Carrot and yoghurt dip

Carrots, very much like the bananas, are the fast food of the nature. They are tasty, easy to eat and are packed with an abundance of nutrition and vitamins.

We use them in salads and they accompany almost all the zeytinyaglilar (vegetables cooked in olive oil and served cold) but interestingly, they are mostly the supporting actors and hardly ever the stars of any dish in the Turkish cuisine. Yet, as there is almost a meze (appetiser) made from every ingredient possible in Turkey, there is also one made from carrots. 

I am sure everyone would have one or two carrots lying around aimlessly in their fridge at all times. This dip is a great last minute resort when you have unexpected guests, as it is not only very easy to make but also very healthy and tastes delicious.

Eggplant in Olive Oil

I love living by the beach, especially in summer, smelling the ocean as I turn around the corner to my street, being able to go for a quick swim after work, or enjoy a long relaxing day at the beach without the hassle of looking for a parking spot.

However, my dreams of doing nothing but reading and swimming were shattered when we woke up to a yet another rainy Saturday last week.

I have been living in Sydney long enough to know that it rains more in summer than in winter, but the Mediterranean in me still gets devastated every time I wake up to a rainy summer day.

How I miss the long, steaming hot Mediterranean summers where the heat is a consistent 30 something degrees and the sun dominates the skies all day without a hint of a cloud or a drop of rain!