Thursday 16 April 2015

Wednesday wonders



The farmer's market on Wednesday is proving to be a good source of Instagram photos. Last week, organic vegetable shopping was enhanced by a couple dancing the tango between the stalls, this week two ladies were making karabaş macun,   French Lavender paste.   They picked all the flowers off the stalks (which are saved to make tea), then steeped the flowers in boiling water for a couple of minutes. 


The strained flowers were added to pekmez, molasses and boiled until jam consistency was reached and then ground and toasted sesame and walnuts were stirred in.  Allowed to cool and bottled, this blend is marketed as a cure for just about everything but especially migraines. Recent research suggests that fiercely boiled molasses is not as good for us as we thought so I'd be inclined to mix the strained flowers  into raw honey rather than this traditional recipe. 


Another bonus was a stall selling large bunches of wild tulips. It's been many years since I've seen this many in one place so the odd winter weather which wasn't very conducive to human happiness must have been just right for these gorgeous wild flowers.


18 comments:

  1. Thanks for this Annie. I will put it on my list to visit. What will be next do you think?

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  2. The wild flowers are a real sadness - so many bulbous plants are being decimated by this sort of plundering. I know it's traditional practice and a source of important income - doesn't help me love urbanites who are buying them.

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    1. As long as they leave the bulbs, I'm happy to see the blooms. I'm particularly riled by my neighbours digging up all the orchid bulbs in my garden, 100s of beautiful blooms are now reduced to 2 or 3.

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  3. And not a danish pastry in sight - I'd be so bad for your health Annie!!

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    1. I'm resigned to elasticated waists when you come.

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  4. Absolutely glorious photos, Annie. What a great market you have there. Axxx

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  5. Gorgeous tulips. My favourite spring flower. Now I know why they do so well here - must be the rain!

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    1. Vey few cultivated tulips in Bodrum this year. All pansies!

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  6. B to B, Your post makes me even more excited about today's open market on Burgazada. Open markets are a major source of happiness, aren't they? So glad you're blessed with such a authentic and beautiful one.

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    1. I'd love to visit some of the Istanbul ones.

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  7. Gorgeous pictures BB, how I wished to be near to these markets, enjoy for us too, Ozlem xx

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    1. I'm sure it will be going when you visit in the summer

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  8. Oh, the migraine cure is interesting - Barry gets them in bouts occasionally. Love the wild tulips. Sad this year as we don't have any in Fethiye for the first time in a few years...council politics / lack of money, the usual. We've made the most of the mimosa and almond blossom instead. :)

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  9. The tulips are glorious. I think I would buy them rather than the lavender paste. :)

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    1. In the end I didn't buy either but it was nice to look

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