Messinia Style Giant Beans Baked (Gigantes) with Spinach & Feta by Diane Kochilas

Giant beans, aka gigantes (GHEE-ghan-tez), are a classic Greek ingredient and popular in Greek recipes from every part of the country. This Greek bean recipe is inspired by the delicious traditions of Messinia, in the Peloponnese, where beans and greens are often cooked together with a generous amount of local extra virgin Greek olive oil, in healthy Greek recipes everyone loves.

Ingredients:
8 oz/225 g dried Greek giant or elephant beans picked over, rinsed, soaked overnight in water to cover, and drained
2 lb/910 g spinach trimmed, chopped, washed well
Salt
½ cup/120 ml plus 2 tbsp extra-virgin Greek olive oil
1 medium leek white and tender green parts, coarsely chopped and washed well
2 large onions coarsely chopped, or 5 scallions, white and tender green parts, chopped
½ cup/30 g snipped fresh dill
½ cup/30 g chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 ½ cups/225 g crumbled hard Greek feta cheese preferably goat’s milk
2 cups/ 350 g peeled and seeded plum tomatoes canned are fine
pepper
1/3 cup/15 g coarse dry bread crumbs

Instructions: