(Many of the fairs, festivals, and other wonderful food events that usually fill my calendar each spring have been postponed or cancelled. This post is based on a past year's celebration.)
Each of these "raw meatballs" bears its maker's mark. In contemporary Turkish and Armenian homes, some versions still incorporate the traditional raw lamb or beef, but in public settings cig kofte (Cheeg Kuf-teh) are almost always vegetarian. Typically they're made with a blend of bulgur, onion, tomato, and red pepper paste, then partnered with lettuce-leaf cradles and fresh lemon. As for "meatballs," this English-language term of convenience doesn't convey the primal beauty of the dish: Cig kofte are distinctively yet unselfconsciously shaped by hand.
At this event organized by the Turkish Cultural Center of New Jersey, the manti (Mahn-tee) were also made by hand, I was told, though evidently ahead of time and offsite. Unlike many larger namesakes, the Turkish version of manti are about the size of a thumbnail and take considerable time to make in large numbers. These, filled with ground lamb, were ultimately deposited in red pepper oil, then dressed with garlic yogurt, red pepper flakes, mint, and sumac.
Also shown: two of Grandma's homemade jams, strawberry and orange; "Grandma."
TCCNJ Spring Festival
Overpeck County Park, Leonia, New Jersey
www.Facebook.com/TCCNJ/photos/gm.823141934387615/670020183110120
(This edition of the festival was held on May 16, 2015)
