Cook This Now! Greek orzo salad

Every July, the grounds of the Dormition of the Virgin Mary Greek Orthodox Church in Southampton erupt with the vibrant energy of the Hamptons Greek Festival. Between the live music, the Hellenic Dancers, and the carnival rides, the four-day event is an East End mid-summer tradition. But once the festival tents come down, the real secret stays right inside the church doors at 111 St. Andrews Road: Bakaliko, a year-round Greek specialty grocery store that remains one of Southampton’s best-kept secrets.

Step inside, and you’ll find a pantry paradise packed with direct-from-Greece imports—from shade-dried Othrys Farms mountain oregano and Misko brand kritharaki (orzo) to jars of brine-cured Hellenic Farms kalamata olives.

“Years ago, you couldn’t get a decent phyllo or real feta out here,” explains Isabel Shoukis, a dedicated volunteer from East Hampton who comes in regularly to cook in the church’s bustling kitchen. “You had to drive all the way into Queens. Now, everything you want that’s Greek is right here. And if we don’t have it, we’ll get it for you.”

Authentic spinach and feta spanakopitas are hand-folded at Southampton’s Greek Orthodox Church, supplying neighboring Greek restaurant, Calissa. (Photo credit: Doug Young)

In the kitchen behind the shop, Isabel and a close-knit group of volunteers spend hours hand-folding thousands of authentic spanakopitas—so famously good they even supply the Water Mill-based Greek restaurant Calissa. When she’s not wrapping spinach and feta in golden pastry, Isabel bakes koulouraki, the traditional braided Greek butter cookies she grew up making alongside her mother and grandmother.

For the kitchen, olive oil is the undisputed crown jewel. Bakaliko stocks several single-estate imports, including customer favorites like Mentis and Iliada. Splash that golden olive oil together with local summer produce, and you have the foundation for a vibrant Greek orzo salad. Loaded with seedless cucumber, cherry tomatoes, creamy sheep’s milk feta, briney capers, kalamata olives, and hearty chickpeas, it’s an effortless, crowd-pleasing dish that tastes like summer on the Aegean—and your own best-kept secret will be knowing you made it with authentic Greek pantry staples, right via Southampton!

To up the ante on your greek salad came, head to Bakaliko, located within the orthodox church, and stocked with myriad Greek products typically hard to find across eastern Long Island. (Photo credit: Doug Young)

Tips for the Home Cook

• Dress the Orzo Immediately: The moment you drain your cooked orzo, toss it with half of the dressing while it is still warm. As orzo cools, it can clump together and become extremely unruly. Dressing it hot breaks up the grains and allows the pasta to absorb all that bright lemon, red wine vinegar and garlic flavor.
• Invest in Real Greek Feta: Skip the pre-crumbled cow’s milk feta in plastic tubs. Grab a block of authentic Greek sheep’s milk feta packed in brine from Bakaliko. Crumbling it by hand gives you a vastly superior, creamy texture and rich, tangy flavor.
• Release the Herbs: If you pick up imported dried Greek oregano on the branch, crush it gently between your palms right over the salad bowl. This friction warms the essential oils in the leaves, instantly unlocking a warm, earthy aroma that fresh or standard store-bought oregano just can’t match.
• Drain and Dry the Chickpeas & Capers: After rinsing your canned chickpeas and capers, spread them on a clean kitchen towel and gently pat them dry before adding them to the bowl. Removing excess water ensures the dressing clings to the ingredients rather than getting diluted.