Turkish food at Harvest

One of my favourite things to do at festivals is, wait for it...eat!  Yes, it's a shocker, but I truly appreciate fair food and Aussie's do it pretty darn well.  I've seen/smelled/eaten some great dishes at the various neighbourhood festivals here.  It's always hot, so freshly squeezed lemonade is a favourite (had one today actually at Mardi Gras), as is ice cream, obviously.  I also love the fried/baked potato on a stick - it sounds trashier than it actually is.  

Anyhow, my favourite item of fair food thus far is Gozleme, a bite that was so good, it took a spot on my Top Ten Bites of 2012 list.  I've since realised that Gozleme is available every Saturday in my hood at the Glebe Markets, but I like to maintain its special-ness by only eating it on the appropriate occasion.  I mean, would rum & eggnog really be as good in the summer?!?  

Gozleme is, essentially, a cross between a flatbread and a crepe, filled and sprinkled with lemon.  The options are usually feta w/ either beef; spinach, spinach & mushroom, or all three.  I say this again, and I can't stress it enough: I am NOT a vegetarian.  But - I do enjoy meatless meals...so I went for the spinach & mushroom option.  

It was so tasty.  I imagine that it was one of those occasions where the company and the setting enhanced the food experience, but to my memory, it was certainly one of the best bites of 2012.  My friends and I were attending Harvest Festival, which was bittersweet for me, since one of my favorite bands - Beirut - pulled out on the morning of!!  Who does that?  I was heartbroken.  BUT, Harvest did rekindle my love of Cake and Ben Folds Five (their new album is amazing) and introduced me to The Dandy Warhols and Santigold - whom I had loved before, but never knew the name of the artist.  

Anyhow, we parked ourselves in the shade of a gumtree with our cans of (overpriced) Sunshack apple cider, and had our snacks while waiting for Cake to grace the stage.  The gozleme bread had that awesome chewy consistency, which was both nutty, yet slightly sweet.  And obvs - how can you go wrong with spinach, feta & shrooms?

Yes, it was a cultural discovery in both bands and Turkish cuisine, one that I'll happily repeat any (festival) day!