Mulberry Jam

(Karadut Receli - Aegean Region)

1 kg Mulberries
1 kg sugar
Juice of one lemon
1 pinch essence of lemon (optional), to prevent crystallization

Layer mulberries and sugar in a saucepan overnight. The following morning, add lemon juice and start cooking at medium heat. Stir until the sugar melts. Cook for 20-25 minutes. Add the essence of lemon into the jam 2 minutes before you turn the heat off and stir. At that time it may look runny but it will thicken when it cools.

Wait until it cools down a little bit, then place it into a clean jar and close the lid tightly. Store in a dark and cool place.

Place some thin slices of Feta Cheese* on bread, then pour some Mulberry Jam on it. This is the way I love it, give it a try:) This delicious jam belongs to the Aegean Region; the same as the grape, fig and mastic jams...

*Always store Feta Cheese in a container with a lid soaked in spring water in the fridge. This way the cheese will leave its salt in the water..

Roasted Eggplant, Green Pepper & Tomato Dip

(Lutuka, From the Thrace Region)

1 large eggplant
2 cubanelle peppers, cut in half, seeds discarded
2 large tomatoes, halved
2 garlic cloves, smashed with salt
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp lemon juice or vinegar
1/4 cup parsley, finely chopped
Salt
Pepper

Set the oven to broil (grill) and heat it up, or use the barbecue. Make holes in the eggplant with a fork so that it will roast better. Place the eggplant, cubanelle peppers and tomato halves on an oven tray and place in the oven. Roast the tomatoes, cubanelle peppers for about 15 minutes, the eggplant for about 20-25 minutes. Turn the eggplant over occasionally during roasting.

Peel off the skins from both the eggplant and cubanelle peppers and cut in small pieces. Put the them in the strainer to drain the excess water.

Meanwhile peel the tomatoes. Put the tomatoes and the smashed garlic in a pan. Saute over medium heat to evaporate excess water. Take it off the heat.

Toss roasted eggplant, cubanelle pepper, tomato, olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper in a bowl. Place on a service plate. Sprinkle parsley all over and serve with roasted Turkish Bread or Pide (pita) slices as an appetizer with any kind of Kebab.

Turkish Shish Kebab

(Sis Kebap)

500 g lamb, cut in medium-sized cubes

Marinade:
50 ml milk
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 small onion, grated
Salt
Pepper

3 tomatoes, cut in half
3 cubanelle peppers, cut in half, seeds discarded
1 onion, peeled, cut in 8s

Pour all the marinade ingredients all over the lamb cubes and toss. Place into a glass bowl. Cover it with plastic wrap and allow it to marinate overnight in the fridge. The following day let it sit at room temperature for 1 hour before cooking.

Arrange lamb cubes on the skewers. Make 2 skewers for 1 serving. Preheat your barbecue or oven (grill). Place the skewers on the rack along with the peppers, tomato halves (inside up) and onion. Make sure to turn the skewers so that all sides of the lamb are cooked equally for a total 10 minutes.

Makes 3 servings.

Meal Ideas:
- Ezo Gelin Pilaf, Stuffed Mushrooms and Mastic Pudding.

Bulgur Pilaf with Roasted Vegetables

(Kozlenmis Sebzeli Bulgur Pilavi)

Bulgur Pilaf:
1 cup Turkish bulgur, large grain, washed and drained
1 medium size onion, cut in small pieces
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp red pepper paste
1 3/4 cup hot water
1 tsp crushed red pepper
1 tsp cumin
Salt
Pepper

Vegetables:
1 zucchini, washed, cut in bite size
1 small Japanese eggplant, washed, cut in bite size
1 red pepper, washed, cut in bite size
1 cubanelle pepper, washed, cut in bite size
8-10 small mushrooms, brushed, cut in 4
1 onion, peeled, cut in 8
1-2 garlic cloves, do not peel
1 tomato, washed, cut in 4
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt
Pepper

Set the oven to broil (grill), and heat it up (or use the barbecue). Arrange all the vegetables on an oven tray. Sprinkle salt and pepper and drizzle extra virgin olive oil all over them. Roast them on the second rack from the top in the oven. Peel the garlic. Gently mix with a fork (picture).

Meanwhile to cook the bulgur pilaf: Saute the onion with olive oil for a few minutes. Add all the pilaf ingredients and stir. Cover and cook over low heat.

Gently toss all the roasted vegetables with the pilaf using a fork. Serve it hot or warm as a light lunch. It is a great vegetarian dish:)

Makes 2 servings.

Meal Ideas:
- Ayran, Lemon Cake with Turkish Coffee.

Artichokes with Rice in Olive Oil

(Pirincli Enginar)

5 large artichokes

Filling:
5 tsp rice, washed, drained
1 small onion, chopped
2 tbsp dill, chopped (half to be used after cooking)
1 tbsp sugar
50 ml extra virgin olive oil (half for cooking, half for after cooking)
3/4 cup + 3/4 cup hot water
Salt

How to prepare Artichokes:
Trim the base of the stem (picture). Break off all the dark leaves (don't throw away, see below) until you are left with just the light coloured, tender leaves in the center (picture). Scoop out the light green leaves with teaspoon and discard, then rub with lemon to prevent from getting dark (picture). Clean off the bottom part with a knife (picture). Now, the artichoke is trimmed. Leave in the water & lemon juice mixture to prevent discoloration.

Saute the onion with olive oil in a pot. Add the rice, salt and sugar, and cook for a few minutes over medium heat. Pour 3/4 cup of hot water in it, stir and cover. Turn the heat down to low, cook until the rice is soft, add dill and toss.

Place the artichokes in a shallow pan, fill them with the rice equally. Pour 3/4 cup of hot water into the pan from the side, cover the lid. Cook until artichokes are fork tender over medium-low heat. If necessary add little by little more hot water.

Arrange them on a service plate, pour the remaining half of the olive oil over and sprinkle some chopped dill on top. Serve at room temperature or chilled.

Meal Ideas:
- Sultan's Pleasure, Carrot Salad and Cherry Jello Dessert.


Artichoke Leaves
(Enginar Yapraklari)



Don't throw out the leaves. They are very delicious, light coloured and crunchy. It's not much but you'll enjoy having them. My mum used to prepare this sauce in a small bowl before starting to prepare the Artichokes above.

Sauce:
Extra virgin olive oil
Lemon juice
Salt
Pepper

Throw out the first 2 line of the leaves, then after breaking every leaf, dip the white root part of the leaf in the sauce. It is only one delicious bite. I hope you will enjoy it like my mum and I did :)

Fried Mixed Vegetables with Sauce

(Karisik Sebze Kizartmasi)

1 medium eggplant, peeled in lengthwise strips, cut in small cubes
1 zucchini, cut in small cubes
1 medium potato, peeled, cut in small cubes
1 cubanelle pepper, seeds discarded, cut in chunks
1/2 cup sunflower oil

Yogurt Sauce:
1/2 cup yogurt
1-2 garlic clove, smashed with salt

Tomato Sauce:
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
6 heaping tbsp of diced tomato, in can
2 heaping tbsp of crushed tomato, in can
Salt

Soak the eggplants in 2 cups of water with salt for about 20 minutes. Squeeze and dry them with paper towel. Meanwhile combine all the tomato sauce ingredients in a small pot. Cook on medium heat for 10 minutes. Make sure it doesn't dry out.

Fried the all the vegetables orderly in sunflower oil. Afterwards, place on a paper towel to soak up excess oil. Let it cool. Then place them on serving dish. Serve it with yogurt sauce or tomato sauce (or both of them).

Meal Ideas:
- Turkish Hamburger, Kidney Bean Salad and Orange Cake with Turkish Tea.