Orzo with bay Leaves and Cumin

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.

Wash and clean the squids. Remove their heads and cut in to small pieces. Put the squids in boiling water for 10 minutes just to become smoother. Put them in a colander to drain. Saute the onion and garlic with the oil of the half cup. Then, add the heads of the squids, chopped, the parsley, the dill, salt, pepper and the tomato paste (if you prefer it with tomato). 

In a pot, we put the oil and the semolina and mix them continuously in a medium temperature  until the mixture is curdy enough. As soon as this cream is cold, we beat the eggs and add them to the cream. Then we add the  grated cheese and the pepper. We fry the peppers for a while and then remove their seeds and cut them in small pieces. We sauté the butter and the sliced tomatoes.