We took this photo one morning after walking up to the top of the canyon with friends. Our picnic backpacks were full of our breakfast and from memory we left at 7am. It took us about 45 minutes to walk up. If you are going to do the canyon walk you will need to be fit enough to walk up steep slopes that sometimes have loose stones. In summer you really need to start early morning, before the sun is overhead and it is too hot.
These are my notes from my journal, written some time ago. We found the walk by ourselves back in 2004, not knowing it was part of the Lycian walk. We understand the route was used by villages and traders. Today we do not see anyone else walking but we have had close run-ins with goats. The entrance to the canyon is down the road from Rosmarin.
We thought we’d start sharing with you some of the recipes we’ve discovered and enjoyed over the years in Turkey.
Each Turkish recipe will have an English and Australian version, as we tweak the recipes slightly when we are at home, Eileen in the UK and Anne in Australia.
Turkish families historically headed for the cool of the mountain in summer, rather than the heat of the beaches. On the trip they would take a salad of seasonal and wild pickings. We pack each of the salad ingredients separately so that we can all put together when we are ready to eat, and so the salad does not go soggy.
Here’s our version of a ‘Turkish Gypsy Salad’. If you climb the canyon or go on a gulet this is simple and delicious (and easy to carry if you are walking!).
An English woman’s version
Large bunch of herbs: young spinach, parsley, rocket, sorrel, dandelion, watercress.
pitta breads
4-5 tablespoons olive oil and juice of one lemon
1-2 garlic cloves, crushed.
about 150g feta or other fresh white cheese, crumbled
1-2 tablespoons black olives
1 fresh de seeded and diced or 1/2 teaspoon chill flakes
Shelled walnuts.
An Australian woman’s version
Follow above and add
basil
pomegranate seeds
pomegranate molasses to the olive oil, garlic dressing
We hope you enjoy, afiyet olsun!
