Here the vegetarian food is absolutely delicious and a feast for the eyes. Hospitality and friendliness are part of the social fabric. Turkish people are passionate about food. Every major event, social or religious, is grabbed as an opportunity to lay out beautifully prepared meals and celebrate together. Eating together with friends makes it even more enjoyable.
Vegetarian meals lovingly prepared by a local village cook are colourfully laid out in buffet style. There is plenty of variety for vegan and gluten-free diets. Sometimes there will be some fish or chicken on the menu. The vegetables that we get from the market grow so luxuriantly that they scarcely need chemical fertilisers and you will notice how full of flavour they are compared to supermarket produce.
A feast for the eyes
Tender vine leaves and courgette flowers are picked from a friend’s garden to be stuffed with pine nuts, dill, fruit, cinnamon and rice to make ‘dolma’. There’s a great variety of fresh food, herbs and local vegetables that you would only get in this part of Turkey. Böreks are made with nettle and wild vegetables that the village people collect from the mountains.
What’s fresh and seasonal in the markets makes its way to our table and our cook has been lavished with compliments and requests for lessons. For those who are interested, a complimentary cooking session can be arranged after lunch or before the evening practice.
