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Turkish Market in Cheam (England); Fresh Ingredients for Wonderful Feasts

By Ozlem Warren on March 11, 2012 in Farmers Market in England 16

My Turkish friend Ilgen kindly took us foodies to the Turkish market in Cheam, England (for the ones nearby the area, the address is: 565-567 London Road, SM3 9AG, North Cheam) and what a find. If you live abroad and look for local ingredients of your homeland, you know what I mean. And this market has it all; wonderful looking fresh produce, spices, Turkish cheese, olive, olive oil, red pepper paste, grains, freshly baked bread, pastries and many more!

Fresh produce at its best; artichokes, tomatoes and more

Look at these amazing artichokes! You can turn them into something very delicious with this Baby Artichokes Poached in Olive Oil with Broad Beans and Carrots recipe I posted earlier.

Cherry tomatoes, olives, garlic and handful of dill make a simple, delicious sauce

Turkish cuisine is based on using fresh ingredients bought daily. The Turks are purists in their culinary taste; their dishes bring out the flavor of the main ingredient rather than hiding it behind sauces. For instance, these cherry tomatoes would be divine in a simple sauce of olive oil, crushed garlic and a few olives, as in this pasta recipe I posted earlier.

Penne with olives, garlic, cherry tomatoes and dill

Back to the Turkish market again. These are fresh, ripe hurma (a type of date); so sweet and juicy; peel, slice and eat as it is, simply brings back many childhood memories.

Divine, Juicy and Sunny Hurmas

How about these mouthwatering cherries, they are so inviting!

And spices; we can’t do without them, a great, healthy way to add flavour to any dish. Sumac, red pepper flakes, ground black pepper, cumin, dried mint; all major spices in Turkish cuisine.

Tangy sumac, black pepper, cumin, red pepper flakes, mint; major spices in Turkish cuisine

Turkish flat and loaf of bread and Simit – sesame coated bread rings

Last but not least the bakery in the market; I felt I was in heaven. Smells simply guide you to the bakery and your eyes confirm that yes, this is heaven. Mouthwatering simits coated with sesame seeds (here is my version of simit, if you’d like to try), sweet and savory pastries, flat breads and more; a feast to the eye. The savory pastry with cheese filling, pogaca, was lovely. If you like to make this savory pastry using fillo pastry, here is my version.

Delicious sweet and savory pastries

Finally; the friendly baker who filled us with delicious goods. You can create many delicious, wonderful meals using only a few fresh ingredients. I hope the recipes can give you ideas and inspire. They are easy, healthy and can be ready in no time.

The friendly baker at the Turkish Market in Cheam

Happy Cooking, Afiyet Olsun!

Warm Hummus with Pul Biber infused Olive Oil

By Ozlem Warren on March 5, 2012 in Appetizers and Mezes 27

The humble but ever so tasty hummus is delicious, healthy and so easy to make. I wonder if you have ever tried hummus warm? In Turkey, especially in the South, hummus is served warm with red pepper flakes infused olive oil or with some sautéed pastirma (similar to pastrami; dried cured beef coated with spices) over the top. I’d very much encourage you to try hummus this way, as I feel you may be pleasantly surprised, and maybe converted to eat hummus warm as many of my friends have done.

Please adjust the hummus recipe according to your taste, as some like it garlicky, some with more tahini and others may prefer it more lemony. You can get tahini, the crushed sesame seeds in paste, in most supermarkets these days and Middle Eastern stores. This warm hummus would make a wonderful appetizer to share with friends and family. It also complements any grilled meat or vegetable beautifully.

Pita bread is the perfect accompaniment.

Serves 4

Preparation time – 15 minutes (add 1 hour if used dried chickpeas and soaking overnight)

225gr/8oz dried chickpeas, soaked in water overnight or for at least 6 hours or equivalent amount of precooked chickpeas in can

5ml /1 teaspoon salt – please adjust according to your taste-

60ml/4 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

30ml/2 tablespoons water

1 garlic clove, crushed – optional-

Juice of 1 lemon

2 tablespoons tahini (sesame paste)

10ml/2 teaspoon ground cumin

To serve:

30ml/2 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon pul biber or red pepper flakes

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin to decorate

Slices of flat breads to serve

If using dried chickpeas, drain the chickpeas and transfer them to a pan with plenty of cold water. Bring to boil and boil for a few minutes. Then lower the heat and partially cover the pan, Simmer the chickpeas for 1 hour, until they are soft and easy to mash.

Chickpeas, tahini, lemon juice, water, e.v. olive oil, salt and cumin; all to blitz together

If precooked chickpeas are used, drain the juice and give them a little wash in a colander. Put the precooked (or cooked) chickpeas in a food processor and blitz them together with the extra virgin olive oil, water, lemon juice, garlic and tahini. If it appears thick and difficult to blend, add a little more olive oil or water. Season with salt and mix in the cumin. Process until you achieve a soft, smooth paste. Refrigerate until required.

If you would like to have the hummus warm as in the Turkish way, just before serving, warm this mixture in a pan for a couple of minutes. In a separate pan, heat the olive oil gently and stir in the pul biber or red pepper flakes. Combine for a minute or two and let the pul biber infuse to the olive oil. Put the warm hummus in a plate and drizzle the red pepper flakes infused olive oil over the top. You may sprinkle some extra ground cumin over the top, if you like. Serve with flat bread.

Delicious and healthy Turkish mezes, dips, salads, vegetables cooked in olive oil, savoury pastries and over 90 authentic Turkish recipes are included at my cookery book, Ozlem’s Turkish Table; signed copies can be ordered at this link and delivered worldwide, promptly.

If you live in the US, Canada or Mexico, you can order a hardback copy at this link, with lower delivery rates.

Flavoring with Spices & Inspirations from my Turkish Cooking Class (Stuffed Eggplants, Baklava and more!)

By Ozlem Warren on February 27, 2012 in Turkish Cooking Classes 3

We had a delightful day of cooking and sharing Turkish food last Saturday. Wonderful, enthusiastic participants joined my Turkish cooking class in Surrey (for the folks in Texas; I so look forward to coming back to teach at Central Market Cooking School, hope soon!), and we had a day of Turkish feast 🙂 It was so wonderful to share Turkish cuisine, traditions, history, and I was humbled, delighted to get such positive feedback.

Here we are, dear friend Sadaf and I, dressed with dried eggplants and peppers (we dry them at home, to use when they are not in season. They are wonderful when stuffed and baked), just before the class 🙂

I have been getting a lot of questions on spices; their usage and where to get them. It is wonderful to see folks interested in spices and wanting to learn more. Spices are very important in Turkish cuisine, as we add wonderful flavors to the dishes through the artful use of spices, and very healthy too.

During the cooking class, we used cumin, red pepper flakes and mint; three spices that we use at Turkish cooking often. Take cumin; its pungent aroma lingers and it is warm and slightly sweet. Combined with chickpeas and tahini, cumin is the spice that makes hummus taste like hummus. Urfa or Aleppo chillies are dark red or purple-black and come from southeastern Turkey, where my roots are from. They are very exciting to work with and my favorite chili pepper. They are simultaneously bitter like coffee or chocolate and sweet like molasses, and they lend a wonderful, deep, smoky aroma to sauces. Its heat is moderate but meaningful. I use Urfa chilies in tomato based sauces, on grilled vegetables and marinated meats. Mint is a very common herb used in Turkish cooking. We like to mix it with cubed cucumbers, yoghurt and water for a refreshing accompaniment, “Cacik”, served with meat courses. It is also commonly used in salads, lemonades and stuffed grapevine leaves. Mint pairs very well with lamb too.

: Malatya Pazari, my favorite spice shop in Spice Market, Istanbul

Middle eastern or specialty food stores should carry these spices, also Central Market and Whole Foods Market as well as Waitrose and Sainsbury’s in England carry a good selection. You can also get good quality spices on line through Kalustyans and Tulumba

During the class we had a go with the sweet Turkish treat, baklava. It is very easy to make with fillo pastry sheets and you can adjust how much butter and syrup you put on. My version is less sweet and more fragrant with the addition of lemon juice, it is a lovely treat, if you’d like to have a go.

Buttered layers of fillo sheets with walnuts, ready to go to the oven

Karniyarik; Stuffed eggplants with ground meat and vegetables

And here is karniyarik; stuffed eggplant with ground meat and vegetables we prepared; eggplant is our national vegetable (actually fruit, as it has seeds in it) and the flesh become wonderfully meaty and sweet once cooked. There are a few tricks to it; you need to salt the eggplant halves (salt will help the moisture come out of the eggplant) and drain all the bitter juices. Served with plain rice and yoghurt by the side, Karniyarik, stuffed eggplants is a wonderful treat.

: Wonderful, enthusiastic participants of the Turkish Cooking Class

Sadaf and Nadia, who were in the class said they already made the hummus, got the red pepper paste and bulgur for the bulgur wheat salad and Nadia already made the baklava using the fillo pastry sheets. So wonderful to see the recipes come alive and enjoyed, no better compliment; many thank yous, ladies!:)

I hope the photos and recipes inspire you to have a go too; please let me know if you have any questions, I would be very happy to help.

Afiyet Olsun!