Cacik -- Cold Cucumber Soup

Happy July 4th! In celebration of this year's holiday, I'm going to repost a recipe from last year's July 4th. We're eating a lot of cacik this year. With the heat and fresh cucumbers and garlic, this cold Turkish soup just can't be beat. My kids guzzle this down. I can never make enough.

Ingredients:

• 3 medium cucumbers (400 g)
• 3 cups yogurt (plain, good quality) (770 g)
• 2 cloves garlic (6 g)
• 2 teaspoons sea salt (12 g)
• 1 cup water (250 g)
• 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil (20 g)
• 3-4 sprigs dill (10 g)

Directions:

Combine finely chopped or shredded cucumber with yogurt. Mix thoroughly. Add crushed garlic. Season with sea salt. Dilute with cold water. Mix well.

Pour into individual serving bowls. Sprinkle with olive oil. Garnish with coarsely chopped dill.

Chill and serve.


Cultural Notes:
This soup is a popular way of serving cucumbers and yogurt all over the country. Served with meat dishes, pilafs or boreks. In winter, lettuce or shredded carrot is used instead of cucumbers. dried mint is substituted for dill.

This recipe is from Samples from Turkish Cuisine by Ayse Baysal.

Carrots with Olive Oil -- Zetinyagli Havuc

This is the best recipe I know for cooked carrots. It's simple, nutritious, and delicious. A great way to fix carrots, especially in winter.

Ingredients:

• 2 medium onions (150 g)
  
• 5 cloves garlic (15 g)
  
• 9 medium size carrots (1 kg)
  
• 3-4 sprigs parsley (10 g)
  
• 1 1/2 tbsp brown rice (15 g)
  
• 1/3 cup olive oil (80 g)
  
• 1 1/2 tsp sea salt (9 g)
  
• 1 tsp honey or rhapadura (4 g)
  
• 3/4 cup + 1 1/2 tbsp water (200 g)

Directions:

Peel onions and garlic. Wash. Cut onions into half. Slice into 1-2 mm thick slices. Crush garlic. Slice pared (or scraped) carrots into 1 cm (1/2 inch) thick pieces. Saute onion in olive oil in a covered saucepan for 4-5 minutes.

Add water, garlic, salt and sugar. Boil. Add carrots. Sprinkle with rice. Cover and simmer for 25-30 minutes, or until tender.

Remove from heat. Place in a serving plate and garnish with parsley. Serve cold.

Cultural Notes:
This dish is usually cooked in winter and served for lunch or supper as a side dish with yogurt mixed with garlic (yogurt garlic sauce).

This recipe is from Samples from Turkish Cuisine by Ayse Basal.

Jerusalem Artichokes with Olive Oil -- Zeytinyagli Yerelmasi

We've got Jerusalem artichokes in the garden! Loads of them. Enough to enjoy several dishes of zeytinyagli yerelmasi during the winter. If you've never tried Jerusalem artichokes (also known as sunchokes) before, you're missing a wonderfully delicious and nutritious tuber.

High in iron and potassium, Jerusalem artichokes are recommended over potatoes for diabetics and people choosing lower-carbohydrates due to the fact that their carbohydrates are in the form in inulin rather than starch, which are much less absorbed by the body. Thus sunchokes do not seem to affect a person's blood sugar like some other high-starch root vegetables. Also, Jerusalem artichokes are excellent in aiding the healthy establishment of lactobacilli in the intestines.

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs. Jerusalem artichokes (1 kg)
  
• 1 tsp lemon juice (5 g)
  
• 2 small carrots (125 g)
  
• 2 medium onions (135 g)
  
• 2 tbsp rice (25 g)
  
• 1/3 cup olive oil (80 g)
  
• 3/4 cup + 1 1/2 tbsp water (200 g)
  
• 1 1/2 tsp sea salt (9 g)
  
• 2 tsp honey or rhapadura sugar (8 g)
  
• 6 sprigs parsley or dill (12 g)
  
• 1/2 medium lemon (50 g)

Directions:

Peel and cut Jerusalem artichokes in 2 - 2 1/2 cm (3/4 - 1 inch) cubes. (I don't peel my sunchokes, but just scrub them well with a potato brush). Sprinkle with lemon juice to prevent darkening. Cut pared (or scraped) carrots into half lengthwise. Slice each half diagonally in 1 cm (1/2 inch) thick pieces.

Combine Jerusalem artichokes and carrots with finely chopped onions. Place in a saucepan, spread rice over. Add olive oil and hot water. Sprinkle with sea salt and sugar.

Cover and simmer for 30 minutes or until vegetables and rice are tender. Remove from heat. Cool

Garnish with parsley before serving. Serve cold.

Cultural Notes:
This dish is a tasty winter dish favored generally in the Marmara and western regions. It is served with lemon slices for lunch or supper as a side dish after a main meat dish. A very good way of serving Jerusalem artichokes.

This recipe is from Samples from Turkish Cuisine by Ayse Basal.

Cold Cucumber Soup -- Cacik

This is a fabulous summer soup. Served cold, it's refreshing on a hot day.


Ingredients:

• 3 medium cucumbers (400 g)
• 3 cups yogurt (plain, good quality) (770 g)
• 2 cloves garlic (6 g)
• 2 teaspoons sea salt (12 g)
• 1 cup water (250 g)
• 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil (20 g)
• 3-4 sprigs dill (10 g)

Directions:

Combine finely chopped or shredded cucumber with yogurt. Mix thoroughly. Add crushed garlic. Season with sea salt. Dilute with cold water. Mix well.

Pour into individual serving bowls. Sprinkle with olive oil. Garnish with coarsely chopped dill.

Chill and serve.


Cultural Notes:
This soup is a popular way of serving cucumbers and yogurt all over the country. Served with meat dishes, pilafs or boreks. In winter, lettuce or shredded carrot is used instead of cucumbers. dried mint is substituted for dill.

This recipe is from Samples from Turkish Cuisine by Ayse Baysal.

Leek-Meat Stew with Egg-Lemon Sauce -- (Terbiyeli Etli Pirasa)

I did not grow up eating leeks, but once I tasted this dish in Turkey, I became an instant fan. Now with leeks coming in fresh in the garden is an excellent time to make this stew, which is a meal in itself.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 cups boneless lamb shoulder or shank (or ground beef) (250 g)
• 1 medium onion (75 g)
• 1 1/2 tbsp butter (20 g)
• 1 1/4 cups water (300 g)
• 2 tsp sea salt (12 g)
• 6 medium leeks (1.5 kg)
• 1 egg (50 g)
• 1 1/2 tbsp lemon juice (20 g)

Directions:

Cut meat into 2 1/2 cm (1 inch) cubes. Combine with finely chopped onion. Brown in butter for 8-10 minutes; drain.

Add water and salt. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes or until meat is tender.

Remove unwanted parts of leeks. Cut into 2 1/2 - 3 cm (1 - 1 1/4 inch) long chunks. Add to simmering meat, mixing thoroughly. Cover and simmer for 20-25 minutes or until leek is tender. Reduce heat.

Combine well beaten egg and lemon juice, blending thoroughly. Stir in simmering mixture gradually, mixing well. Remove from heat. Serve hot.


Cultural Notes:
This dish is cooked in the Aegean, Marmara and Black Sea regions in winter and served for lunch or supper as a main dish with pilaf and hosaf or yogurt.

This recipe is from Samples from Turkish Cuisine by Ayse Baysal.

Cream of Red Split Lentil Soup -- Ezme Sutlu Kirmizi Mercimek Corbasi

I know I've put up a lot of soup recipes, but that's one of the things I think Turks excel at. Salads, boreks and dolmas, fish, and soups!

Of all the great Turkish soups, red lentil is one of my favorites. I make this about twice a month in winter, and my kids just gulp it down.

Once when I made it for a sick friend at short notice, I had to substitute a few ingredients, and found out they worked fabulously as well. So I've indicated substitutions in parentheses.



Ingredients:

• 2 small onions -- 80 g -- (or leeks, or a combo of leeks and onions)
  
• 3 tablespoons butter -- 40 g -- (or olive oil)
  
• 2 tablespoons whole spelt flour -- 12 g
  
• 4 cups water -- 1 liter -- (or broth)
  
• 2/3 cups red split lentils -- 120 g
  
• 2 teaspoons sea salt -- 12 g
  
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper -- 1 g
  
• 1 egg -- 50 g
  
• 3/4 cups milk -- 200 ml -- (or plain yogurt)
  
• juice of 1 lemon

Directions:

Saute chopped onion in melted butter for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in flour, blending well. Add water gradually, stirring constantly.

Stir in washed red split lentils. Simmer uncovered for 30 minutes or until red lentils are tender.

Remove from heat and using a stick blender, process the soup until creamy. Season with salt and pepper.

Return to heat and simmer gently for 2 minutes.

Beat egg and add milk, mixing well. Blend this egg/milk mixture gradually into the soup, stirring constantly. Boil gently for 1 more minute.

Serve hot with lemon juice added to taste.

This recipe is from Samples from Turkish Cuisine by Ayse Baysal.

Wrapped Grape Vine Leaves

Who doesn't love wrapped vine leaves, called dolma by many, called yaprak sarmasi by Turks. They are so delicious, that I wish I could make them all the time. Though I have to admit, my favorite wrapped leaf is cabbage, which my mother-in-law makes divinely.

This is a Turkish recipe for Wrapped Vine Leaves with Olive Oil (Zeytinyagli Yaprak Sarmasi). This is not difficult, just time consuming.

Ingredients:

• 150 grams vine leaves ** I used one 16 oz jar
• 2 1/4 cup (550 g) water
• 1 teaspoon (6 g) salt
• 6 large size (600 g) onions **note, although the recipe calls for this many onions, it seemed excessive to me and I used about half
• 2 tablespoons (20 g) pinenuts
• 2/3 cup (150 g) olive oil
• 1 1/4 cups (240 g) rice ** I used brown rice
• 2 teaspoons (12 g) salt
• 2 teaspoons (8 g) sugar ** I omitted the sugar
• 2 tablespoons (20 g) currants
• 1 small bunch (40 g) parsley
• 1 small bunch (30 g) dill
• 10-15 medium leaves (10 g) fresh mint
• 3/4 teaspoon (1.5 g) black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon (1 g) allspice
• 3/4 teaspoon (1.5 g) cinnamon
• 1 1/2 tablespoons (20 g) lemon juice
• 1 medium (100 g) lemon

Directions:

Wash and remove stems of vine leaves. Reserve stems. Heat salted water in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil. Add vine leaves. Simmer for 4-5 minutes or until tender. Remove from liquid; drain. Complete volume of liquid to 2 1/4 cups. Set aside.

Combine finely chopped onions and pinenuts in a saucepan. Add oil. Saute covered for 20 minutes or until onions are tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in rinsed and drained rice; mix well. Saute for 3-4 minutes, stirring again.

Add salt, sugar and 1 1/3 cups of reserved liquid; stir. Sprinkle currants over. Cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes; drain. Remove from heat. Let stand covered for 10 minutes.

Stir in finely chopped herbs. Season with spices. Sprinkle with lemon juice. Toss slightly.

Place 1 tablespoon of filling over wrong sides (non-shiny) of the grape vines. Fold sides over filling. Roll into oblongs 2 1/2 cm (1 inch) in diameter and 5-6 cm (2 - 2 1/2 inch) long.

Spread hard stems of vines, and stems of parsley and dill on bottom of a shallow saucepan. Arrange wrapped vine leaves in saucepan. Heat remaining reserved liquid. Add to wrapped vegetable. Cover and simmer for 50 minutes or until rice is tender. Remove from heat; cool.

Garnish with lemon slices. Serve cold with lemon juice drizzled on top.

This recipe is from Samples from Turkish Cuisine by Ayse Baysal

Purslane Salad with Yogurt--Semizotu

I first discovered purslane when I lived in Turkey and fell in love with it as a salad green immediately. I especially love it fixed in this recipe.

Purslane (Portulaca oleracea), is usually regarded as a common garden weed today, but it has been cultivated as a succulent food crop for more than 2000 years in India, Persia, and the Middle East. From these areas the plant spread to Europe during the sixteenth century where it gained in popularity and was thought to ward off evil spirits.

Purslane is high in vitamin C, and, when eaten raw, has diuretic properties. An excellent crunch salad plant, its cooling leaves blend well with hotter-flavored salad herbs.

You can find purslane growing wild if you are familiar with the plant, or many health and specialty groceries carry it.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups (300 g.) purslane
  
• 1 3/4 cups (440 g.) plain yogurt
  
• 2 cloves (6 g.) garlic
  
• 1 1/2 teaspoons (9 g.) sea salt

Directions:

Wash purslane thoroughly; drain. Chop coarsely.

Combine with yogurt, salt and crushed garlic.

Chill and serve.

Cultural Notes:

This salad is prepared in Mediterranean and Aegean regions. Wild purslane "tohmeken" is used instead of cultivated.

This recipe is from Samples from Turkish Cuisine published by the Turkish Ministry of Culture, 1993.

Yayla Corbasi -- High Plateau Yogurt Soup

This is one of my all time favorite Turkish recipes. I have adapted it slightly by changing the white rice to brown rice and the white flour to spelt flour or whole wheat pastry.


Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup (60 g) brown rice
• 3 1/3 cups (800 g) water
• 1 1/2 cups (360 g) plain yogurt
• 3 tablespoons (18 g) flour (I recommend whole grain spelt flour or whole wheat pastry)
• 1 medium size (50 g) egg
• 2 teaspoons (12 g) sea salt
• 3 tablespoons (40 g) butter
• 2 tablespoons (2 g) dried mint

Directions:

Put rice in a saucepan with water. Simmer for 35-40 minutes or until rice is tender.

Combine yogurt, flour and slightly beaten egg in a bowl, mixing well. Stir in some soup liquid gradually, mixing thoroughly. This helps to warm up the yogurt and egg so that they don't curdle.

Blend the yogurt/egg mixture into the rice and water slowly, stirring constantly. Season with salt. Simmer gently for 10 minutes.

Melt butter in a skillet. Add crushed mint; stir. Sprinkle over soup. Turks also often sprinkle some red pepper into the butter/mint mixture.

Serve hot.

Cultural notes:

"Yayla" means high plateau. Since milk could not be well preserved during summer months in the old days when ice-boxes were not available, milk would be used to produce yogurt. The best yogurt would be obtained from high plateaus. The name comes from this practice. It is a delicious soup, very popular all over the country.

This recipe is adapted from Samples from Turkish Cuisine by Ayse Baysal.

Eggplant Moussaka -- Patlıcan Musakka

Turks know 101 ways to prepare eggplant, and this is one of the best. I'd recommend soaking the eggplant slices in salt water for about an hour before frying. Also, if you'd like your eggplant to absorb less oil when frying, then first bake the slices in the oven until slightly tender.

The eggplant usually found in Turkey is the smaller, slender Asian variety, thus if you're using the Black Beauty eggplant more commonly found in the US, you'll probably only need 1-2 to reach 2 pounds.

Ingredients:

• 6 medium size (1 kg / 2 pounds) eggplant
  
• 3 ½ tablespoons (50 g) olive oil (absorbed during frying)
  
• 1 ¼ cups (250 g) ground meat
  
• 2 small size (100 g) onions
  
• 2 medium size (250 g) tomatoes
  
• 2 teaspoons (10 g) tomato paste
  
• 2 teaspoons (12 g) sea salt
  
• ¼ teaspoon (0.5 g) freshly ground black pepper
  
• ½ cup (120 g) water
  
• 2-3 sprigs (6 g) parsley

Directions:

Pare eggplants in strips and cut into 1 cm (½ inch) thick slices. Brown lightly in oil in a non-stick pan until lightly browned on both sides. Remove from pan, reserving oil. Layer eggplants in a shallow pan.

Add ground meat and finely chopped onions to oil left in pan; stir. Brown for 8-10 minutes or until meat is crumbly; drain.

Stir in 1 diced tomato, tomato paste, salt and pepper. Cover and simmer for 4-5 minutes. Add water, mixing well. Bring to boil.

Pour mixture over eggplants and spread. Top with sliced tomato. Cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes (or bake in a moderate oven for 15 minutes) until tender.

Remove from heat. Garnish with parsley leaves before serving. Serve hot.

Makes 6 servings.


Cultural notes:

Patlıcan musakka is a very common dish during the summer months in Turkey. It is usually served as a main dish for lunch or supper with pilaf (rice) and cacık (cucumer/yogurt salad).

In the winter it was traditionally made with dried eggplant.

This recipe is adapted from Samples from Turkish Cuisine.

Mushroom Soup with Yogurt -- Mantar Çorbası

Here's another good cold-weather soup that's easy to make fresh at home and very delicious. Though the recipe doesn't call for it, I like to add fresh lemon juice--usually just a dash per bowl when serving it up hot.



Ingredients:

• 8-12 large mushrooms (150 g)
• 3 2/3 cups water or broth (900 g)
• 1 1/3 cups yogurt (330 g)
• ½ cup whole-grain flour (55 g)
• 2 teaspoons sea salt (12 g)
• 2 cloves garlic (6 g)
• 3 tablespoons butter (40 g)
• ½ teaspoon red pepper (1 g)

Directions:

Cut mushrooms into quarters. Place water or broth in a saucepan. Bring to a boil. Add mushrooms into boiling water. Reduce heat. Simmer for 30-35 minutes or until mushrooms are tender.

In a bowl, combine yogurt and flour, blending well. Stir this mixture into mushrooms gradually and stir constantly. Reduce heat.

Season with salt. Simmer gently for 10 minutes. Add crushed garlic; mix.

Melt butter in a skillet. Stir in red pepper; mix. Dribble red pepper/butter mixture over soup. Serve hot.

6 servings.

Regional Characteristics:

The original recipe comes from Bolu province. Usually, a small type of mushroom, called "Mihtepesi," is used in soup making. This dish is also prepared in the Aegean Region.

This recipe is adapted from Samples from Turkish Cuisine.

Cream of Tomato Soup -- Şafak Çorbası

As the weather gets a bit nippy, I love a good, warm soup. And Turkish cuisine offers several. The first I'd like to share is one most people are familiar with, but made fresh at home -- Cream of Tomato Soup, or Şafak Çorbası. This recipe is easy and excellent.

Ingredients:

• ½ cup whole grain flour (55 g)
• 3 tablespoons butter (40 g)
• 5 cups water or broth (1200 ml)
• 3 medium size tomatoes (375 g)
• 2 teaspoons sea salt (12 g)
• 1 small egg (50 g)
• 3/4 cup + 1 ½ tablespoons milk (200 g)
• ½ teaspoon black pepper (1 g)
• 2 thin slices whole grain or sprouted bread (40 g)

Directions:

Brown flour lightly over low heat in melted butter. Add hot water or broth, stirring thoroughly. Bring to a boil.

Add peeled and sliced tomatoes. Sprinkle with salt. Simmer for 30-35 minutes, or until tomatoes are very tender.

Place into a food processor or using a stick blender, process until well blended and creamy.

Bring soup back to a boil and simmer for 1 minute.

In a small bowl, combine well beaten egg and milk, blending well. Stir egg/milk mixture into soup, adding gradually in a stream and mixing thoroughly. Boil gently for 1 minute.

Sprinkle with black pepper. Top with toasted bread cubes. Serve hot.

8 servings.

Regional Characteristics:

This soup is cooked in different parts of the country. When fresh tomato is not available, tomato paste (or canned tomatoes) can be used instead).

This recipe is adapted from Samples from Turkish Cuisine.

Ayran -- Turkish Buttermilk

While I'm on a yogurt craze, here's a recipe for a very popular drink in Turkey that is easy to make out of yogurt. It took me a while to get used to it, but I love it now. It's nutritious and delicious.

When we make Ayran at home, we keep it very simple. Mix plain, whole yogurt with a bit of water and salt to taste. You want the consitency to be like buttermilk. Chill, or serve with ice. I usually prefer mine chilled without ice.

Here's a recipe from Samples from Turkish Cuisine that's a different version:

Ingredients:

3 cups yogurt (750 g)
2 cups milk (500 g)
2 ½ cups water ( 600 g)
1 ½ teaspoons salt (9g) (I use sea salt)

Directions:

Place yogurt in a bowl. Beat with a fork or a hand mixer untill well blended. Add milk gradually, mixing well. Stir in iced cold water. Add salt; mix well. Serve cold.

Cultural Note:

[Ayran] is a very popular drink all over the country. It is served with kebabs, kőftes, meat dishes and pilafs as a beverage or it is just served as a refreshment during summer months. Amount of yogurt can be reduced to 1/3 cup per person for a thinner consistency. Only milk, or only water, can be used a liquid. It should always be served cold.