Mulberries at Gambilya

There is a bumper crop of mulberries this year and everyone is searching for ways to use up this juicy fruit. One friend is brewing mulberry wine and  I'm looking forward to tasting and writing about the resulting brew. Mulberries are ideal for sherbets and cordials. Most recipes call for the berries to be boiled with sugar and water but Lale, at Gambilya Cafe in Bodrum showed me a "raw" recipe.  The amounts are vague but approximately 2 cups of berries, 1 cup of sugar and 1 cup of lemon juice are mixed in a glass jar, which is shaken daily and left in the garden for 4 days.  The mixture is then passed through a fine sieve and bottled.  I would keep the bottles in the fridge, but I'm sure they won't be around for long as the syrup mixed with 4 parts water makes a very refreshing long drink. I think the addition of a shot of vodka and plenty of crushed ice would also go down well after the sun dips below the yardarm. She also makes a cordial using purple basil instead of berries, which, once diluted, produces the delicate pink liquid in the glass on the left. 

I haven't mentioned many ( if any) restaurants in this blog, but Gambilya is worth a recommendation as Lale and Selahattin have created a little green oasis in the centre of Bodrum, where healthy, clean

natural foods can be enjoyed in a peaceful, almost rural atmosphere. We hold our writing group here every two weeks, and each time we are treated to a different cake or dessert, created with minimum or zero sugar and lots of seasonal fruits.  Effort is made to use only locally sourced products and their lunch and dinner menus feature home cooked dishes which aren't found in other restaurants. 

They also have excellent wifi so if you are looking for a quiet spot to catch up on your correspondence over a herb tea or coffee, Gambilya is the ideal spot.