Here's just a sampling of the treats that you can enjoy at the Festival:

Mezethes (Appetizers)

Loukanico (Greek Sausage)

Saganaki (Flaming Cheese)

Gyro

Souvlaki (Pork Kebabs)

Roast Lamb

Baklava

Kourambiethes

Koulourakia

Loukoumathes

Dine al fresco in our spacious dining area

Toast the fabulous Greek dancing and enjoy some authentic Greek hospitality at our Taverna.

Please drink responsibly!

The Ventura County Greek Festival Is a proud supporter of .

1-1/2 lb. of Filo Dough (Take out of Refrigerator 30 minutes before assembly, but leave in the sealed package), 3-1/2 lb. of chopped walnuts,1-1/ lb. of clarified unsalted (sweet) butter, melted, 4 cups of syrup (recipe below)
 

Using a 1/2 sheet pan, use a pastry brush to butter pan layer 12 sheets of filo, buttering each one well. Use 10 sheets in the middle, buttering each one and sprinkling nuts over each sheet. (Use up all the nuts - about 1 cup each layer)  Use 14 sheets of filo on the top, buttering each sheet well. Try to end the baklava, with a nice unbroken piece of filo on the top. Refrigerate baklava to give the butter a chance to solidify.
 

Cut into triangles, squares, or diamonds, only cutting 3/4 of the way through baklava.
 

Baklava is now ready to bake, but can be refrigerated for several days before baking, or frozen for a month or two, if boxed properly, until ready to bake.  Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 1 hour until golden brown.
 

Slowly pour cooled prepared syrup over hot baklava or hot syrup over cooled baklava.
 

SYRUP RECIPE for BAKLAVA
 

3 cups sugar, 2 cups water, 1/4 cup lemon juice
 

Boil for 30 minutes or until syrup sticks to spoon and cools. It should be the consistency of thin honey. When you make a big batch, it can take 45 minutes to one hour of boiling, depending on quantity. Do not refrigerate syrup. The lemon keeps it from crystallizing.
 

Each tray of baklava will use about 2 recipes of syrup.
 

2 quarts of milk, 1/2 lb. of Unsalted (Sweet) Butter, 3/4 cup Sugar, Warm above ingredients.  Add one scant cup of Farina slowly and cook stirring constantly over medium heat. Be careful not to scorch. Remove from heat and cool stirring occasionally.
 

Separate 8 eggs. Beat whites and Beat Yolks until fluffy. One at a time, add eggs to above ingredients until all are blended well.

Assembly: For each tray (appx. 15" x 10-1/2 inches or slightly smaller - 2 inches deep), you will need 1 l;b of filo, and 1/2 lb. butter. Place 2 sheets filo on bottom of tray, buttering in between each sheet. Then place 2 more sheets so that 1 sheet overlaps each of the four sides of the pan and overhangs about 2 inches or more.
 

Pour filling in the pan. Cover with remaining filo, buttering each sheet. When you have 2 pieces of fil left, fold over the overlapping filo, butter to seal, and then finish with remaining two sheets of filo, buttering very well. Score the top sheets without going into the filling. Tuck all edges in to make a neat package.
 

Bake approximately 10 minutes at 400 degrees, then turn the temperature down to 350 degrees and bake about 50-60 minutes until the filo rises up. Pour cold syrup (same recipe as for baklava) over slowly, about 1-1/2 cups. Leftover syrup can be kept in a jar for other use.