A cookbook, or a travelogue with recipes, Green Mountains: Walking the Caucasus with Recipes charts a series of invigorating walks from the stormy sunbaked valleys of southern Armenia to the jagged peaks of northern Georgia. Along the way, epic landscapes and fascinating cities come alive via encounters with priests, fruit pickers, tea harvesters, legendary singers, chess masters as well as the maverick artists and heroic alpinists of the past.

The final book in her ‘colour trilogy’, following on from her multi-award-winning books, Black Sea and Red Sands (all about Central Asia), in Green Mountains author Caroline Eden also reflects on 10 years of researching and writing these books, set most recently against the dark backdrop of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Beginning in Armenia, moving northwards through Georgia and ending where the trilogy began, at the Black Sea, Green Mountains weaves together the enchanting geography and the cult of the kitchen that prevails within these two countries. Tales of testing hikes and unpredictable terrain are punctuated by the foods Eden eats for respite – citrus, tea, apricots, mountain greens and magical cheeses – and the stories she uncovers.

Sharing both the deep comfort and satisfaction of a meal served after a long walk, and the unique relationships she forms with her hosts, Eden offers readers unique insights into the culture and food of these two countries.

Here’s an Armenian recipe taken from Green Mountains that works really well in the summer months as part of a meze-style platter, ideal for eating outdoors.

"I first tried it, during a heatwave in Yerevan, at the Tufenkian Historic Yerevan Hotel, near Republic Square and the Vernissage arts and crafts market. The hotel, along with the city’s best buildings was built with tuff (compacted deposits of volcanic detritus), and not only does it have a great on-site restaurant but it also has the Tufenkian carpet showroom - Armenia is famous for its carpet traditions and this is a good place to see the rugs and learn about the process in the centre of the capital."

Eetch is essentially fine bulgur wheat infused with tomato juice, not entirely dissimilar to tabbouleh though with a different, less dry, consistency. The herb and spring onion topping is the secret here: leave it out and the eetch will seem flat. Serve alongside flatbread.

Eetch - bulgur wheat salad

Serves 4

2 tbsp olive oil 2 small onions, grated 1½ tsp sea salt ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper 1 large red bell pepper, finely chopped 1 garlic clove, minced ½ tsp paprika ½ tsp red pepper flakes 45g double-concentrated tomato purée 225g canned chopped tomatoes Juice of ½ lemon 180g fine bulgur wheat 360ml plus 1 tbsp boiling water

For the topping

2 small spring onions, finely chopped Handful of fresh herbs (a mix of curly parsley, basil, dill, mint), finely chopped 1 tbsp lemon juice 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan, then add the onion, salt, black pepper and half the chopped bell pepper, cooking until soft. Briefly cook the garlic until the pungency lessens. Add the spices, tomato purée, chopped tomatoes and lemon juice and cook for 5 minutes. Next, tip in the bulgur, coating well with the tomato mixture, then pour over the boiling water. Stir everything together, cover the pan, and allow to simmer over a very low heat for 5 minutes (check it isn’t sticking to the bottom of the pan, if so gently stir). Then turn off the heat and let it steam, with the lid on, for another 10 minutes. Remove from the heat. Allow to cool completely, then transfer into a serving bowl and refrigerate. When ready to serve, remove from the fridge and allow to come to room temperature, then garnish with the remaining chopped bell pepper, the spring onions and herbs. Dress with the lemon juice and olive oil.