Turkish Summer Vegetable Stew
Guvec Yaz
Region: Turkey
Category: Stews
Season: Summer
Difficulty: Easy

Buried in the crooked warrens of the city of Antalya on Turkey’s Mediterranean coast is a little restaurant called the Huseyinin on Eski Sebzeciler Içi Sokak (the name means “Old Inner Street of the Greengrocers”), a narrow pedestrian passageway in this old city founded by Attalus II, king of Pergamum in about 150 B.C. Although Antalya is surrounded by snow-capped mountains on three sides, it sits on a fertile plain that makes the city an agricultural hub not only for the region but commercially important because fresh fruits and vegetables are trucked to all parts of Turkey. This recipe is based on the very good meal I had at the restaurant and which was simply called güveç on the menu, a word that means both the earthenware casserole the stew is cooked in and the stew itself. This particular version is a summer vegetable stew while in the winter one would eat güveç kiş, a winter stew relying on root vegetables.

[photo: Clifford A. Wright]

Yield: Makes 6 servings
Preparation Time: 2 hours

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, thinly sliced

2 pounds very ripe large tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped, but with all their juice

1 fresh red chile, cored, seeded, and very finely chopped

4 long green peppers (peperonicini, Anaheim, Hatch, etc.), cored, seeded and coarsely cut up

3 large garlic cloves, pounded in a mortar with 1 teaspoon salt

1 boiling potato (about 1/2 pound), such as Yukon Gold, red, or white potato, peeled, cut in half and sliced in 1/4-inch pieces

2 medium zucchini, peeled in zebra stripes and cut into 1-inch chunks

2 cucumbers, peeled, seeded and cut into 1-inch chunks

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 cup fresh green peas

3/4 pound spinach, washed well, heavy stems removed if desired

1. In an earthenware casserole (preferably), heat the olive oil over medium-high heat, using a heat diffuser if necessary, then cook, stirring, the onion until translucent, about 5 minutes. (If using earthenware and if it is not flameproof, or if you don't know, you will need to use a heat diffuser. Earthenware heats up slower but retains its heat longer than non-earthenware casseroles. When using earthenware, food may cook slower at first and then cook very quickly while retaining its heat, so adjust accordingly). Add the tomatoes, red chile, long green peppers, and garlic and continue to cook, stirring, until the peppers begin to soften, about 12 minutes.

2. Add the potato and cook until it starts to look soft, about 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to low, add the zucchini, cucumbers, and season with salt and pepper, and cook, covered, until the potatoes are soft, about 40 minutes. Add the peas and continue to cook until they are tender, about 10 minutes. Add the spinach and cook until it wilts, about 4 to 5 minutes. Let the stew rest in the casserole for 15 minutes before serving.

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Posted: 09/30/2014