SOPHIE SMITH from BakeHouse in the barn shares her baklava recipe

I HAVE been a regular visitor to Kas, a small fishing town on Turkey’s turquoise coast, for the past ten years.

Though the town has changed during that time, becoming more developed and perhaps losing some of its bohemian charm, it feels like my second home.

The food has always been a particular draw. The huge variety of meze available in every restaurant is a vegetarian’s dream. I have often found myself in the kitchen at the end of a meal having asked how a dish was prepared.

I was delighted when I found a leaflet advertising an informal cookery school.

Christine runs the classes at a friend's smallholding in the hills above Kas. The location is beautiful, a rustic outdoor kitchen set among shady pomegranate and olive trees. We made an incredible selection of meze; a feast. Christine demonstrated and chatted about her life in Kas then each person had their own little work station to replicate the dishes prepared.

That lunchtime was a social, jolly affair. The food was a riot of colour and flavour and there was enough for second (and third) helpings.

After a short drive back to Kas, we sipped Turkish tea and watched the boats bob in the harbour as we enjoyed sticky squares of baklava...

For details: See Facebook page Cooking in Kas - making mezes easy

Turkish baklava

300g +120g caster sugar

475ml water

350g honey (orange blossom if you can find it)

1 cinnamon stick

1 tsp ground cinnamon

150g almonds

150g pistachio nuts

100g light walnuts

Rind 1/2 a lemon

125g melted butter

200g filo pastry

Combine 300g sugar, water, honey, cinnamon stick and lemon rind in a pan. Bring to the boil, then simmer gently for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, chop all the nuts in a food processor (leave some texture) add the ground cinnamon and remaining sugar.

In a lined baking dish 30x20cm, layer three sheets a filo, giving each layer a liberal brushing of butter before you add the next.

Sprinkle half of the nut mix over the pastry, then layer two more sheets of buttered filo before adding the rest of the nuts and topping with the remaining filo (slathered with more butter!)

Score diamond shaped portions into the top couple of layers of filo.

Bake at 180 for 45-50 minutes.

Remove from the oven and slowly put the hot syrup over the baked dish. Leave to cool before slicing.

Sophie Smith owns BakeHouse in the Barn preparing cakes, bakes and puddings to order from her home in Hovingham. Stalls at Hovingham and Coxwold markets.

Facebook: BakeHouse Barn

Instagram: bakehouseinthebarn

Photos by Victoria Harley