Egg, lemon, and rice soup (avgolemono soupa)
Greek salad
Greek lamb with herbs and garlic
Greek Easter bread (lambropsomo)
Baklava
Greek coffee
For Paige Poulos and many fellow Greek Americans in the West, Greek Easter — or Pasch — comes a little later this year (April 23). There's no glazed ham or bunny-themed centerpiece, but the meaning of the holiday, and the love of tradition, is the same. At Poulos's home in Point Richmond, California, the celebration is only complete with a tableful of simple Greek foods, surrounded by family.
 |
| Rachel Weill |
| Feta cheese, olives, and spanakopita are quintessential starters on a Greek menu. |
 |
|
Poulos's husband, John Woolley, grills an aromatic wine- and herb-marinated leg of lamb. Poulos adds a traditional Greek soup, salad, and spring vegetables. Lambropsomo — anise-scented bread embedded with red-dyed eggs in a cross shape — is a central symbol for the holiday. And flaky baklava with a glass of Greek dessert wine or a strong Greek coffee makes for a sweet ending to a meal that is just as enjoyable for a non-Greek Easter too.GREEK MENU
Starters
• Feta cheese and olives, pickled green tomatoes with chiles (available in Mediterranean delis), and spanakopita (spinach-and-cheese filo packets, available frozen)
Serve with: ouzo (an anise-flavored spirit), diluted with ice water
First course
• Egg, lemon, and rice soup (avgolemono soupa)
Main course
• Greek salad
• Greek lamb with herbs and garlic
• Swiss chard or spinach sautéed with olive oil and salt and garnished with lemon wedges
• Boiled artichokes drizzled with olive oil and vinegar
• Steamed baby potatoes mixed with olive oil, salt, and pepper
• Greek Easter bread (lambropsomo) or other sweet egg bread, such as Hawaiian Serve with: Greek red wine, such as Amethystos — a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Limnio from Macedonia, with blackberry and cherry flavors — or a fruity Zinfandel
Dessert
• Baklava
• Greek coffee (strong, sweetened coffee)
Serve with: Mavrodaphne, a Greek dessert wine
Slideshow: More Easter brunch menus
Great ideas for Easter brunch and more from our sister publication, Southern Living
