Turkish Breakfast Bruschetta

Günaydın! Nasılsın?

We have the year 2004 and we are in Turkey. It is time for summer holiday, hanging around lazily at the beach, a tiny bit of sight seeing there, and enjoying life.

A small hotel (not a *****-star palace) at the south coast of Turkey, just between Kemer and Antalya. In the background the Taurus mountains (Toros Dağları) rise up.

Lazy? No! One man refuses. Along this line I talked my friends into a "small" walking-tour towards the canyon at Göynük. While travelling on the dolmuş (public transportation) to Kemer the other day, a sign at the side on the road had caught my eye: "Explore the canyon of Göynük" (or something like that).

Stupid enough, the others agreed to go on this tour. It should not be a too long walk. However walking around for one hour at about 40°C without any hope for shade can be quite challenging. So, at large portions of the tour, the girls complain -they can't walk anymore. But we have to make it to the canyon.

We came as far as the picture shows. OK, this pictures says nothing about it. No worries!

This, however, would have been the point where things would have started to get interesting. From here on the canyon narrowed and there were some amazing sights. The downside: You had to continue in the water. Nice! Opportunity to cool down! But, and this is now a BIG BUT, who likes to go from 40°C to -5°C? No, the water wasn't that cold, maybe +5°C. Really? OK, let's say +10°C. We might have been a bit wimpy. Let's say it was cold, too cold to bear it for too long.

That would be the end then ... of this trip. Still, we had to get back. Again one hour of walking through the heat, when already the girls can't walk anymore. The result then was that after a little bit later on the way back they refused to go on - not possible anymore.

The solution: we had to hitch-hike. On the back of a truck together with a load of carob pods we got back to the village.

Here then, what miracle, the girls were ready to go shopping (yes, walking around) for four hours (about that time) at the local bazaar.

Whatsoever! Why do I tell you all this? During this holiday we most of the time used to have Turkish white bread or flatbread with tomatoes (they had enough real sun) and sheep's milk cheese.

Back in the year 2012!

I just raided my local Turkish shop and got some nice Turkish white bread, sheep's milk cheese and ...

Let's make Turkish Breakfast Bruschetta then. Right! What? Yes, that is true bruscetta is an Italian antipasti. Nevertheless, I like to call it that way, because I adjusted things so it is a little bit like bruscetta. And, of course, you don't have to eat it for breakfast, only. Things need to have names, though. How do you like "White bread with tomato and sheep's milk cheese"? Yes, that's the point.

We rather should go on with assembling it then.

Heat some olive oil in a pan and add some finely sliced garlic to flavour the oil a bit (if you don't want to smell garlicky afterwards, think twice). You can remove it after a while or not. Just make sure, you don't have black garlic on your bread later on. Speaking of it, you brown the bread a bit in the oil (hm, strange, why use WHITE bread if you BROWN it? no worries).

The remaining part is just putting things together. Get the bread on a plate (or on whatever) and load it with some sliced tomatoes, season with pepper (and salt if you have to, remembering, though, that the cheese got some salt from the brine already), put enough slices of the sheep's milk cheese on (don't be shy). It would be good to have 60% fat cheese (don't be afraid). You know, more fat usually tastes better. Anyway, it's more creamy. 

Finish your bruschetta with some chopped mint leaves on top.

You might enjoy it together with some çay (Turkish tea). That is if you happen to have a çaydanlık handy and some loose tea.

Iyi günler!

Busy week - time is gone

Again another week rolled past. I didn't even see it coming.

Somehow, I have been very busy. In the middle of the week there was some time for cooking an Indian lunch with chicken korma with rice, spicy sweet corn, cucumber raita, and for pudding some Indian style rice pudding with cardamom and coconut milk. It was all very tasty, however, that was all serious cooking then.

Otherwise it was mainly dealing with leftovers this week.

At the end of the week I managed to prepare some good old bruschetta:

Bruschetta is always nice. I love the taste of the garlic that penetrates the bread. This version here with the sardines and the red onion can serves as a full meal. That is if you are not so greedy. The recipe I found in the cookbook "Cook in Boots" from Ravinder Bhogal. It was a delicious one.

Anyway, preparing bruschetta is totally simple. Just toast some nice bread, either in a pan or in a toaster, rub it with garlic - the more the better, sprinkle some salt, pepper, and olive oil on top, and then put on it whatever you like. Usually I use rocket, tomato, and some Parmesan cheese.

Go for it!!!

Life is good - is it?

I had a "wonderful" day. The sun was shining as if heading for summer. The only problem - I was on the other side - inside - no chance to enjoy it. When I came home from work it was all almost done. Even no time for cooking. Good thing I still got some leftovers in the fridge - bruschetta with Baba Ghanoush and prosciutto is really nice. I love bruschetta anyway - garlic melting nicely into freshly toasted bread. Life is good?