Home from Istanbul

I suppose we're still technically in Constantinople, since Aya Sofya is still in my line of vision!

The only thing added to this after the picture above is a sign made by Bekah announcing its name.

And now to some food pictures with recipes:

Coban Salatasi (Shepherd's Salad)
cucumbers (the tiny ones are sweetest and closest to what you get in Turkey)
tomatoes
scallions
olive oil
salt
lemon juice

This is a terribly non-specific recipe. Just cut up the vegetables and combine. I think I used 4 small cukes and 2 large and one small tomato, and a bunch of scallions (greens only). You can use the whites but they're a little more onion-y and I knew my kids would revolt.
Then add a bit of olive oil (roughly a tablespoon), a couple dashes of salt and a bit of lemon juice. Combine, taste, and add more of whichever there isn't enough of!

Ekmek (bread)
(it doesn't usually come out this flat. I didn't add enough flour. Didn't affect the taste, though)


1/2 oz/15 g fresh yeast or 1/4 oz/7 g dried yeast
1/2 teaspoon sugar
4 fl oz lukewarm water
1 lb/450 g/2 c white flour
1 teaspoon salt
6-8 fl oz cold water
scant teaspoon olive oil


Preheat oven to 425F
Cream yeast with the sugar in the lukewarm water until frothy
Sift the flour with the salt into a bowl. Make a well in the center and add the yeast and the cold water. Draw in a little of the flour from the sides to make a smooth batter. Sprinkle a dusting of flour over the surface of the batter, cover the bowl with a damp cloth, and leave the batter to sponge for about 20 minutes. Remove the cloth, draw in the rest of the flour, and knead well. Continue to knead the dough on a lightly floured surface until smooth and elastic.
Pour the oil in the bottom of a bowl, flip the bread dough over it, cover the bowl with a damp towel, and leave the dough to prove for a few hours until doubled in size.
Punch the dough down, knead it again on a lightly floured surface and mold it into the shape you want. Place it on a floured baking tray and leave to prove again under a damp towel. Once it has doubled in size, you can score it with a sharp knife, glaze it, and sprinkle it with a variety of seeds. For a simple plain loaf just brush a little milk over the surface to harden the crust.
(*note: I didn't put the milk on the surface because I wanted to leave it vegan. It was still nicely crusty!)
Bake it in the oven for 30-40 minutes, then turn it upside down and return to the oven for 5 more minutes. It should sound hollow when the bottom is tapped. Leave to cool a little on a wire rack.

And the rest of the spread!

Here's a hint. Turkish food is labor-intensive. None of it (that I've made) has been terribly difficult, but it all takes a long time. There's nothing "instant" about any of it, even if I cut corners and grill the meats on my George Foreman grill. I still had to start it 1 1/2 hours before we planned to eat it.

So what I'm trying to say is: go ahead and try any of these recipes. You just might not want to plan to make them ALL. Or even more than one at a time!!

And now the rest of the recipes:

Zeytinyagli Yesil Fasulye (Green Beans in Olive Oil)
1 kg green beans
1 cup olive oil
3 medium size onions, chopped
2 large tomatoes
1 green pepper (I always leave this out)
2 teaspoons salt
3 teaspoons sugar

Remove the two ends of the strings of the beans, trimming the two sides. Cut them in half. Wash and drain.
Heat the olive oil. Lightly brown the chopped onion and the green pepper cut in 3-4 pieces. Add the tomatoes peeled and cut into small pieces (*I never bother peeling the tomato. Too much work and I've never been bothered by the peels in the finished dish*) Add the beans, salt and sugar. Mix well. Pour in just enough warm water to cover them.
Cover and cook on low heat for one hour, until the beans are tender and the sauce is reduced.
Let cool before serving.
(*I like this cold. As in, throw it in the fridge. It works out to be like a cold green bean salad*)

Cacik (garlicky yogurt)
*awesome for a hot day!* similar to tzatziki sauce, but is used as a side dish or a cold soup
plain yogurt
a couple cloves minced garlic
cucumber cut up as small as you can get it
chopped fresh mint

Mix yogurt in a bowl with garlic and cucumber. Add fresh mint to the top. Is best with an hour or two in the fridge to let the flavors meld.

I'll write the rest of the recipes another day. I'm tired and the recipes aren't in the room with me right now.

So, to conclude, a picture of Jasmine, headscarf worn in the style of the village women of Turkey: