The idyllic and secluded Dikencik Cottages make for a wonderful retreat close to Fethiye, thanks to the care and attention of owners Ayşe and Cengiz Genç
 |
For anyone who really wants to get away from everything associated with mass tourism on the Mediterranean coasts of Turkey, the Dikencik Cottages, hidden away in the mountain forests really fits the bill.
Situated 24 km outside Fethiye, 4 km above the quiet town of Yeşilüzümlü, the unspoiled tranquility of the area is both awesome and invigorating, yet at the same time relaxing.
The remote location of this home away from home is only one of its attractions. Once guests arrive up the wooded lane, the land opens up into a sylvan paradise. There is an immediate relaxing feel to the cottages’ setting and then comes the friendly welcome from Cengiz and Ayşe Genç, the owners of the 40,000 square meters of land hidden among the pine forests 700 meters above sea level. Surely, such a beautiful scene can make even the most frazzled townie unwind instantly.
The gardens around the two stone cottages are, depending on the time of year, full of home produce with vegetables, fruit and flowers in abundance. But the fertility of the rich soil does not end there. The perimeter of the land is deeply wooded and often brimming with wild fungi, herbs and the most beautiful endemic species of orchid.
For the Genç couple, this is certainly their dream home but they are more than happy to share it with their guests. Such an enterprise had been in the back on their minds for a long time.
Born in nearby Fethiye, the pair met in Istanbul where they were both working in the 1990s. After retirement, they decided to settle in this beautiful part of Muğla province and make their dream a reality. Dikencik Cottages, the result of their dream, carry the deeply unique and personal element of both these characters.
At the front of the cottages there is a swimming pool, which in the summer months is a great place to relax and take in the stunning views over the forests and mountain peaks. The main house has a massive terrace, once again with wonderful views. This is where in the summer, or even in warm winter days, meals can be eaten or the hours can be whiled away in conversation.
The level of comfort in one of the two houses, one with four double bedrooms and the other with two, in which the owners also live, are beautifully designed with high wooden ceilings and seating areas with sofas and Turkish carpets. They are warm and cozy in the winter months and cool in the summer.
Ayşe Genç’s cooking skills are put to good use feeding their guests and teaching them about some of the more uncommon Turkish recipes, which are seldom if ever seen on the tables of restaurants in the tourist resorts. Most of the condiments served at mealtimes are homemade or bought locally from neighboring farms.
Walks in the surrounding unspoiled countryside create a healthy appetite that can only be satiated by the appetizing feasts that Ayşe Genç creates in the open kitchen. The unusual and tasty dishes she prepares, often with produce from Dikencik’s own land, or harvested from the surrounding forests, are feasts to remember. Guests who stay at Dikencik Cottages can perfectly happily chill out between meals with a good book, but there are opportunities for a more active break should they wish.
Ayşe and Cengiz Genç organize guided walks in the surrounding area. This provides good opportunities for bird watching, wild-flower spotting and mushroom hunting, depending on the season. They are also close to some of the most beautiful historic sites, with Cadianda, Tlos, Xanthos and Patara just a short drive away.
Running a place like Dikencik Cottages is hard work but volunteers are lining up to help. At the moment, 25-year-old Lauren Simpson-Green, from Salisbury in the British county of Wiltshire, is helping out. In exchange for about six hours a day of work she gets room and board.
“I am working my way east,” she said. “On a small budget this is a great way to travel. Ayşe and Cengiz are lovely people to stay with. I have learnt about Turkey in the last couple of weeks and have really enjoyed the experience.”
One of the really unique aspects about Dikencik Cottages is that, regardless of the time of year, there is always something to do. The coast is not far away – about 25 minutes by car. The mountains that enclose this forest hideaway provide energetic treks and the rivers that flow through the craggy valleys provide routes for the less adventurous. Of course, for those who prefer to remain recumbent, just looking at the views is a very enjoyable option.
For further information please visit www.yesiluzumlu.com
The site for free work exchange is www.workaway.info
Poppy syrup, traditional Turkish drink from Ottoman times
Anatolian cuisine has made extensive use of poppies from at least the 15th century. Ottoman cuisine, especially in the Aegean regions, made routine use of poppies as well as its by-product, opium, as a gastro-intestinal medication. Cooks in the pre-modern era used opium oil and converted poppy extract into syrup.
“But with the advent of soft drinks our traditional culture began to disappear,” said Ayşe Genç, the owner of Muğla’s Dikencik Cottages along with her husband.
“I did not want to lose this tradition. Making the syrup does require a lot of petals, but fortunately there are a lot of poppies in our area. We started to make the poppy syrup and jam four years ago to serve our guests,” she said.
The syrup made with the fresh petals of the red poppy is deep red. It can be used either alone or used just as a mixer in alcoholic drinks or sodas.
“To make the syrup you must start by picking poppy petals. This is best done in the morning since petals dry out during the day and most petals will have fallen and shriveled by late afternoon. The black part at the bottom of petals should be removed. To make a bottle of syrup you will need just poppy petals, water and sugar. It is pure and natural, with no artificial ingredients,” she said.
“[You need] 500 g petals plus 3,000 ml water, as well as three kg sugar to make approximately two liters of syrup. There are many different recipes. The boiling time should be adjusted to achieve the desired concentration of the syrup. Bring water to a boil, and gradually introduce the mass of petals of poppy petals, which will melt like snow in the sun in contact with boiling water. Stir gently so that all the petals are fully in contact with water,” she said.
“When all the petals are submerged in the water, turn off the heat, cover and let them steep for 10 minutes. Strain, pressing out the petals to gather as much juice and taste as possible. Weigh the resulting liquid and add the same weight of sugar. Return to heat gently, then to boil, put in small glass bottles previously sterilized in a pressure cooker and seal immediately,” she said.
Alternatively, the mixture can be prepared by using some lemon juice to prevent the discoloration of the petals, she said, adding that people should then put the petals in a bowl, squeeze lemon on top and crush by hand.
Afterwards, people should put some water into the mixture, leaving it to obtain a deep red liquid before filtering through a piece of cheesecloth. Finally, one should dilute with water, add sugar and boil, she said.
The poppies Genç uses are the common red variety, not the opium type.
Situated 24 km outside Fethiye, 4 km above the quiet town of Yeşilüzümlü, the unspoiled tranquility of the area is both awesome and invigorating, yet at the same time relaxing.
The remote location of this home away from home is only one of its attractions. Once guests arrive up the wooded lane, the land opens up into a sylvan paradise. There is an immediate relaxing feel to the cottages’ setting and then comes the friendly welcome from Cengiz and Ayşe Genç, the owners of the 40,000 square meters of land hidden among the pine forests 700 meters above sea level. Surely, such a beautiful scene can make even the most frazzled townie unwind instantly.
The gardens around the two stone cottages are, depending on the time of year, full of home produce with vegetables, fruit and flowers in abundance. But the fertility of the rich soil does not end there. The perimeter of the land is deeply wooded and often brimming with wild fungi, herbs and the most beautiful endemic species of orchid.
For the Genç couple, this is certainly their dream home but they are more than happy to share it with their guests. Such an enterprise had been in the back on their minds for a long time.
Born in nearby Fethiye, the pair met in Istanbul where they were both working in the 1990s. After retirement, they decided to settle in this beautiful part of Muğla province and make their dream a reality. Dikencik Cottages, the result of their dream, carry the deeply unique and personal element of both these characters.
At the front of the cottages there is a swimming pool, which in the summer months is a great place to relax and take in the stunning views over the forests and mountain peaks. The main house has a massive terrace, once again with wonderful views. This is where in the summer, or even in warm winter days, meals can be eaten or the hours can be whiled away in conversation.
The level of comfort in one of the two houses, one with four double bedrooms and the other with two, in which the owners also live, are beautifully designed with high wooden ceilings and seating areas with sofas and Turkish carpets. They are warm and cozy in the winter months and cool in the summer.
Ayşe Genç’s cooking skills are put to good use feeding their guests and teaching them about some of the more uncommon Turkish recipes, which are seldom if ever seen on the tables of restaurants in the tourist resorts. Most of the condiments served at mealtimes are homemade or bought locally from neighboring farms.
Walks in the surrounding unspoiled countryside create a healthy appetite that can only be satiated by the appetizing feasts that Ayşe Genç creates in the open kitchen. The unusual and tasty dishes she prepares, often with produce from Dikencik’s own land, or harvested from the surrounding forests, are feasts to remember. Guests who stay at Dikencik Cottages can perfectly happily chill out between meals with a good book, but there are opportunities for a more active break should they wish.
Ayşe and Cengiz Genç organize guided walks in the surrounding area. This provides good opportunities for bird watching, wild-flower spotting and mushroom hunting, depending on the season. They are also close to some of the most beautiful historic sites, with Cadianda, Tlos, Xanthos and Patara just a short drive away.
Running a place like Dikencik Cottages is hard work but volunteers are lining up to help. At the moment, 25-year-old Lauren Simpson-Green, from Salisbury in the British county of Wiltshire, is helping out. In exchange for about six hours a day of work she gets room and board.
“I am working my way east,” she said. “On a small budget this is a great way to travel. Ayşe and Cengiz are lovely people to stay with. I have learnt about Turkey in the last couple of weeks and have really enjoyed the experience.”
One of the really unique aspects about Dikencik Cottages is that, regardless of the time of year, there is always something to do. The coast is not far away – about 25 minutes by car. The mountains that enclose this forest hideaway provide energetic treks and the rivers that flow through the craggy valleys provide routes for the less adventurous. Of course, for those who prefer to remain recumbent, just looking at the views is a very enjoyable option.
For further information please visit www.yesiluzumlu.com
The site for free work exchange is www.workaway.info
Poppy syrup, traditional Turkish drink from Ottoman times
Anatolian cuisine has made extensive use of poppies from at least the 15th century. Ottoman cuisine, especially in the Aegean regions, made routine use of poppies as well as its by-product, opium, as a gastro-intestinal medication. Cooks in the pre-modern era used opium oil and converted poppy extract into syrup.
“But with the advent of soft drinks our traditional culture began to disappear,” said Ayşe Genç, the owner of Muğla’s Dikencik Cottages along with her husband.
“I did not want to lose this tradition. Making the syrup does require a lot of petals, but fortunately there are a lot of poppies in our area. We started to make the poppy syrup and jam four years ago to serve our guests,” she said.
The syrup made with the fresh petals of the red poppy is deep red. It can be used either alone or used just as a mixer in alcoholic drinks or sodas.
“To make the syrup you must start by picking poppy petals. This is best done in the morning since petals dry out during the day and most petals will have fallen and shriveled by late afternoon. The black part at the bottom of petals should be removed. To make a bottle of syrup you will need just poppy petals, water and sugar. It is pure and natural, with no artificial ingredients,” she said.
“[You need] 500 g petals plus 3,000 ml water, as well as three kg sugar to make approximately two liters of syrup. There are many different recipes. The boiling time should be adjusted to achieve the desired concentration of the syrup. Bring water to a boil, and gradually introduce the mass of petals of poppy petals, which will melt like snow in the sun in contact with boiling water. Stir gently so that all the petals are fully in contact with water,” she said.
“When all the petals are submerged in the water, turn off the heat, cover and let them steep for 10 minutes. Strain, pressing out the petals to gather as much juice and taste as possible. Weigh the resulting liquid and add the same weight of sugar. Return to heat gently, then to boil, put in small glass bottles previously sterilized in a pressure cooker and seal immediately,” she said.
Alternatively, the mixture can be prepared by using some lemon juice to prevent the discoloration of the petals, she said, adding that people should then put the petals in a bowl, squeeze lemon on top and crush by hand.
Afterwards, people should put some water into the mixture, leaving it to obtain a deep red liquid before filtering through a piece of cheesecloth. Finally, one should dilute with water, add sugar and boil, she said.
The poppies Genç uses are the common red variety, not the opium type.
No comments:
Post a Comment