Meze Digest: Making the most of summer's bounty, Turkish food culture & seasonal recipes
A collection of recent and older posts for new (and long standing) readers.
Congratulations to us! A few days ago, this newsletter surged passed 6,000 subscribers. Thanks so much for being here!
A good time then, for another edition of Meze Digest, where I recap this month’s new posts and recipes (free and paid), but also highlight a few things fromt he archives that are worth revisiting. Whether you’re new here or just missed them the first time around.
With all best wishes from Istanbul ☀️
Vidar
In this edition:
Ingredient corner
Turkish food & food culture
Recipes
Posts and recipes marked (+) require a paid subscription to read.
🍅 Ingredient corner
NEW: Making the most of tomato season
I’m eating them every day, with every meal, while they’re sweet, plump and in season. Here’s a few ways in which I like to use them, from breakfast to lunch or dinner, including a few recipes.
6 ways to up your aubergine (eggplant) game
Prized for its silky flesh, versatility and ability to mingle with a wide range of flavours, here’s a few tips to make your eggplants sing!
🇹🇷 Turkish food & food culture
NEW: 6 Turkish recipe keepers
What I like to cook when it's hot and the sun is shining.
The Turkish way with tomato paste
Much more than a way to boost the flavour of tinned tomatoes, tomato paste (tomato purée if you’re American), is an essential staple in Turkish cuisine, where it’s used as an ingredient in its own right. Here’s a few ways – along with some recipes.
A village feast to remember
A tale of village hospitality that has so sadly all but disappeared from so many cultures in recent times. (Pictured above.)
🍴 Recipes
NEW: Chebureki (Fried meat turnover)
Let me introduce you to the national dish of Crimean Tatar cuisine, a delicious fried turnover stuffed with meat and onions. A delight to eat, and fairly easy to make.
→ Get the recipe (free version, with ads)
→ Get the recipe (for paying subscribers, without ads)
NEW: Pasta salad with tomato, olives & feta cheese
Ideal for picnics or the lunch box.
→ Get the recipe (+)
NEW: Ayran aşı (Cold yoghurt soup with wheat, cucumber & chickpeas)
A refreshing and filling dish that I first had during the photo shoot for my first book. Needless to say, I had to include it in my second. Perfect for those hot summer days!
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NEW: Chickpeas & bread in fresh tomato sauce
Simple and tasty summer dish that's ready in less than half an hour, this recipe makes perfect use of my favourite way to make sourdough croutons.
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The best tomato salad in the world
Not my words, but my version of what my friend promised me was “the best tomato salad in the world”. I couldn’t but agree more, and after countless iteration, I’ve come to an equally good version at home.
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Roast tomato salad with fennel tadka
A simple and absolutely delicious way to enjoy tomatoes. Works well as a starter, nibble or even a side dish to grills.
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🔜 Coming this weekend for paying subscribers:
Lamb with tomato & isot aioli
Perhaps my favourite way to enjoy lamb in summer, with fresh slices of tomato, herbs and a delicious isot aioli. This, a piece of toast and a large bowl of green salad is all I need for dinner!
This recipe will be a bonus recipe for paying subscribers.