Seasonal Delights in Istanbul

I love farmers’ markets. To me, it’s like a little slice of heaven. 


I easily can spend a few hours getting lost between the stalls and looking lusty-eyed at all the produce. Whenever I travel, I try to find a market in that city.

However, I should not be allowed to go to a farmer’s market by myself. I have no control. I want to touch everything and then buy everything. 


Ask my best friend. 


When I visited New York this summer, I went to the greenmarket in Union Square. Tomatoes were at their peak. I stayed about two hours and spent $60+ on bread, herbs, cheese, vegetables, an heirloom melon and peaches. Luckily, she had a car and picked me up down the street. Then, I cooked dinner.

Heirloom tomatoes in NYC.

Colorful radishes in NYC.

This morning, I took the metro and walked a ways to get to the outdoor pazar at Yenilevent, about a 40 minute commute from our apartment. The air was crisp. The sun was shining. The market was full. It was a perfect fall day.

You can buy nearly everything here but the kitchen sink. A majority of the pazar is allocated for aprons, clothes, hair accessories, jewelry, key chains, shoes, watches, towels, purses, wallets, tablecloths, baskets, etc. Toward the back of the pazar, you find the market stalls filled with everything edible from A to Z.

Apples, beans, cucumbers, dill, eggplant, fish, grapes, hazelnuts, kale, leeks, mandarins, oranges, pomegranates, radishes, spices, tomatoes, walnuts, yogurt, and zucchini. Just to name a few things.

Fresh figs at the pazar in Yenilevent.

Of course, I filled up my two shopping bags with tons of items and carried it back home. 

So what do I do with this produce now? 


Here are a few thoughts so far: a fig tart, grape jelly, an eggplant and tomato dish, celery root mashed potatoes, a pomegranate martini and a cucumber-mint-yogurt dip. I am going to be a busy girl in the kitchen.

Stay tuned.

I arranged my market produce in a basket when I got home.