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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Polish Bób (Fava Beans) and Burrata Salad

Have you ever traveled too much or had too many guests that you feel like you just can’t keep up?

Well, that’s how I’ve been feeling since our aunt visited us in Warsaw in early May. The last two months have been a whirlwind of trips and guests, and I know I probably shouldn’t complain. At last, we have slowed down…for the time being, and I can catch up on my neglected blog. Sorry guys!

And I’m finally back in the kitchen whipping up a few goodies, so I thought I would share my recent recipe.

Last week, I went to my favorite farmer’s market at Hala Mirowska for the third time that week and decided to purchase a kilo of  already peeled Polish bób (aka: broad or fava beans). I was inspired after having a beautiful burrata salad with fresh Polish bób (funny name) at the cutest wine bar, Ale Wino! (my recent discovery), in the trendy Mokotowska neighborhood. 

Polish bób and burrata salad at Ale Wino! in Warsaw. 

I’ve never prepared the beans this way at home before because the peeling process is a pain in the butt, but I figured I would give it a go…at least once. As I mentioned to my readers on My Traveling Joys Facebook page, I prepared Polish bób perhaps for the first and last time. One kilo of the fava beans = 700 grams of peeled fava beans, which I guess is a much better yield than shelling peas!

I followed these instructions on The Kitchn: How to clean and peel the fava beans. Some readers mentioned that they don’t do the second peeling process, but my beans were looking a bit older and the skins seemed tough.

My dear readers also suggested a variety of ways to cook my precious Polish bób such as this Cold Bób Salad from Lois of the Polish Housewife blog and this Turkish meze from Ozlem’s Turkish Table of Broad Beans Dip with Dill and Red Peppers (Zeytinyagli, Kirmizi Biberli Fava). Using the fava beans in salads seemed to be the most popular option as well as a dip or serving them in a risotto or pasta. In the end, I reserved half of the fava beans to serve with my own version of a burrata salad.

Luckily, we have a fantastic Italian grocery store here called Piccola Italia & Mediterraneo located in Centrum Warsaw where I can stock up on Italian cheeses and meats as well as pasta, ravioli, sundried tomatoes and more. This is where I bought the burrata cheese, which is a fresh Italian cheese made from mozzarella and cream. It’s divine!

At home, I seasoned the fava beans with fresh herbs from our balcony garden, really good Italian extra virgin olive oil, French fleur de sel and freshly ground black pepper. Toss and arrange everything together and you’ll have a beautiful salad bowl that will almost be too pretty to eat!

Smacznego!

Polish Bób (Fava Beans) and Burrata Salad

Yields: A generous portion for 2 hungry people

300-350           grams   cleaned, peeled Polish bób (broad or fava beans)

1                      ball of fresh Italian burrata cheese

12                    cherry tomatoes, sliced in half

1                      Tablespoon Italian olive oil and a little more for garnish

1                      Tablespoon fresh lemon juice

¼                     cup      fresh herbs, finely chopped (basil, dill, Italian parsley and a bit of mint)

To taste           salt (fleur de sel) and freshly ground black pepper

Optional:         edible flowers such as chive blossoms, pansies or nasturtiums for garnish

                        1 Tablespoon toasted pine nuts

If you have older fava beans like I did, you’ll definitely want to blanch and peel off the second skin.

If your fava beans seem a little too al dente after you peel them, you’ll need to simmer the beans 2-5 minutes in boiling, salted water. Mine seemed tender enough after I peeled them so I skipped this step.

In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the lemon juice and olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add the herbs.

Place the seasoned fava beans in a large salad bowl. Toss the cherry tomatoes into the previous bowl. Season with salt and pepper as needed.

Then, place the burrata in the middle of the fava beans. Arrange the seasoned tomatoes around the cheese.

Drizzle a bit more of olive oil over the burrata. Garnish with edible flowers and toasted pine nuts.

To serve, divide the burrata in half and disperse the beans and tomatoes between two bowls. Enjoy!

This burrata salad is hubby approved!

This is just one of my herb containers on our balcony. I love having my fresh herbs and these cherry tomatoes right outside our kitchen!

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Making a Turkish Feast at Home in Warsaw

It only seems appropriate that I post about Turkish food today as I’m headed to Istanbul this afternoon.

I know it’s only been two months since my last visit when I enjoyed my Breakfast by the Bosphorus, but I simply cannot stay away! Like a first love, Istanbul completely stole my heart when we lived there, and I miss my friends.

Funny enough, I probably have cooked more Turkish food at our home here in Warsaw than I even did in Istanbul. I no longer can call up Ali Baba and get a quick dinner delivery or stop by the kebab vendor down the street. If I want Turkish food, I best make it myself.

Sure, Warsaw is full of döner kebab vendors all over the city, but it’s definitely not the same. I don’t want some strange tomato or yogurt sauce in my döner.

I’ve always loved Turkish mezes! So a few weeks ago, I invited a new couple over for dinner and decided to make kabak yoğurtlu (zucchini with yogurt), patlıcan salatası (roasted eggplant with yogurt) and Turkish shakshuka/şakşuka (fried eggplant with tomatoes and yogurt). Luckily, I’ve found several brands of thick Greek yogurt here that works quite well to substitute for Turkish yogurt.

Here are my meze dishes of  patlıcan salatası and kabak yoğurtlu.

I turned to three of my favorite Turkish food bloggers for my recipes and inspiration – Claudia of A Seasonal Cook in Turkey, Ilke of Ilke’s Kitchen and Ozlem of Ozlem’s Turkish Table. Luckily, I’ve met all of these lovely ladies in person when I lived in Istanbul and love reading their blogs from afar. I highly recommend checking them out for delicious Turkish recipes!

I used a combination of recipes for the shakshuka/şakşuka from Ozlem and Claudia. Check out both recipes here: Fried aubergine eggplant, courgette and peppers with tomato sauce and Shakshuka Aubergine Meze.

Be sure to serve plenty of bread with this meze as you'll want to eat every last drop of it!

We can find decent eggplant here in Poland so I’ve used Claudia’s recipe several times now to make my own patlıcan salatası. So simple and so delicious! I use a mortar to crush my garlic with salt before mixing in with my yogurt.

My market haul to make to make this Turkish meal at home.

For the third meze, I used Ilke’s recipe for kabak yoğurtlu. This is another simple, but delicious recipe.

For a salad course, I made this summery Turkish tomato-pomegranate salad called gavurdağı salad. I realize we also tried this yummy salad when we were on our southeast Turkey road trip last year in Gaziantep.

Finally, for our main course, I made stuffed peppers Turkish-style…otherwise known as biber dolması, which is my version. I’ve made these dolmas so many times now that it’s easy enough to make vegetarian versions as well as differently spiced ones depending on what I have at home.

Looks like no matter, where I live, I’ll always find a way to make some of my favorite Turkish recipes too.

Smacznego!

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Yeşil Mercimek Salatası (Green Lentil Salad)

Since I did very little cooking these past two weeks, I wanted to make something healthy for dinner tonight.

My first inspiration came from right outside our apartment windows. My basil plants finally have grown big enough so I could harvest some of the leaves. I decided to make a summer salad based on lentils, tomatoes and fresh herbs that I often made when I lived in Kansas.

Thanks to the thriving local farmers market and a co-op grocery store in Lawrence, Kansas, I discovered a local cookbook, Rolling Prairie Cookbook, by Nancy O’Connor. The cookbook features fresh fruits and vegetables and utilizing them as much as possible in the kitchen. I fondly looked to a dog-eared page of the “Lentil and feta cheese salad” to refresh my memory.

As with any salad, you can really utilize whatever fresh ingredients you have on hand. Today, I went to the Ulus pazar so my refrigerator was stocked up with plenty of fresh herbs and vegetables. My recipe is not a traditional version of a Turkish yeşil mercimek salatası.

My only advice is to be careful cooking the lentils so as not to overcook them, and to let the lentils thoroughly cool down before you add the herbs and veggies.

Afiyet Olsun!

Yeşil Mercimek Salatası (Green Lentil Salad)

Ingredients:
1 c. green lentils (yeşil mercimek), rinsed
2 c. water or chicken stock (I used the stock to give the lentils more flavor.)

2 medium tomatoes, medium chopped
2 cucumbers, sliced in circles
½ small red onion, finely diced
12 Turkish black olives, roughly chopped (Tip: I used a cherry pitter to easily pit the olives.)
2-3 T. fresh basil, chiffonade
2-3 T. fresh parsley, chopped
2-3 T. fresh dill, chopped
TT salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 T. olive oil
1 T. nar ekşili sos (pomegranate molasses)

Optional: add crumbled beyaz peynir to the salad right before serving.

1. In a medium-sized pot, add the lentils and water or chicken stock. Bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer until tender, about 25 to 30 minutes.
2. While the lentils are cooking, prep the vegetables and herbs. Mix everything together, season with salt and pepper.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil and nar ekşili sos. Drizzle the vinaigrette over the ingredients. Set the mixture aside in the refrigerator.
4. When the lentils are done cooking, rinse with cold water. Strain. Let the lentils cool completely before mixing with the fresh ingredients. Refrigerate the mixed salad for at least 1 hour to allow the flavors to mingle together.

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Celebrating With Margaritas in Istanbul

(I tried to get this posted on Friday before we left for Antalya, but I was experiencing problems with my computer. So I guess you must read the post a little late.)

We’re in Turkey so I had completely forgotten it was Cinco de Mayo last week.

Apparently, my husband hadn’t. During the day, he called me saying he wanted to make his infamous, salt-rimmed margaritas when he got home from work and asked if I would make my tomato salsa. (Remember our horrible Turkish-made margarita experience here?)

Off to the store I went to procure the needed groceries.

In the U.S., Americans celebrate Cinco de Mayo (May 5th) with copious amounts of tacos, nachos and tequila-laced margaritas, not even realizing the real meaning of the day for many people of Mexican descent. Cinco de Mayo commemorates the day in 1862 when the Mexican army fought and defeated the French army in a David-and-Goliath-like battle. In the U.S. and some states in Mexico, the date is often celebrated with fiestas and parades so people can honor their Mexican heritage.

These were going to be some “expensive” margaritas. 1 kilo of limes cost 15 TL (about $10 USD). Reserved bottles of Jose Cuervo tequila and Grand Marnier from airport duty free = priceless. 1 bag of tortilla chips = 10 TL ($6.50). Still cheaper and better to make the drinks at home.

As I’ve said before, hubby is an excellent bartender. I let him have his fun in the kitchen while I finished making the salsa. He squeezed the limes with our giant hand juicer and even made a simple syrup. 

He also garnished the margaritas with these adorable slug-like creatures he learned to make from a bartender on our honeymoon in Belize last year.

Now, Jason won’t divulge the exact measurements of his drink to me. However, if you’d like to make these margaritas at home, please email me and he will share the recipe individually with you. I will say his margaritas are top-notch and pack a good punch. We enjoyed them while we noshed on the chips and salsa at home.

In the meantime, I will share my simple salsa recipe made ala Turkish-style, of course.

Afiyet olsun!

Joy's Mexican Salsa
Ingredients:

500 g. (Antalya) tomatoes, medium diced
½ ea. small onion, diced small
2 ea. pickled acı Turkish peppers (for a medium-spiced salsa)
TT fresh lime juice, chopped cilantro, salt and pepper

Place ingredients in a medium-sized bowl, stir to combine. Add the lime juice, cilantro, salt and pepper to your liking.

Serve with tortilla chips.

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Happy Fat Tuesday!

New Orleans holds a special place in my heart.

It's where Jason and I were married last year. We will celebrate our 1-year anniversary later this month on the 26th with a little trip to London.

Today, an estimated 1 million people will celebrate Mardi Gras in New Orleans back in the states. Although we are very far away from those celebrations, that doesn't mean I can't cook some Cajun food at home.

Over the weekend, I invited two of my American classmates from my Turkish class to our apartment for a meal of New Orleans' fixins. This delightful couple also were married in the French Quarter in New Orleans.

When I think of New Orleans' food, I generally think of three things - gumbo, jambalaya and oysters. I made gumbo awhile back so I opted to make a version of jambalaya with chicken, shrimp and sucuk. The sucuk makes an excellent substitute for Andouille sausage even though its made from beef and not pork.

I looked through one of my favorite old New Orleans' cookbooks, "Recipes and Reminiscences of New Orleans," for inspiration. I enjoy reading these homey recipes collected from dozens of southern women.

One of the appetizer recipes talked about crab-stuffed tomatoes. Well, I don't have crab here, but I decided to fill cherry tomatoes with a mixture of labne, black olives and a little bit of French truffle oil instead. They were quite delicious!

Making jambalaya is similar to making a hearty pot of stew filled with all sorts of goodies. Jambalaya is akin to the saffron-colored paella native to the Spanish culture. It usually consists of the southern "trininty" of celery, onions and bell peppers, tomatoes (if you make Creole jambalaya), various meats and rice. I had to make a few substitutions, but the resulting dish resembled many of the jambalayas we've eaten in New Orleans.

A ladle full of steaming hot jambalaya.

I even decorated our dining table with some of our Mardi Gras beads (leftover wedding favors) to make it feel festive.

And, of course, I had to make a king cake for dessert. A king cake is a Mardi Gras tradition - based on a rich brioche-like dough decorated with icing and colorful baking sprinkles. Inside, you often will find a small trinket such as a plastic baby (which is supposed to represent baby Jesus), pecan or a legume. Tradition goes that if you get the piece of cake with the trinket then you are responsible for buying the cake for next celebration.

Wherever you may be, I hope you enjoy cooking a little Cajun food at your home like we did.

Today, I'll close with "Laissez Les Bon Temps Roulez!"

Chicken, Shrimp and Sucuk Jambalaya

Easily serves 8 to 10 people. (I would cut the recipe in half if you have less than 4 people.)

Ingredients:

1  lg.            yellow onion, small diced

2  c.             red and green peppers (In Turkey, approx. 3 dolma biber, 2 kirmizi biber)

1  ea.           Turkish hot pepper

4-6               garlic cloves, roughly chopped

1  #   500 g.  chicken breast, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

8 oz./235 g.  package of sucuk, cut into small pieces

7 oz./200 g.  fresh karides or shrimp, cleaned

1  400 g.       can of diced tomatoes

4  T.              tomato paste

2+                 cans of water or stock (I just used the tomato can to measure this.)

1  c.              Baldo or long-grain rice

TT               fresh parsley, salt, pepper, cayenne pepper

Optional      hot sauce (can be added to the jambalaya or simply placed on the table)

1.  In a large stockpot, heat 2 T. of vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Add and saute' the peppers, onions and garlic. Cook this mixture for about 8 minutes or until the vegetables start to soften.

2.  Add the chicken and sucuk. Cook for about 10 minutes until the chicken is no longer pink on the outside, stirring occasionally. 

3.  Then, add the diced tomatoes, tomato paste, water or stock, shrimp, rice and seasonings. Turn the heat down to low, cover the pot with a lid and cook for 20 minutes or until the rice is tender. You may need to add a little more water if your mixture appears too thick.

4.  Taste and adjust the seasonings to your liking. 

In New Orleans, you will always find at least one kind of hot sauce served on the table. (I even found Louisiana Hot Sauce here at one of my little shops.)

Labne-Stuffed Cherry Tomatoes

(Inspired by my friend, Sharon in Istanbul, whom uses pesto instead of the black olive paste)

Ingredients:
As needed cherry tomatoes
TT             labne, black olive paste, salt and peper
Optional    truffle oil
Garnish     fresh parsley

1.  Trim and carefully hollow out the center of the cherry tomatoes, using a paring knife and a small measuring spoon.
2.  In a small bowl, stir together some labne with a spoonful of the black olive paste and a drizzle of truffle oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
3.  Place the mixture in a resealable plastic bag, trimming off the end. Pipe the mixture into the cherry tomatoes.
4. When finished, garnish the tomatoes with the parsley.

Here I am with my new American friends, Spencer and Stephanie, who are studying Turkish.

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Easy Turkish Salad Utilizes Late Summer Harvest

Moving is never easy. I’ve moved six times since 2004. Turkey was my first international moving experience, and so far so good.

The “BIG” day went surprisingly well. It felt like we had an army of movers bringing in boxes and helping us unpack. I didn’t cook the first night as we were (and still are) living out of boxes.

However, I spent the following day organizing my kitchen and three bookshelves that house my cookbook collection and other fiction books. This project took several hours since I’m very particular on where I like my kitchen necessities located. Finally, I realized I needed to actually buy some food to stock up the pantry and to make dinner.

I decided to make a salad and cook pasta because it’s easy. I sautéed some diced chicken breasts and garlic, which I then added to the cooked penne pasta and finished with fresh basil. Season with salt, pepper and a little olive oil – Turkish of course!

My favorite go-to salad is the Turkish “Çoban Salatası,” which means Shepherd’s Salad. It’s a perfect combination of tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, fresh herbs, lemon juice and olive oil. You see the salad on nearly every menu. We’ve tried it a dozen or so different times, and it seems like every restaurant has its particular version. I’ve created my own version too.

Çoban Salatası is very easy to make and tastes light and refreshing. It’s also a good way to use up any late summer tomatoes or cucumbers you have in your own garden or from the farmer’s market. Enjoy!

Ingredients (serves 4, or approximately 2 large portions for 2 people):
3-4 tomatoes, medium diced
2 small-sized cucumbers, halved, quartered and then sliced
¼ red onion, chopped small
½ bunch flat-leaf parsley, chopped
3 T. fresh dill, chopped
1-2 T. extra virgin olive oil,
juice from 1 lemon
salt and pepper.

In a bowl, mix the vegetables together with the parsley and dill. Simply, drizzle a little olive oil and lemon juice on top. Season the salad with salt and pepper.

Joy’s other options: Along with the parsley, you can add some fresh mint or basil. We also drizzle ours with “Nar Eksisi Sosu” – a tangy pomegranate syrup. Not traditional, but you can add fresh feta which is similar to the crumbly “beyaz peynir” (literally means white cheese) we use here.

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