One of the first things that endeared me to my Aussie friends is this salad that I make, based on a Turkish recipe. I tweaked it and the one thing you can never compromise on is finely chopped ingredients.
As you chop the ingredients, do take a moment to reflect on what they might mean to you.
Here’s what I use:
- Parsley (Parsley is thrown around as a garnish in many dishes. I find that my creative energy is also wasted when I’m not centred. I have a field where I excel – writing compelling memoirs. If I throw my two cents around in politics, current affairs, celebrity gossip, etc… before I know it, I have spent all my creative energy and nothing of value is gained. Parsley reminds me to stay grounded in my field.)
- Pomegranate seeds (my creativity is abundant and the seeds show me that my ideas can all go on and grow fruitful like pomegranate trees if I back them up and allow them to develop)
- Walnuts (I have to break out of my shell and share if I want to be a part of something delicious)
- Tomatoes (I’m delicious and juicy)
- Capsicum (We call these “peppers” in the US and my name is pronounced “Eh-Duh” however, does it really matter when I know who I am and what capsicum is and how it tastes?)
- Cucumbers (Stay cool)
- Red onion (I’m more than my many layers of identity. I’m more than a writer, more than a mother, more than Eda, more than a Lane Covian. I am space, like that at the core of the onion which connects me with all that is in outer space)
I dress the salad with virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar and pomegranate molasses (which you may or may not get from my friend Menek’s family farm in Marmaris).
So there you are. Steal what you like, tweak it, make it your own. I can’t wait to taste your version of it.
Afiyet olsun (Turkish for “bon appetit”)
