Macedonian Spanakorizo (Σπανακόρυζο Μακεδονίας)

Macedonian spanakorizo is spinach rice from the northern table, green rather than red, with leek, spring onion, dill, and lemon. It is not a side dish pretending to be useful. It is a ladero, an olive-oil vegetable dish cooked as the meal itself, especially on fasting days.

The whole pot is decided at the end. Cook the rice gently in the spinach juices until it sits loose and soft, then take it off the heat before the lemon and dill go in. Boil the lemon with the greens and the color tires. Stir it in after the rest, and the dish wakes up.

The region is the dish's surname here: Greek Macedonia gives this version its leek and its clean lemon finish. In my Thessaloniki kitchen, I keep the tomato out because this pot is about the green taste of spinach, dill, and good oil. Λίγα και καλά, a few things, and good ones.