tentacles in 2 or 3 pieces. Peel the garlic and the onions and wash them. Chop the onions and sauté them in oil over low heat until they brown. Then, add the cloves of garlic, the pieces of the octopus, the wine, the bay leaves and the black pepper.

We cut the mushrooms in two if they are large, we wash them or drain them if we use a can and we put them in a pan with oil. We sauté them well until they are halved in size and get all their water out. Then, we add some spinach and lettuce, if we like, as well as the onions and we mix them well.

Wine, as a blessed commodity, plays a predominant role in the life of the Athonite monasteries. The founder of the monastic state of Mount Athos, Saint Athanasius the Athonite, decreed that each monastery should have its own vineyards. Thus, since the 10th century, the founders of the monasteries, recognizing the value of wine, have numerous vineyards in their monastic properties. On Mount Athos, there were no large areas for grain, due to the geographical difficulty and the wildness of the place. However, the microclimate of Mount Athos as well as its special vineyards, are key factors for a distinct wine production, unique throughout the Balkan Peninsula and the Northern Aegean. Even today, a number of monks from each monastery are in charge of the cultivation of vineyards and the production of wine.