Izmir cuisine first brings seafood to mind, followed by the multitude of wild plants cooked in various ways, and the superb olive oil of course. All over Anatolia, with its widely diverse flora, local cuisines include wild plants, but in none of Turkey's regional cuisines do they play such a central role as here. Black briony, mallow, nettle, redcurrant, wild radish, holy thistle, chickory, poppy, dock, chickweed, plantain, dandelion, sea squill, wild asparagus, wild fennel and watercress are just some of the many species that feature in the cuisine of Izmir and the Aegean coast. The secret when cooking all these plants is to boil them briefly so that they remain green, and serve them with a dressing made of lemon juice and virgin extra olive oil with an acidity of less than 0.5. These typical salads should be eaten lukewarm. Olive oil has been used in the cuisine of this region for around 2500 years. The oldest olive oil factory in the world has been excavated at the Ionian city of Klazomenai in Urla, a beautiful district with vast olive groves.

When you visit Urla do not forget to taste the local specialities of katmer (a layered pastry), keskül (a milk pudding), and gilt-head bream grilled slowly over charcoal. Turkish migrants from Crete have introduced many of their own dishes into Izmir's cuisine. These include kipohorta, made with marrow, black-eyed peas, purslane, dandelion leaves and wild fennel; pastries with a filling of poppy leaves, nettle and cress; holy thistle with lamb, sea bream soup, nettle salad, Cretan pilaf, mushroom and shrimp casserole, marrow pabucaki, stuffed squid, wild radish cooked with olive oil, and pilaf with mussels. When I was last in Izmir and strolled down the esplanade in the evening, I found a restaurant serving Izmir's famous merou fish (Epinephelus aeneas) with bechamel sauce. I was also served fish in basil sauce with the complements of the chef. In Izmir the range of fish and seafood dishes is extraordinary. Merou in salt, cuttlefish, fish rissoles, poached sardines, sardines or red mullet wrapped in vineleaves and grilled, fried mussels, stuffed mussels, sole grilled on skewers, sardines baked in paper,

Add sufficient water to come halfway up the courgettes and bake in a hot oven until golden. Scrape and grate the carrot. Heat 1 teaspoon of butter, stir in 1 teaspoon of flour and the grated carrot, and satéo for a few minutes. Place the courgettes in a serving dish with the carrot and chopped dill sprinkled on top.

KURABIYE WITH MASTIC (serves 4-6)
Ingredients: Approximately 500 g of flour 2 cups olive oil 2 cups icing sugar 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda 3 pieces of mastic cloves
Method: Pound the mastic in a mortar. Place the olive oil and icing sugar in a bowl and stir well with a wooden spoon. Add the bicarbonate of soda and the mastic, and sufficient flour to make a biscuit dough. Knead well. Take pieces the size of a small egg, form into balls and place on a greased oven tray. Press each one lightly in the centre and decorate with a clove. Bake in a preheated oven at 170° centigrade until lightly coloured. Arrange on a serving dish and sprinkle with icing sugar. Serve warm