|
|
|
 |
|
Along
with grains, vegetables are also consumed in large
quantities in the Turkish diet. The simplest and
most basic type of vegetable dish is prepared by
slicing a main vegetable such as zucchini or
eggplant, combining it with tomatoes, green
peppers and onions, and cooking it slowly in
butter and its own juices. Since the vegetables
that are cultivated in Turkey are truly delicious,
a simple dish like this, eaten with a sizeable
chunk of fresh bread, is a satisfying meal for
many people. A whole class of vegetables is cooked
in olive oil. These dishes would be third in a
five-course meal, following the soup and a main
course such as rice or börek and vegetable / meat,
and before dessert and fruit. Practically all
vegetables, such as fresh string-beans, artichokes,
root celery eggplants, pinto beans, or zucchini
can be cooked in olive oil, and are typically
eaten at room-temperature. So they are a staple
part of the menu with variations depending on the
season. Then there are the fried vegetables, such
as eggplant, peppers or zucchinis, that are eaten
with a tomato or a yoğurt sauce.
|
|
| "Dolma"
is the generic term for stuffed vegetables, being a
derivative of the verb "doldurmak"
or "to
fill",
it actually means "stuffed" in Turkish.
There are two categories of dolmas: those filled with
a meat mix or with a rice mix. The latter are cooked
in olive oil and eaten at room-temperature. The meat
dolma is a main-course dish eaten with a yogurt sauce,
and a very frequent one in the average household. Any
vegetable which can be filled with or wrapped around
these mixes can be used in a dolma, including zucchini,
eggplants, tomatoes, cabbage, and grapevine leaves.
However, the green pepper dolma with the rice stuffing,
has to be the queen of all dolmas. A royal feast to
the eye and the palate...
|
|
|
 |
| In
addition to these general categories, there are
numerous meat and vegetable dishes which feature
unique recipes. When talking vegetables, it is
important to know that the eggplant (or
aubergine)
has a special place in the Turkish Cuisine. This
handsome vegetable with its brown-green cap,
velvety purple, firm and slim body has a richer
flavor than that of its relatives found elsewhere.
At a party a frustrating question to ask a Turk
would be "How
do you usually cook your eggplant?"
A proper answer to this question would require
hours!
|
|
|
Here,
too, it will have to suffice to mention two eggplant
dishes that are a must to taste. In one, the eggplant is
split lengthwise and filled with a meat mix. This is a
common summer dish, eaten with white rice pilaf. The other
one is "Her
Majesty's Favorite",
a delicate formal dish that is not easy to make but well
worth trying. The name refers to Empress Eugenie, the wife
of Napoleon III, who fell in love with it on her visit to
Sultan Abdülaziz. To taste these dishes, look for a
"Lokanta".
Borrowed from the Italian "Locanda",
the type of establishment where traditional cooking is
prepared most usually for those who work nearby The best
examples are the Borsa, Hacı Salih, and Konyalı in
Istanbul and Liman and Çiftlik in Ankara. The tables are
covered with white linen, and the menu comprises soups,
traditional main dishes and desserts, including fresh
fruit. Businessmen and politicians frequently visit these
places for lunch.
|
|
