The Fethiye Friday market was really special today, a profusion of winter vegetables sat alongside seasonal delicacies like dried figs and walnuts, such a heavenly combination. But today, in the sunshine, the market was full of wild çintar mushrooms, the saffron milk cap or lactarius deliciosus, which have a woody, meaty taste. They develop green patches when handled, which can be offputting, but fear not, they are superb.

Cintar mushrooms. 20 x 16cms. Acrylic on card.

They appear in pine forests after the rain and we’ve had 3″ of that in the last couple of days! For about £2 we were tempted into buying a kilo, too much to eat certainly but you can’t begrudge these old village women a couple of lire by buying any less. Tonight, we will wash and dry them carefully and then saute with garlic in a dash of newly pressed, and still slightly cloudy, olive oil. After 7 or 8 minutes we’ll whack in some cream and serve them on toast with scrambled eggs and some fried Proscuttio. I can’t wait!