Vegetable Dishes

Central Anatolia is the main agricultural base of Turkey. It is here that most of the livestock is raised; and the vast fertile plains, some of which are rich in minerals from underground springs, provide the markets of Turkey with a bounty of ripe fruit and vegetables. The colourful market stalls, arranged with artistic flair, display leeks the size of baseball bats, massive gourd-shaped aubergines, cabbages like giant tortoises and, from Milas and Yatagan, long purple carrots that are coveted for their strong taste a cross between a sweet orange carrot and a nippy radish.