While we were in Istanbul, the city experienced some of the hottest weather in 30 years. On one of those sweltering nights, some friends invited us to their home for a BBQ.Turkish cuisine's appeal is in the simplicity of its flavors. They highlight a few key ingredients and let them shine. Meats are simply dressed and grilled. Salads are served dressed with olive oil and Italian parsley or dill. Vegetables are prepared in olive oil or served pureed as appetizers.
Our hosts served a very refreshing, delicious potato salad. This salad was unlike anything I've ever tasted before, a combination of potatoes, cucumber and yogurt. And, they just sent me the recipe:
Summer Potato Salad*:
1 cup of yogurt
1 clove of garlic, finely diced
1 tsp salt
4 Russet potatoes
1 cucumber, grated
Salt to taste
Combine the yogurt. garlic and salt in a small bowl and stir well. Place in the refrigerator.
Boil the potatoes until cooked through. Cool, peel, and mash. I used a food processor and added a little milk. Add the prepared garlic yogurt and grated cucumber and stir until smooth. Add salt to taste. The salad is good right away, but for the best taste, let it sit in the refrigerator for a few hours.
SOUNDTRACK:
"Stop Me," a reworking of the Smiths' track by Mark Ronson.
* Thanks to Erman and Burcu for the hopitality and the recipe.
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