Heirloom Tomatoes in Turkish Gavurdağı Salatası

When you find really tasty tomatoes, especially heirloom varieties, you want to keep the flavors fresh and simple.

That’s why I fell in love with Turkish cooking because it emphasizes fresh ingredients such as tomatoes and herbs.

Heirloom tomatoes and fresh summery greens at home in Warsaw.

Last week, hubby asked if I could make Turkish kebabs and mezes one night. I said, tabii ki (of course)! So on Wednesday, I went to the BioBazar here in Warsaw and discovered a stall selling the BEST heirloom tomatoes I’ve seen outside of the U.S. The Polish farmer, who spoke excellent English, told me he specializes in unique products like the heirloom tomatoes, herbs and greens (Swiss chard, Italian lettuces and more) and sells many of his organic products to local restaurants.

The BioBazar is open open on Wednesdays and Saturdays in these old pre-WWII factory buildings.

I knew exactly which Turkish dish I would use these heirloom tomatoes in – a Gavurdağı Salatası – a sweet, tangy and slightly spicy tomato-parsley-pomegranate salad that is utterly delicious! This salad is named after the Gavur mountain, part of the Tarsus mountains in Southeast Turkey. It’s one we tried for the first time when we visited Gaziantep, a city in SE Turkey, two years ago.

In Gaziantep, we tried Gavurdağı Salatası at both Imam Cağdaş and Kebapci Halil Usta. The tangy spice, sumac, also was used in these versions.

Some versions of Gavurdağı Salatası add sumac or freshly chopped mint leaves. Other recipes like this one by my friend, Claudia of A Seasonal Cook in Turkey, include green peppers and more onions than what I like. As salads go, simply taste yours and see what you would like to add or modify.

My version of Gavurdağı Salatası was the perfect summery complement to an evening at home with Turkish kebabs and mezes. Turkish raki included, of course! I hope you’ll enjoy this salad as much as we did!

Afiyet olsun!

Gavurdağı Salatası (Tomato, Parsley and Pomegranate Salad)

Serves: 2-4 people

Ingredients:

4-5                              medium heirloom or regular tomatoes, deseeded and chopped small
¼                                 large white onion, chopped small

1          cup                  flat parsley, roughly chopped

1          teaspoon          ground cumin

1          teaspoon          dried mint

1          teaspoon          ground black pepper

Pinch                           crushed red pepper flakes (Turkish pul biber)

To taste                       salt

2          Tablespoons    walnuts, chopped

Dressing:

2          Tablespoons    Turkish olive oil

1          Tablespoon      pomegranate molasses (nar ekşisi)

Juice                            from ½ a lemon

1          ea.                    garlic clove crushed with salt in a mortar and pestle

Preparation:

Chop the tomatoes, onions and parsley into small pieces and place in a bowl.

Discard the tomato seeds and extra juice so you don't make your salad too "wet."

Sprinkle the spices on top.

In a small glass jar, add the dressing ingredients and shake to mix well. Pour over the salad when ready to serve. Alternatively, mix the ingredients in a small bowl with a whisk.

Garnish the salad with the chopped walnuts.

Serve the salad with fresh bread or pita so you can enjoy the delicious, spicy juices at the bottom of the bowl.

NOTE: We had about 1 cup of salad left that we finished off the next morning as part of a Turkish breakfast at home. Simply serve with cheese, hardboiled eggs and fresh bread.

I love Turkish mezes like these!

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The Joys of Parsley: Tabbouleh Salad

After two weeks of eating out more than usual, I jumped back into the kitchen this weekend.

My husband and I decided we need to start exercising more often and eat healthier to rid the extra pounds put on by our recent vacations and some of the Turkish food that we love such as bread, cheese, gözleme, pide, sigara böreği, baklava, desserts, etc.

Indulging in too many carbohydrates became a problem for me once I turned 30. My no-fail metabolism just doesn’t work as well as it once did. So now, I’ll just need to watch what I eat for awhile.

On Saturday, we stocked up on fresh fruits and vegetables at the Beşiktaş pazar. I ended up with 2 very large bunches of maydanoz (Italian parsley), and I knew exactly what I would make with it - Tabbouleh. A traditional Lebanese Tabbouleh is a healthy, green, herbal salad where bulgur and tomatoes are used as the garnishes and not the other way around.

Shortly after I first arrived in  Istanbul, I took a Lebanese cooking class through the IWI. A Lebanese expat living in Istanbul taught us how to make Tabbouleh, Mdardara and several other Lebanese dishes. Then, in February, during my intensive Turkish language classes, one of my fellow classmates, Mehmet, was from Lebanon. He knew I enjoyed cooking and asked his mother back home to share her Tabbouleh recipe with me. Now, I have two different recipes to use as references in my kitchen.

Parsley is the main star in Tabbouleh. This leafy herb also is an excellent source of vitamin C, vitamin A, and folic acid, one of the most important B vitamins. 

I’ve eaten more parsley this past year than I ever have in my entire life, often chopping up some to mix in with my roka and tomato salads. One cup of parsley contains only 22 calories, but 2 grams each of fiber and protein.

Tabbouleh is a simple recipe with seven basic ingredients - parsley, mint, tomatoes, onion, olive oil, lemon juice and fine bulgur. We enjoyed eating this salad two nights in a row.

Chopping the parsley and mint is what takes the most time. I found the best way to clean the herbs was to line the basket of my salad spinner with paper towels, place the chopped parsley and mint inside, rinse and spin until the herbs were fairly dry. You lose some of the herbs in the process, but it's much easier to chop the herbs first and then wash them.

Next time, instead of treating parsley as an unwelcome garnish, use this herb to make a delicious and nutritional salad.

Afiyet olsun!

Tabbouleh Salad
Serves 6 to 8

Ingredients:
2 ½ bunches fresh Italian parsley, washed and finely chopped
½ bunch fresh mint, washed and finely chopped
2 medium tomatoes, diced
1 small onion, finely diced

50 g. finely cracked bulgur (köftelik bulgur)
50 ml. olive oil
50 ml. fresh lemon juice
My additions:
pinch dried sumac (This red, tart spice, often used in Middle Eastern cooking, is derived from the berry of a plant called Rhus coriaria.)
Generous drizzle Nar ekşisi sos
To taste salt and pepper

1. Cover the bulgur with hot water and let sit for at least 15 minutes. The grains will swell up as it rests. Drain the bulgur in a strainer, pressing on it to remove any excess water.
2. Place the parsley, mint, tomatoes and onion in a large bowl, gently mix.
3. Then, add the bulgur, olive oil, lemon juice and other seasonings as you desire. Season with salt and pepper. Gently mix again.
4. Line a platter with clean lettuce leaves and arrange the Tabbouleh on top of them.

This is the original recipe from my classmate, Mehmet, who is from Lebanon.

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