Zee Armenian Veegan

"Su gibi git, Su gibi gel." --Momma 

Go like water, come like water. 

These peaches may not be vegan..

Istanbul, Turkey

After the last few weeks of gallivanting in Greece and Turkey, and at home in California, I am more than ready to get my head (and body) back in the game! I did not fall too hard off the wagon so I am confident in my ability to bounce back easily, but in these last couple months before the marathon, I am going to have to give it my all!
As I had anticipated, it was quite difficult to eat raw while I was traveling in Europe, and to be honest, I didn't want to!  I couldn't pass up all the unsuspecting vegan dishes traditionally made in Greek and Turkish cuisines! While maintaining a somewhat raw, but entirely vegan diet, I enjoyed the freshest Santorini tomatoes, fava beans, a local specialty, and the juiciest, most vibrant Turkish peaches and karpuz a VEG enthusiast could ever dream about!
My mother, sister, and I, took refuge on the Prince's islands from sweltering Istanbul for a weekend, where I was able to get a long run in around it's perimeter all while soaking up the most breathtaking view and the smell of the horses, the main source of transportation on the island aside from foot. "Mmmm smells just like the islands." I can hear my mom say now... One night, we met my mother's cousin for dinner, who has a vacation home on Büyükuda. Adjacent to the port, there is a tiny street lined with open-air seafood restaurants, right on the water,  that my sister and I walked up and down several times trying to decide which looked best! There were a few places that looked more delectable than others, especially from my perspective of wanting the most variety of vegetables, but overall, the courses at each restaurant were relatively identical, and every single one was at maximum capacity by 9 pm. We did choose the only restaurant that had live entertainment though, and they ended up having excellent dolmas, so everyone was happy!
The following night, my mom's cousin invited us over for dinner, and so kindly made me a proper vegan-Turkish meal, after having learned the ins and outs of it from my mother the previous night, as I quietly listened to my mother's hopefully accurate translation. I was pleased to see the presentation of what she claimed were superior dolmas, fresh tomatoes, green beans, white beans, which is a simple dish of soaked beans, olive oil, and paprika (one of my favorites) and seaweed, prepared with a generous amount of garlic! I loved every bite!

Back on the mainland, my aunt awaited me with more vegetable dishes of zucchini and potatoes, okra and tomatoes, and leeks and onions, all very simple traditional, olive-oil doused, Turkish dishes that I can add to my repertoire.

Athens breakfast

 Superfood Store

Athens

  Santorini figs

 Fava!

Santorini

 Poolside, 

Santorini

Eyeing that Karpuzi!

Büyükuda, Turkey

Glassy Reds

Büyükuda, Turkey

Freshly soaked almonds, yes please!

Büyükuda, Turkey

Those zucchinis!

Büyükuda, Turkey

Crackin' walnuts!

Büyükuda, Turkey

I made sure and tried a few recipes upon my return to California... my leeks turned out the best, so sweet and tender. Definitely a go to family recipe that I will happily make for you, but dare not share :)

A fantastic last few weeks of summer have flown by in the blink of an eye. I have thoroughly enjoyed my travels, culinary experience, leisure and much needed family time at home. No matter how great life may seem wherever I may be, I can always come back with full confidence and say NEW YORK, I LOVE YOU!  So happy to be home...

Sweet greens,
L