Sebze - A Cookery Book

 

 We leave a drab, misty Finsbury Park and less than an hour later we are sipping coffee in a the elegant Oatlands Park Hotel, built on the site of Henry VIII's hunting lodge, in Surrey.  A great way to start Christmas Eve in the UK, thanks to Özlem and Angus Warren.  Özlem and I 'met' as bloggers and  whereas I am happy to just write a post here or there, Özlem has forged ahead teaching, lecturing, writing magazine articles (or mostly having articles written about her ) and producing two wonderful cookery books.   We haven't met up since Covid so when I checked the map and saw that a Christmas Eve supper was only half an hour from the Warren household, I added on a trip to Weybridge to catch up.   I now have my own copy of SEBZE, and a few others were gifted. I would have ordered more but for Ryanair baggage regulations. 

My copy was soon put into action using a recipe for Rice Pilaf with chestnuts, apricots and herb, to go with chicken as my contribution to a New Year's Eve dinner and the dish received a thumbs up.  By now I would have tried out a few more recipes had I not got ill.   Trips to England  come with pros and cons - it's lovely to see friends and family but for once I'd like to avoid the viruses.   

Ozlem's page - Ozlem's Turkish Table  

A Busy Bodrum Sunday for many

 But not for me as I'm still stuck at home with a chest infection. 

Bodrum Spor football team is playing a home match against Kayseri Spor. A top league match between bottom of the division sides so in an attempt to draw in spectators, tickets went on sale for a very small sum and the match is sold out.  Apparently the roars from the crowd can be heard across the other side of town.  Bodrum needs to win this match* 

It's also Camel Wrestling day. Another crowd puller  Tickets completely free and for those that like the testosterone filled atmosphere, not to be missed. Not being able to attend either event, I was going through my photo library looking for suitable photos and came upon this one.

On a very cold winter day,  4 years ago in lock-down,  I came across a lorry parked behind the football stadium. On the lorry was camel in a headscarf.   I've seen stranger things in Bodrum but this peaked my curiosity. It turned out that this was a champion wrestling camel  and because of covid, he hadn't been to any events for a year  and had sunk into depression.  To try and cheer him up, his owner had decked him out in all his parading gear and driven him to Bodrum.  Both owner and camel still looked pretty miserable but I hope this camel is one of the ones strutting his stuff in Bodrum today. 

* They drew 1-1 after having a goal disallowed in the first half.  

Happy New Year from Bodrum

 

This is why I chose to live in Bodrum. Even in mid-winter, we get hot, sunny days.  After a week of cold, wet weather, the first afternoon of 2025 was warm and clear. Like most Bodrumites, what I wear is dictated by the date rather than the weather forecast  so I set off in a jumper and a down coat. By the time I got to the seafront I was experiencing sauna-like temperatures. I had planned to spend the day with my daughter, but I came back from London on Sunday with an unexpected and unwelcome extra Christmas present; a cough which is turning into bronchitis.  I was informed by those dear to me that I not only sounded awful but looked terrible too so all socialising had to be postponed but a walk down to Kumbahçe seemed like a good idea.  As a measure of how ill I feel, the offer of a pint of Guinness was turned down and I sat watching the world go by with a large glass of tea in front of me.   

A visit to the herbalist shop on the way home to buy some olive leaf extract will hopefully put me on the road to recovery.  

Happy New Year. 

Thanks Ryanair

For the first time in my four-decade plus existance in Bodrum, I am flying directly from Bodrum to the UK in the winter. The departure board shows just two flights today, one to Stanstead and one to Dublin, both Ryanair and both reasonably priced. Let's hope the route proves lucrative enough to continue next year and encourage Easyjet to join in too. When I first starting flying between the UK and Turkey, there were so few flights to the South that it was almost guaranteed that I'd meet several people I knew on each flight and with Turkish Airlines and Turkish Kibris Airlines' unlimited free booze policy, each flight turned into a party. There were echoes of past times today as we encountered 2 friendly faces before we got through the airport doors. With modern day Turkish airport prices, there will be no drink taken and we'll arrive at our destination sober. That never happened in the 80s.

Rain halts play

Yesterday was meant to be a busy day. We (as in 'the Bodrum Art Collective') had a pop-up sale planned. I spent Friday putting a 100 cards into envelopes and dividing them into packs of five. I got to the end of my 20 packs and found I had some cards left over. Panic. I went back to each pack and check I hadn't left any out. All were as they should be so thank you to the printer for giving us a few extra cards but please tell us next time.

Friday started with a rain storm which had my garden path under several inches of water by 9am. Unfortunately I didnt notice the flood until I had taken a couple of strides out. Finley the dog was oblivious to the water, Jake would certainly have held me back. It rained solidly through the day and the owner of our venue rang to say that Saturday's event should be postponed as the forecast showed no let up in the deluge. Long term weather forecasts were consulted and notices hastily put out on social media that we'd try again on Saturday 14th.

Saturday morning dawned sunny, blue skyed and warm. A slight drizzle which lasted for 5 minutes at 1 pm the only sign of the torrential downpour forecast. We'd postponed for nothing but at 5:30 the skies darkened and the rain came down. The power went off which made the lightening-lit sky even more dramatic.

I hope you can join us next Saturday at CRO & CUPS. As a reward for anyone who has read to the end of this post I am offering 500tl off my framed originals if you leave a comment at the end of the post - don't forget to add your name. If you can't make it to the pop-up, you can order our cards. I'll be in the UK soon and can post from there if necessary.

Football dreams can come true.

Below is the blog post I wrote in April 2015. Bodrum Spor had just secured their move from the amateur league to the 3rd division to join the professionals. Lots of supporters dreamt of big things to come but I doubt any imagined that in 10 seasons they would be in the Super League. Today those big dreams come to fruition as Bodrum Spor faces Galata Saray at home. Winning or losing today is secondary to the fact that one of Turkey's Top Four, the team that beat Tottenham two weeks ago, is playing our local side, on our local pitch. Dreams do come true sometimes.

"Monday, 6 April 2015 Back of the Net for Bodrum Spor

There's been much celebration in Bodrum this week-end as the local football team won their amateur league championship and secured their rise into the 3rd division. They actually clinched the lead 2 matches ago but also won the last two games of the season to finish on a high note. I live next to the stadium so was in the right place at the right time to catch the players atop this tour bus for a lap of honour around the town. Apart from car horns they were accompanied by ticker tape, helium balloons, camera drones, sirens and firecrackers so no one could have been left in any doubt as to the outcome.

Jake and I sometimes come across the players as they leave practice matches and we're happy to report that they are very dog friendly and give him a stroke so I shall have to get Jake a green and white check scarf ready for next season's matches, because they don't seem to have a doggy mascot yet"

Milas Olive Harvest Festival

The first serious downpour of the winter on Saturday put pay to my plans to visit the Milas Olive Harvest festival, but the Sunday weather was much more forgiving and just after mid-day, we joined the crowds amongst the stalls in the centre of Milas.

First purchase had to be olives, not your run-of-the-mill ones but olives dyed red with beetroot and purple with blueberry. Why would different coloured olives suddenly be a thing? Who knows but I bought some and they will brighten up my breakfast plate.

Next up was organic lavender oil (I am pretty sure all lavender is organic as it doesnt need pesticides or growth enhancers) at 200 tl a bottle - I should be sleeping peacefully for the next few months.

Turkish spicy sausages or maybe a tractor; green, blue or orange with plenty of deals from different banks offering two years interest-free credit, with our inflation rate that's not a deal to be ignored. I was very tempted by the tiny tractor but if I got one I would have to start cultivating my acre of garden and I'm too lazy for that. (I don't like the sausages so could easily walk past that stall)

A stall of mangos, kefir limes, papayas and things I didn't even recognise gave me reason to stop and chat and find out that there is a farm in Yahşi growing exotic fruit and vegetables. A trip to Iso Baba'nin Çiftliği will be on the cards soon. It's strange that I had to go to Milas to find out there is such a place close to Bodrum.

A return to the familiar a bit further on. Sesame seeds being poured into this grinder to make tahini; a pantry must-have which is even tastier when fresh.

Having recently returned from Ayvalik which you can't drive through without buying litres of olive oil, I didn't need any more for my kitchen but this Mystic stall had such temptingly well packaged bottles of oil, herbs to go in the oil and dishes to serve the oil that the Christmas present buying list was reduced by three.

Holiday - Grand Yazici Club Marmaris Palace

The travel operators in the UK must be psychic. Mid season they announced that they were extending the charter flight season to the first third of November. Usually they finish at the end of October. When I heard that my nephew and his family had booked to come out on 30th October I was very worried that they would spend the week sheltering from rainy showers and shivering by the sea but no, the weather has been perfect; warm enough to swim and sunbathe. Esi and I joined the family at the Grand Yazici in Marmaris, an all-inclusive hotel which was full of families taking a half term break. I've never stayed in a AI before but I can see the attraction. The food was great, the room comfortable, the views amazing and every member of staff I encountered was friendly and helpful. It was nice to see so many smiley faces - rather lacking in Bodrum hospitality this year.

The hotel is between Marmaris and Içmeler, both of which can be reached by a seaside path and cycle route. A welcome way to clock up 10,000 steps to work off over indulginging in the desserts.

The view of empty sandy beaches reminded me of the first time I sailed into Marmaris from Rhodes in 1981; I remember the stunning fiord like mountains and and deserted bays and then Marmaris town with a few boutiques, bars, restaurants and a crumbling castle. No marinas and very few hotels.

With my back to Icmeler, looking out to sea I could almost have gone back 43 years.

The Bodrum Cup

An annual event which I haven't paid enough attention to over the past 35 years, which is shameful as I was put in a boat at 5 years old and taught to sail by my father, and I sailed into Bodrum on a 71 ft ketch in 1981 expecting to spend a few days and ending up spending most of my life here. I kept my connection to the sea for a couple of decades but once we closed our yachting agency, my time spent sailing got less and less. On Saturday, thanks to Internations and Bayside day boat, I got to watch a little bit of the last leg of the Bodrum Cup and instead of feeling regretful that I didn't sail anymore, I remembered the frustration of wind shifts, anchors dragging at two in the morning, aching arms from winding winches, stubbing my toes on the windlass, those lonely night watches and shouty captains. It was good to watch others doing it though.

Ten years ago I wrote this blog about actually taking part in the action:

>Bodrum Cup Silver Anniversary - In the winter of 88/89, I worked as an English teacher in a small agency in Bodrum called Era Yachting. The mild mannered owner, Erman Aras, was one of the nicest bosses I've ever worked for; always smiling and pleasant, thoughtful and innovative, he made my 6 month placement very enjoyable. While I was there, I overheard him discussing plans to start a sailing race at the end of the season. As an ex-yachtie I was a bit sceptical as everyone knew that the classic Bodrum yacht called a gulet was not a sailing vessel, some of them didn't even have sails and those that did, would only hoist the canvas on a long downwind cruise and anyway, Bodrumites were seafarers but not traditional sailors. Erman Bey thought differently and the first Bodrum Cup took place in October 1989. It has happened every year since and this October celebrated its Silver Anniversary. Era Yachting Club went on to start Optimist sailing classes for Bodrum children, some of whom have gone on to international sailing success, and the first ever Sail Training Ship in Turkey was built in Bodrum; on Sunday, I watched it power ahead to win honours at this year's Bodrum Cup. If Mr Aras was a Brit, he would surely have an MBE by now.

I started to write this post on Friday, regretting the fact that due to work commitments or bad planning, I had never taken part in a Bodrum Cup, but thanks to Turquoise Secrets owner, Fiona Thomas, I enjoyed seeing the final leg from a privileged position aboard the Tall Ship Johanna Lucretia. My sailing days are over as I no longer have the muscle or agility to get around a sailing yacht, I almost didn't even get on as the Johanna Lucretia has no gang plank and despite an attempt to give me a leg up, there is no way I can haul my bottom heavy figure up 2 meters. Luckily a very nice lad in a tender whizzed me around the quay to get on at a lower point, (to applause from a neighbouring yacht. I hope their photos don't turn up on Facebook).

We had a great day but the poor skipper, Rodger was doubly handicapped, first by the race committee and secondly by having only one able bodied crew member to handle over 300 sq m of sail, but he still managed a 4th place on the final leg.

Under the Plane Tree - Tea

In many towns in the Mediterranean it's common to see signs outside restaurants advertising that their bread and pizzas are cooked in a wood-fired oven, but I've never seen a sign for wood-fired tea before.

It didn't taste any different to 'normal' Turkish tea but the apparatus brewing it was impressive and the setting picturesque. Today I was at an annual faire/village market organised by the Bodrum Rotary Club in the neighbouring village of Etrim. It's a tiny affair held under an impressive plane tree, selling mostly food but also some homemade jewellery, clothes and baskets. I wouldn't travel far to visit but there seemed to be many more cars parked around than people and I'm wondering if there was something going on elsewhere that I missed.

The clouds parted, the sun came out, the band started to play and a few folk danced in the dappled shade. I was happy to sit and watch while I drank my wood-fired tea and ate an apple turnover, a nod towards Apple Day which is 21st October. The Archers are celebrating Apple Day today and I did my bit too.