Moods Summer with Yaya TEXT Pierre-Julien and Grégory Chantzios For us, summer means Greece. Every year in mid-July, it’s the same routine. Suitcases packed, we head to Athens. As soon as we land, we embark on a four-hour journey through the mountains of the Peloponnese. And finally, we reach the village of Neochori-Ithomi, in the middle of the olive trees, where our family lives. We feel joy at finally being back in the village with our Yaya (Grandma in Greek). This was our childhood. Yaya Éléni was the pillar of the family. She was the one who gave us a love of cooking and good ingredients. She was the reason we decided to take over the family olive grove, where our Kalios olive oil is produced. It was also for Yaya that we opened two restaurants, named for her, at home, in France. No one cooked as well as Yaya. Her secret tool was her grater. She used the grater for all her dishes, from a simple tomato sauce with olive oil and basil to tzatziki with freshly grated garden cucumbers, along with our favorite recipe of all: rooster with Kalamata olives in tomato sauce, always sprinkled with grated sheep’s milk cheese. It’s impossible to forget, that’s how good it was. It was more than a dish, actually; it was a ritual that announced our arrival in the village, with everyone gathered around a big table. Today, we return to Greece at least every three months. For the olive harvest in November, of course, for Christmas and New Year, at Greek Easter and in summer with our French friends. Life back in the village is all about sharing; a moment out of time when childhood memories mingle with the desire to transmit. The sunrises over the field of olive trees, the endless meals, the olive oil flowing freely—there’s no question about it, we’ll never get tired of the Peloponnese. 24