What the Heck?! Wednesdays: Bıçak=Knife

I'm attempting a second series to go along with Turkish Meal Mondays.  I'm considering calling it "What the Heck?! Wednesdays."  I know it's Thursday. Too bad.

"What the Heck?! Wednesdays" will focus on the heart-warming, rediculous, and sometimes frustrating stories from our school days.  Teaching in Turkey is trying and difficult.  We come home exhausted,  our days off are nothing short of precious. That being said, we love our students.  Most of the time. They are creative, silly, smart, obnoxious, loud, affectionate and adorable.  And they make for some delightful stories. Enjoy... 

Scene:  Breakfast time in the Cafeteria
Cast:  Miss Erin and 2a (2nd grade monkeys)
Stars of the show: Aylin, Muhamet Emir, and Pelin

While eating a breakfast of olives, cheese, bread, and chocolate spread, I noticed Aylin looking around her plate for something to spread her chocolate with.  She eyed me for a few seconds and then turned to Pelin and Muhamet Emir.

Aylin is very bright, and enthusiastic.  Sometimes she forgets the English words that she already knows, but she always wants to say it to me in English.  Muhamet Emir is SUPER good at English. He never forgets ANYTHING.  Even though I have two students in my class who speak English fluently, children often turn to Muhamet Emir to translate something from them.  Pelin is a goof-ball. She is crazy sociable, and crazy funny, and crazy everything.  So that's the combination of minds working on figuring out the word "knife."

Heads pressed together. Whispers were exchanged.  Nods of agreement... Aylin emerges... and confidently announces "Miss Erin, I haven't got any trousers!"

Cue Pelin and Muhamet Emir falling off their chairs in a fit of shrieking giggles. 

Aylin whipped her head around in suspicion, and realized too late that trousers was not the word she was looking for. 

I have to hand it to them.  They got her good.  

Turkish Meal Mondays: Havuç Mezes

In an effort to blog more, and record more of our day-to-day life here in Turkey, we're starting a new series: Turkish Meal Mondays!

Turkish Meal Mondays are a glimpse into the food we enjoy here in Turkey, accompanied by a recipe.  Mondays are one of our favourite days, because they're Market Days. Ever since our first market day a year and a half ago we have only missed two, due to torrential down pour a few weeks ago.  Our trips to the market will continue to focus on selecting fresh and delish produce to use in our weekly Turkish recipes.  Get ready... This blog just became appealing to foodies. 

 Today we're making Havuç Mezes or carrot appetizers. I'm not sure what this dish is actually called.  I've never seen it in a cook book, or even eaten it at a restaurant. Our neighbor Hacar taught me to make it last year, on a night when the women folk cooked for the men.  Cus that's what they do here.  I still haven't really picked up on that part of the culture. Too bad for Alan. But the recipe stuck, because it's YUMMY.

In Turkey, mezes are served in little bowls before dinner, and are usually served with bread to dip into them.  Like other mezes, you can eat this on bread, or with a fork.  Go wild.

Ingredients:
2 large carrots
A splash of olive oil
Salt and Pepper
2 cloves of garlic (more or less, depending on how much of a garlic freak you are, Dad.)
2 cups Yogurt (We use Turkish yoğurt, and it's the best.  Too bad for you.  You could use plain Greek yogurt.)
2 TBSP dried mint
2 TBSP sumac  NOT the poison kind.  In Turkey this is a deep purple spice with a little bit of a lemon flavor.

Directions: 

Grate the carrots with a cheese grater. Saute them in pan with enough olive oil to coat the bottom of the pan.  Season with salt and pepper.  Saute on low for about 5 minutes, or until the carrots turn a beautiful glowing orange colour.  (Don't let them get mushy.)

Finely chop garlic.  If you're as cool as us, use your rolly-garlic-robot.  If you're less cool, use something else.

(Thank you Binesh and Annamarie for our FAVOURITE kitchen tool.

Mix garlic, yogurt, and 1 TBSP water. (If you're using American yogurt you probably don't need the water.)

Transfer carrots to plate using the "put the plate upside down on the pan, and then FLIP!" method. 

Please ignore the disgusting looking stains on the bottom of our pan.

 If it doesn't come out perfect, pretend it did, by quietly pressing the carrots into a lovely circle and wiping all trace orange smears from the plate. Your guests will never know. 

Spoon yogurt mixture onto the top. Go slowly so it pools evenly. 

Spoon mint flakes and sumac onto the top.  But do it like you're a fabulous artist.  Expect to impress. 

 

 Let us know if you make this, I can't wait to hear how it turns out.  Also, let us know if you want some sumac, but can't find any.  I'll send you some. Because I love you.

Afiyet Olsun! Or Bon Appetit!