Mendek is a thick-stemmed wild green gathered in spring around Trabzon. The edible part is the peeled stem, not the leaves. If the skin is left on, the stems stay stringy and hard to chew. It cooks briefly in a tomato sauce because it breaks down and turns mushy if cooked too long.
Separate the mendek leaves. Use the back of a knife to scrape the outer skin off the stems, working from top to bottom. Cut the peeled stems into 3-centimeter pieces and place them in cold water with lemon juice.
Boil in salted water for 6 minutes, then drain. The stems are ready when a fork can pierce them but they still hold their shape.
Heat the olive oil in a skillet, add the diced onion, and cook, stirring, until translucent.
Add the peeled, diced tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes, until they release their juices and the sauce thickens.
Add the drained stems to the sauce. Stir in the salt and Turkish red pepper flakes, cover, and cook for 8 minutes. Do not scrape the bottom of the pot while stirring; the stems break easily and the dish can turn mushy.
Peeled mendek stems darken when exposed to air. As you cut them, place them in cold water with lemon juice and drain just before cooking.
Sapların dış lifini soymazsanız ağızda kalıyor. Kısa haşlama suyunu dökün, buruk tadı o su alıyor. Domatesi rendeleyip kattım, küp doğradığımda mendeğin yumuşak dokusunun yanında domates parçaları sırıtıyordu.
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