Roasted Fennel, Asparagus & Apple Salad - Going Green

In the late 90's I became one of the many fortunate people to befriend Marla Bennett. She was an incredible person, with a sparkle in her eye that was mesmerizing.  Those eyes turned into pools of warmth and care when she listened and commanded attention and respect when she spoke, they drew you into her laugh when she giggled and got you humming along when she sang.  As her emotions shifted so did the sparkle, and yet it was always present.   

In July 2002 Marla was victim to a fatal bomb attack in Israel at Hebrew University.  Marla's sparkle transformed from a physical sign in real time, to a spark that would ignite a wave of good work grounded in her passions for Jewish living and Israel.  These passions became her legacy. To say that Marla was adored and respected by many is to greatly understate. In just 24 years she had created a network of friends who were deeply impacted by her incredible personality, and she had made many contributions to Jewish education through her leadership with Hillel and Jewish camping, and her study of Jewish text and Middle Eastern political science.

Marla loved the story of Noah, and it stood out as a favorite amongst the portions of Torah we read throughout the year.  Each year, to honor her memory, some close friends and I celebrate Shabbat together when Parshat Noach is read.  We mark the occasion as "Rainbow Shabbat," and prepare a meal reflecting the full spectrum of colors in a rainbow.  While there are many great reasons to fall in love with the story of Noah, and the symbol of the rainbow, I must say that I never explicitly knew Marla's reason.  So, in her memory I've done some learning to link Marla to the rainbow.

THE RAINBOW: WHERE GOD & HUMANS CONNECT

Iguazu Falls, Argentina

The story of Noah and the flood serves as an important marker in time.  Not long after creating the world, God destroys it by flood out of grave discontent for the lack of humanity amongst the men and women who inhabit it.  Noah is singled out as a man of honor, and is called on to save himself and God's animal creatures.  When the flood is over, a rainbow appears as a sign that God will not again destroy the world.  Rabbinic wisdom distinguishes between two worlds based on this story.  Each world reflects a different mix of opportunity and limits.  In the Pre-Flood world the human lifespan stretched as long as the 900-year mark, giving people ample opportunity to experience life and make their mark. Yet, ultimately this world depended on a certain level of morality to carry on.  When God becomes dissatisfied with human behavior he wipes it out.  In the Post-Flood world the human lifespan narrows to the 100-year range, and the opportunity to experience life and make an impact is shorter.  The Post-Flood world, however, has an unending time continuum. God will not again destroy the world - regardless of how much we trash it.  People must be be more conscientious and coordinated in their efforts to work together within their lifespan, and to link their generation to the ones that came before and will come after. 

The rainbow is a phenomenon unique to the Post-Flood world.  Scientifically, a rainbow is seen when moisture rises from below to interact with the light from above.  Spiritually, this can be equated to the active relationship when people work together and interact with God.  While the world does not depend on these interactions for its existence, God created the rainbow as a physical sign to remind us of the importance of this relationship.  Witnessing a rainbow reminds us of our responsibility to be active caretakers of the world and each other, and to be active in our relationship with God.  The beauty of the rainbow and spectrum of colors is hardly a coincidence.  In this way, the rainbow is also our muse.  It urges us to be creative, inclusive, and peace minded.  The rainbow kicks our butt into gear.

...and there, in that rainbow, one can always see Marla's sparkle.  During her tragically limited lifetime she worked towards this very goal.  Her death was a sad example of human behavior at its worst, but for those of us who learn from her memory - directly or indirectly - we are now inspired to reach out to each other and up towards something higher.  Rainbows have come to remind me of Marla, and each year my friends and I create our own culinary sign through Rainbow Shabbat.

GREEN SALAD

My friend, and the founder of Rainbow Shabbat, was hosting the meal this year.  She assigned me the color green and salad as my dish.  Sounds like a no-brainer, but while it was an easy call for her, my mind melted in a flood of possibilities.  About a third of all vegetables are green (I'm making that up - but it seems likely, no?).  On the one hand there are so many from which to choose, but the trick was to identify a combination that blended well together both visually and gastronomically.  I pondered over the possibilities for a week and ultimately settled on two salads.

The first was a Green Asian Fusion Salad.  It came together like this - I went to an Asian market and perused the green options.  I decided that if it was sold at an Asian market, and if it was put into a salad, then the salad was inherently Asian.  ...throw in the word fusion just to be safe, right?  I started with greens, and mixed in some ribbons of Thai basil for a tangy kick to alert the taste buds that something unique was going down.  I added crisp, blanched broccoli and chopped, sweet sugar snap peas.  These served as my solid, dark green vegetables.  To grow lighter in color, texture and taste I added Japanese cucumbers and juicy kiwis.  I had hoped to find green papaya (sounds nice and exotic, no?), but they didn't have any.  Feeling like the salad needed one final touch, I grabbed an avocado - figuring that if it appears in US sushi rolls, then it has got to be Asian,.  I constructed the salad in concentric circles, alternating dark and light shades of green and topping it with squeezed lime juice and a Japanese dressing that came in a green bottle and had a green looking plant on the label.  It was called, Japanese Green Dressing - at least in my translation of the Japanese characters on the label.  The tasters gave it a thumbs up.

The second salad was more simple, and I think more noteworthy.  Less can indeed be more.  This salad also reflected a spectrum of green colors ranging from the dark green of spinach and asparagus to the almost translucent green of the fennel.  Now, fennel is understated as it shares a flavor with black licorice.  Licorice has no business being black and fennel-like, but properly prepared fennel - as a vegetable - is quite yummy.  Mine was roasted with garlic and green basil, seasoned with salt and pepper.  Since I already had a roasting pan prepared, I decided to fire up the asparagus as well to develop a nice, smokey flavor.  The salad was screaming for a tart, fruity dimension to balance the earthy fennel and asparagus, so onto the roasting pan went some green apple segments topped with a bit of salt and a drizzle of agave nectar (similar to honey).  With savory and tart flavors in place, the final touch needed to be a sweet crunch.  I had a bag of green pepitas (pumpkin seeds) in my cupboard, and decided to candy them by melting sugar in a pan, adding the pepitas to toast and sprinkling themwith some freshly ground salt and pepper for a kick.  Delicious!

This particular year's Rainbow Shabbat was pretty significant.  The bomber responsible for Marla's death was being held by the Israeli government, but was released this past week as part of the deal that freed Israeli solider Gilad Shalit after five years as a hostage.  Lest those close to Marla feel angry over his release, Marla's mother makes clear the importance of Gilad's current life over avenging Marla's death in a moving article in the San Diego Union Tribune.

Oh, and the rest of the menu included:

• YELLOW Split Pea Soup
• RAINBOW Challah (yes, in my rather observant neighborhood you can purchase a multi-colored challah at the time of Parshat Noach)
• Roasted Fennel, Apple, Asparagus GREEN Salad
• YELLOW Lemon Chicken
• RED Roasted Tomatoes
• ORANGE Sauteed Carrots 
• PURPLE Roasted Potatoes
• BLUE Lemonade (thanks to Blue Curacao liquor)
• BLUE Cake
• RAINBOW Fruit Salad

ROASTED FENNEL, APPLE & ASPARAGUS SALAD

Serves: 8

Ingredients

1 bulb fennel

14 stalks asparagus

2 small green apples, cored

3 Tbsp. chopped, fresh basil

2 garlic cloves, minced

Freshly ground salt & pepper

Olive oil spray
1 tsp. honey or agave nectar

10 oz. fresh spinach (bagged or rinsed thoroughly and roughly chopped)

2 Tbsp. sugar

1/2 cup pepitas

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400° F.  Cut out the fennel core (lay the bulb down and cut out a 1-inch triangle from the base) and cut off the branches.  Cut the fennel into four quarter pieces.  Place on baking sheet and sprinkle with 1/2 the garlic, 1 Tbsp. basic, salt and pepper.  Spray with olive oil and place in oven for 15-20 minutes.
2. Break off bottom ends of asparagus stalks.  Cut apples into eight slices.  Add to baking sheet.  Sprinkle the asparagus with rest of garlic, 1 Tbsp. basil, salt and pepper.  Sprinkle apples with final Tbsp. basil, honey and a light dust of salt.  Spray with olive oil and return baking sheet to oven for an additional 15 minutes.
3. Chop roasted fennel, asparagus and apples into bite sized pieces and toss in salad bowl with spinach.
4. Place the sugar in a small pan on stove top over medium-low heat and wait for it to melt into a puddle.  Add pepitas, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and stir to coat.  Toast for 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally and ensure that the pepitas don't burn.  Remove from heat and let cool under one minute (if you let it sit too long it will harden and stick to pan.  Break up the pepitas and sprinkle onto salad. 
5. Toss with dressing of your choice.

SHE'ELAH: Think of a rainbow moment you have experienced - a time when you felt yourself or your community reaching out and up and being met by a light from above.  Describe this moment, and whether you can ensure its recurrence.

Stuffed Peppers with Quinoa, Chickpeas & Raisins

I'd been dreading this night since the start of the holiday - the final night of Sukkot, also known as Shemini Atzeret.  Why the sorrow?  Sukkot is such a great holiday, and while I had moments of fatigue from all the standing, cooking, cleaning, I was sad to see it go.

Now, Shemini Atzeret is a point of confusion for most Jewish people.  Many haven't even heard of it.  Others can state with ease that Shemini Atzeret is the end of Sukkot/lead in to Simchat Torah ... but can't explain its meaning or origins.  Well, a literal translation indicates it is a "stop" (atzar) on the "eighth" (shemini) day.  Figuratively speaking, most rabbis explain that it is the winding down of the joyous harvest festival, and that on this occasion we stop our routine work and focus on the transition from Sukkot to Simchat Torah ... and into the rest of the Jewish year.

CULINARY CRESCENDO!  This is what Shemini Atzeret means to me, and so I invited a cohort of good friends for a vegetarian feast (vegan in fact, since one of my friends follows this extreme version of the vegetarian diet).

The featured item on the menu was an original invention - Stuffed Peppers with Quinoa, Chickpeas & Raisins.  Since this was the main course in a vegetarian meal, I figured quinoa and chickpeas would provide a sufficient amount of protein.  Borrowing from the flavor profile of a Moroccan-esque butternut squash stew recipe I love, I constructed a sauce with a rich tomato base.  I then built it up with the pungent Eastern spices of coriander, cardamom and cinnamon, and added some lemon juice, lemon rind and golden raisins for an acidic, tangy twist.  I didn't use vinegar when I made it, but have included it in the recipe below.  To add some green color I threw in some sauteed spinach.  The result was excellent,  BUT it must be seasoned adequately with salt and pepper to make the flavors pop in an otherwise bland quinoa.  It was delicious, and very well received!


The full menu included:

• Homemade Grape Foccacia with Rosemary
• Hummus w/Vegetable Crudite
• Roasted Eggplant Soup
• Salad with Roasted Butternut Squash, Figs & Pomegranate Seeds
• Stuffed Peppers with Qunioa, Chickpeas & Raisins
• Zatar Cauliflower
• Acorn Squash with Chili-Lime Vinaigrette
• Nectarine Galette
• Fresh Fruit

Now - that's what I call a harvest feast!

STUFFED PEPPERS with QUINOA, CHICKPEAS & RAISINS

Serves: 8

Ingredients 
1 cup quinoa

2 cups vegetable stock or water

1 Tbsp. olive oil

½ cup onion, chopped

8 oz. fresh spinach

15 oz. can diced tomato or tomato sauce

1 cup chickpeas (either canned or dried peas that have been soaked overnight)

2 tsp. ground cardamom

2 tsp. ground coriander
2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar

1 Tbsp. lemon juice

1-inch piece lemon rind

1 cinnamon stick

½ cup golden raisins

Freshly ground salt and pepper

8 peppers, tops cuts out and seeded

Olive oil spray

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375° F. 
2. Prepare the quinoa:  Wash the dried quinoa two or three times with water.  Put quinoa in a pot with the water or vegetable stock.  Bring to a boil, and then simmer 15-20 minutes until the liquid dissolves.  
3. Saute onions in olive oil for 10 minutes over medium-low heat until translucent.  Add spinach and sauté until wilted.  Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and pepper.  Add tomato, chickpeas, cardamom, coriander, vinegar, lemon juice, lemon rind, cinnamon stick and raisins.  Bring mixture to a slow boil, and then reduce heat to simmer for one hour.  Remove lemon rind and cinnamon stick.
4. Meanwhile, place the hollowed peppers in a baking pan propped up right.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper, and spray with olive oil.  Place pan in pre-heated oven and roast for 40 minutes   
5. Pour sauce onto quinoa and salt and pepper to taste!   
6. Divide quinoa mixture amongst the peppers, and return peppers to oven for another 15 minutes. Serve and enjoy. 

SHE'ELAH: One of the customs of Shemini Atzeret relates to a change in liturgy in the Jewish tradition. At this point in the calendar we start praying for "geshem" or "rain."  Sometimes we cannot count on a sufficient amount of rain to last us a year.  What is something you can do to preserve water?

Sukkot Salad: Roasted Butternut Squash & Fig w/Pomegranate Seeds

Last year during Sukkot I discovered the fig!  I grew up a very picky eater (understatement).  Green vegetables were not to be touched, condiments and sauces were abhorred (except for teriyakki sauce), fish was dreaded ... and the list went on and on.  I had an unfortunate habit of sizing up a food based simply on look and name - regardless of scent and taste.  To date, a variety of items remain on my "I Don't Eat That" list for no good reason.  Such was the case with figs.  I'd always declared, "I don't eat figs!" without having tried one.  ...but last year in the spirit of Sukkot that all changed when a culinary brainstorm led to a delicious Roasted Butternut Squash & Fig Salad with Pomegranate Seeds.

During Sukkot Jews celebrate the harvest, while also remembering their pilgrimage from slavery in Egypt to freedom in Israel.  In the book of D'varim Israel is described as ""A land of wheat, and barley, and vines, and fig trees, and pomegranates; a land of olive oil and honey." (8:8).  These foods were particularly common during biblical times, and have been elevated to the status of the official Seven Species.  According to Kabbalistic tradition, each specie is linked to a spiritual quality.  One fun challenge during Sukkot is to incorporate these species into your menu.  They include:

1. Wheat (kindness)
2. Barley (restraint)
3. Grapes (beauty)
4. Figs (endurance)
5. Pomegranate (majesty/glory)
6. Olives (foundation)
7. Dates/honey (Kingdom/Humility)

This salad covers figs, pomegranates, olive oil and honey!  Kabbalistically (yes, a new word!) speaking it is a salad of endurance, majesty, foundation and kingdom/humility.  Culinarily (yes, a second new word) speaking it is just a darn tasty salad.

Tips:

• Purchase fresh pre-cubed butternut squash (Trader Joe's, etc.)
• Purchase a package of fresh pomegranate seeds
• Think of ways to incorporate the other species - serve with wine (grapes), bread (wheat) and add some cooked barley. 

ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH & FIG SALAD WITH POMEGRANATE SEEDS
 

Serves: 8

Ingredients

2 lbs. butternut squash, peeled and cubed into bite sized pieces

15 figs, halved

1/3 cup pomegranate seeds (or 1/3 c. dried berries)

1 tsp. ground coriander

1 tsp. ground cardamom

Freshly ground salt and pepper

1 Tbsp. olive oil 

1 Tbsp. honey

8 - 10 oz. mixed greens (Spring mix, spinach, etc.)

Optional: Crumbled goat cheese, nuts

Instructions

1. Peel and cube some butternut squash into bite sized pieces (you can also buy it pre-cut I believe) and sprinkle with coriander, cardamom, salt and pepper.  Drizzle with olive oil and roast for 45 minutes at 425° F. 
2. Cut figs in half, sprinkle with a bit of sea salt, drizzle with honey.  Add to squash for last 12 minutes. 
3. Seed a pomegranate (or buy seeds). 
4. Add squash, figs and pomegranate seeds to mixed greens of your choice and serve with a balsamic dressing (or other of your choice).  If serving with nuts and cheese add these too.

SHE'ELAH: What Sukkot-themed recipe do you like best? Which of the species does it feature?

Thai Sesame Ahi Salad

It's Day #4 of Sukkot, and I'm still at full steam in my cooking spree. After a few days of more tradition Sukkot fare and one too many apples, I felt the need to awaken my palette with a completely different flavor profile. Enter Asian fusion! Still committed to featuring drawing heavily on fruits and vegetables I cast my eye on producing a Sesame Crusted Ahi Tuna salad. My destination was my former boss' Sukkah, and he and his family are always guinea pigs for dishes I try out.

Quick and important tangent - I am a huge fan of Trader Joe's!!! What's not to love? Okay, I yield on two downsides - 1) they certainly don't carry "everything," but isn't less more? 2) it seems like they go out of their way to build their stores at locations that only offer nightmare parking lots. ...but, get over it! The quality of their products is top notch, prices are incredibly competitive and their packaging/presentation is totally appealing. ...and don't even get me started on their Fearless Flyer newsletter! This monthly publication is awesome - witty, filled with fascinating factoids (true, some are pure fiction) and successful at brainwashing you into wanting any and every product they feature (I came pretty close to purchasing a stash of Cuban Style Pork Masitas despite my observance of kashrut).

"What does Trader Joe's have to do with Sukkot and sesame crusted Ahi?" you ask. Well, Ahi tuna can cost a pretty penny, unless purchased at TJ's! They often feature excellent quality Ahi ... and frozen, no less. I paid less than $5.00 per package of two decent sized steaks. The quality was great.

The beauty of a salad like this is that it can be made any number of ways. The recipe I developed includes many steps - from marinating, coating and searing the tuna to prepping an array of toppings. You can definitely draw on shortcuts if you are looking for a less time consuming production. Examples:

• Purchase a marinade or dressing instead of making your own
• Eliminate the sesame coating
• Scale down the number of veggie/fruit toppings
• Don't blanch and shock the broccoli
• Eliminate the Thai basil or just use regular basil

You'll still produce a tasty dish, although these extra steps go a long way. The taste-testers gave it a huge thumbs-up!

THAI SESAME AHI SALAD

Serves: 6-8

Citrus Soy Vinaigrette

1 orange, juiced and zested

2 limes, juiced and zested

2 lemons, juiced and zested

1/2 cup low-sodium soy sauce

1 Tbsp. toasted sesame oil 

1 Tbsp. rice wine vinegar

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp. crushed ginger (or 1/2 tsp. powdered ginger)

Pinch freshly ground pepper

Tuna

2 - 3 tuna steaks, ahi grade

1 egg white, beaten

Freshly ground pepper and salt

1/2 cup sesame seeds (recommend combo black and white)

Salad

1 (5 oz.) package spring mix lettuce

1/2 (3 oz.) package spinach

1/3 cup thai basil leaves, chopped 

1-2 carrots, shredded or chopped

1 mango, cubed

1 red pepper, diced

1 cup sugar snap peas, chopped

1 lb. broccoli, cut and blanched

Instructions

1. Whisk together all ingredients for the vinaigrette.
2. Marinade the tuna steak in the vinaigrette for at least one hour, and up to overnight.
3. Prepare the tuna: Remove from the marinade and sprinkle with a pinch of salt and pepper.  Place a skillet over medium heat (not too hot!), and add enough toasted oil (sesame, olive, etc.) to coat the pan.  Dip the tuna (all sides) in the beaten egg white and roll gently on a plate of sesame seeds to coat.  Place coated tuna in the skillet and sear 3-4 minutes on each side (outside should be cooked, and inside as pink as you'd like).  Remove from the skillet and let cool a bit.  Slice against the grain.
4. Prepare the salad: Place the lettuce, spinach, basil, and shredded carrot in a bowl.  Add the red pepper, snap peas, mango and broccoli in any arrangement you'd like.  Top with the sliced ahi tuna and drizzle with the remaining vinaigrette.

Mexican Citrus Salad - Office Fiesta

I've always thought it would be nice to host my co-workers for a meal during Sukkot.  A communal "harvest meal" sounds particularly appropriate for my organization (a Jewish non-profit focused on outdoors, community building, etc.), no?  This year the stars seemed to align - a date emerged that worked on everyone's schedule, and there were so many great items to celebrate - a lot of hard work recently, the arrival of four new staff members and a co-worker's recent birthday.

I often look for some sort of guiding theme when planning a menu - a region, ingredient, type of spice.  Mexican seemed an appropriate route for this occasion, as it always screams "FIESTA!"  The menu featured:

• Mexican Citrus Salad
• Corn Buttermilk Chive Popovers 
• Burrito Bar (see below)
• Acorn Squash with Chili-Lime Vinaigrette 
• Nectarine Galette 

Much inspiration, as you'll see if you click on the links, came from SmittenKitchen.com.  The star item was the acorn squash dish - wow!  The flavor combination was incredible, and the nectarine galette was exclaimed a tasty dessert.  The burrito bar included a veggie mix (roased red peppers, yellow peppers and red onion sauteed with spinach, tomato juice, garlic, cumin, salt and pepper), Ina Garten's Corn Salad, shredded napa cabbage, broiled tilapia, Mexican rice, shredded cheese and sour cream.

The salad was also a winner, adapted from Susie Fishbein's Kosher by Design Lightens Up.  I made a few modifications, and think it came out well.

MEXICAN CITRUS SALAD

Serves: 6

Spiced Pepitas

1/3 cup pepitas or pumpkin seeds

1 tsp. canola oil

¼ tsp. chili powder

¼ tsp. ground cumin

1 tsp. sugar

Pinch of sea salt

Salad

1 (11 oz.) can mandarin oranges, drained

¼ small red onion, cut into paper-thin slices

¼ cup fresh cilantro or parsley, chopped

1 avocado, cubed

1 pink grapefruit

3 cups spring mix lettuce

Dressing

1 shallot, very finely minced

2 Tbsp. lemon juice

1 tsp. lemon zest

1/3 tsp. mustard powder

¼ cup olive or walnut oil

1 tsp. honey

Fresh ground salt & pepper

Instructions

1. Prepare the Spiced Pepitas: In a small bowl, toss the pepitas with the oil, chili powder, cumin, sugar, and salt. Spread in a single layer on a toaster tray lined with aluminum foil. Toast for 5 minutes, checking to make sure they do not burn.
2. Prepare the salad. Stand the grapefruit up right and cut off all the peel and pitch (white stuff) so that you are left with a round ball of grapefruit flesh. Cut out segments in between the skin lin, and cut large segments in half. Place the lettuce in a salad bowl, and sprinkle in the red onion, grapefruit, mandarin oranges, and avocado. 
3. Prepare the dressing. Whisk together all dressing ingredients, including salt and pepper to taste.
4. Before serving, sprinkle in the Spiced Pepitas and drizzle with dressing.

She'elah: Sukkot is a great opportunity to grow closer with your sukkah guests.  What's a quick ice breaker type game you can play in the sukkah?

Leil Lemon - Featuring Lemon Yogurt Blueberry Cake

Let me take this opportunity to disclose my addiction to the Food Network. Don't be fooled into thinking that the channel simply airs cooking shows. Sure, it has a line-up of these offerings (I recommend the pretensious, yet elegant Barefoot Contessa), but it also features other great offerings such as competitions and food- and restaurant-o-graphies. Top picks include Chopped, Diners, Driver Ins & Dives ... and the Iron Chef! Every once and a while I get an itch to host a meal "Iron Chef" style, featuring one particular ingredient that appears in each dish of the meal. Last Sukkot I prepared a meal based on squash, and this year chose lemon (in honor of the fragrant Etrog).

With my mother as co-chef, and additions from a few guests, the menu featured:

• Lemondrop Cocktails
• Artichokes with Lemon Dipping Sauces
• Braided Lemon Bread
• Lemon Salad & Lemon Tabouleh
• Lemon Fennel Tilapia
• Bulgar with Asparagus, Walnuts & Preserved Lemon
• Roasted Lemon Broccoli
• Rhubarb Lemon Mousse Parfaits
• Lemon Blueberry Yogurt Cake
  

I think the meal was a success - and we certainly featured the lemon in a variety of ways from sweet to tangy, extracting the juice, zest and pulp. The company was also awesome - fun, spirited and hungry. In our attempts to co-exist in the kitchen, we divided the menu. I was responsible for the fillings used in the bread, the broccoli and dessert. Kudos to Rivka Friedman, of Not Derby Pie fame, for her awesome parfait recipe. If you have the patience to hand churn lemon cream it is well worth it and got rave reviews. The Lemon Blueberry Yogurt Cake was also an A+, adapted from The Barefoot Contessa's Ina Garten. Here's the recipe as I followed:

LEMON-BLUEBERRY YOGURT CAKE

Serves: 8 - 10

1 ½ cups + 1 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. kosher salt
1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt
1 cup plus 1 Tbsp. sugar
3 extra-large eggs
3 tsp. grated lemon zest (approximately 2 lemons)
½ tsp. pure vanilla extract
½ cup vegetable oil
1 ½ cups blueberries, fresh or frozen, thawed and rinsed
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease an 8 ½ by 4 ¼ by 2 ½-inch loaf pan. Line the bottom with parchment paper. Grease and flour the pan.
2. Sift together 1 ½ cups flour, baking powder, and salt into a small bowl. In a larger bowl, whisk together the yogurt, 1 cup sugar, the eggs, lemon zest, vanilla and oil. Slowly whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Mix the blueberries with the remaining tablespoon of flour, and fold them very gently into the batter. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about one hour, or until a cake tester placed in the center of the loaf comes out clean.
3. While baking, cook the 1/3 cup lemon juice and remaining 1 tablespoon sugar in a small pan until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is clear. Set aside.
4. When the cake is done, allow it to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before flipping out onto a cooling rack. Carefully place on a baking rack over a sheet pan. While the cake is still warm, poke holes in the top using a toothpick. Pour the lemon-sugar mixture over the cake and allow it to soak in (you might want to use a pastry brush. Cool and serve. 

SHE'ELAH: The symbolic significance of the Etrog is twofold.  Each of the Four Species (palm, myrtle, willow & etrog) is said to symbolize a part of the body, and the Etrog is reflective of the heart.  Another explanation is that each of the Four Species is analogous to a type of person who reflects some blend of righteous deeds and focused Torah study.  This ranges from one who is like the myrtle, lacking in taste and smell and therefore in good deeds and Torah scholarship, to one who is like the Etrog, bold in aromatic smell and sweet taste and therefore in good deeds and Torah study.  Who is your Etrog role model?  Who do you know who balances their good deeds with continued learning?

Conquering an Apple Honey Challah

Growing up my family always ate Shabbat dinner together. The Friday night meal was central to our celebration and observance of Shabbat, and included candle lighting kiddush, and motzi over challah. My memories of our Shabbat challah during my childhood are quite distinct. While an wonderful cook, my mom is a fearful baker and figured out a clever shortcut to producing home baked challah. Each week she purchased a Kinneret frozen challah dough, braided and packaged in a tiny blue box. All the baker had to do was pop it out onto a baking sheet, let it rise in the windowsill for an hours, cover it with an egg wash, and bake it. Presto - mom's version of homemade challah. Not to complain ... challah is challah, and the Kinneret frozen dough baked fresh was still better than the mass produced loaves we ate during oneg Shabbat at day school.

Years later my father decided to take over the challah preparations. Initially he tackled it by use of a bread maker, but has since abandoned the machine and does it all by his two hands. Typically I find any excuse to poke fun of my dad, and give him a hard time ... but not when it comes to baking challah. The man is a master. He can make just about any challah - varying numbers of braids, shapes, fillings, toppings, doughs. For years I was frozen in his shadow, not even daring to try and bake a challah on my own. About a year ago, however, I decided to conquer my fear and asked him for his recipe and insider tips. While my challot are just not as good as his, I was relieved to learn that I could do it!

With a year of practice under my belt, and a request from friends to bake challah for their sukkah dinner party, I decided to stretch myself and tackle a more complex recipe - a round Apple Honey Challah adapted from SmittenKitchen.com. The dough itself was fairly easy to make, and is hardly sticky (one of the more annoying aspects of many challah dough recipes). The filling is also rather easy to put together. My troubles began when it came time to roll the apple filled dough into ropes - OY! The recipe called for 2 peeled and chopped apples, but I recommend downsizing to 1 1/2 at most. There were just too many chunks for apples. You also have to read through the weaving procedure a couple of times to really take it in. It seemed confusing until I had the ropes in front of me and didn't have to pretend visualize.

That being stated, I was pretty darn impressed with how it came out for my first try, and definitely recommend the recipe!

APPLE HONEY CHALLAH

from www.smittenkitchen.com

Yields: 1 challah

Bread Ingredients:
2 ¼ tsp. (1 standard 1/4-ounce packet) active dry yeast
1/3 cup plus 1 tsp. honey
1/3 cup neutral oil, plus more for the bowl
2 large eggs plus 1 large yolk
1 ½ tsp. table salt
4 ¼ cups all-purpose or bread flour, plus more for your work surface

Apple Filling:
1 ½ medium baking apples (ex: MacIntosh), peeled, cored and in ½- to ¾-inch chunks
Squeeze of lemon juice, to keep them from browning

Egg Wash:
1 large egg
Coarse or pearl sugar

Instructions:

1. Whisk yeast and 1 teaspoon honey into 2/3 cup warm water and let stand until foamy, a few minutes.
2. With a stand mixer: In the bowl of a stand mixture, whisk together yeast mixture, oil, remaining honey (1/3 cup), eggs and yolk. Switch to dough hook and add 4 ¼ cups flour and salt. Use dough hook on a moderate speed until it pulls all of the flour and wet ingredients together into a craggy mass. Lower the speed and let the dough hook knead the dough for 5 minutes, until smooth, elastic and a little sticky. OR, By hand: In a large bowl, whisk together yeast mixture, oil, remaining honey (1/3 cup), eggs and yolk. Add flour all at once and stir with a wooden spoon until you get a craggy mass of uneven dough. Turn dough out onto a floured counter and knead it into a smooth, elastic dough, about 5 to 8 minutes. Try to use as little flour as necessary when kneading the dough; you don’t want to toughen the bread. A bench scraper can make it really easy to remove it from the counter if it gets stuck in a spot.
   
3. Both methods: Transfer dough to large oil-coated bowl, cover with plastic wrap and set aside for 1 hour, or until almost doubled in size.
4. Add apples to dough: Turn dough out onto a floured counter and gently press it down into a flat, oblong shape. The shape does not matter so however it goes, it goes. Spread 2/3 of apple chunks over 1/2 of the flattened dough. Fold the other half over the apple chunks and press the dough down around them, flattening the now lumpy dough. Spread the remaining 1/3 apple chunks over half the folded dough. Fold the other half over the apples, pressing the dough down again. Your dough packet will likely be square-ish. Fold the corners under with the sides of your hands and form the dough into a round. Upend your empty bowl over and set it aside for another 30 minutes.
5. Weave your bread: Divide dough into 4 pieces. Roll and stretch each one as carefully as you can into a rope — don’t worry about getting it too long or thin, just 12 inches or so should do. If any apple chunks fall out as you form the ropes or at any other time in the forming of the loaf or risings, just poke them back in with your finger. Arrange two strands in each direction, perpendicular to each other, like a plus sign. Weave them so that one side is over, and the other is under, where they meet. So, now you’ve got an 8-legged woven-headed octopus. Take the four legs that come from underneath the center and move them over the leg to their right, i.e. jumping it. Take those legs that were on the right and again, jump each over the leg before, this time to the left. If you had extra length to your ropes, you can repeat these left-right jumps until you run out of rope.
6. Just as you had with the folded packet of apple dough above, tuck the corners/odd bumps under the dough with the sides of your hands to form a round.Transfer the dough to a parchment-covered heavy baking sheet. Beat egg and sugar until smooth and brush over challah. Let challah rise for another hour but 45 minutes into this rise, preheat your oven to 375° F.
   
7. Bake your loaf: Before baking, brush loaf one more time with egg wash and sprinkle with sesame seeds (optional). Bake in middle of oven for 40 to 45 minutes. It should be beautifully bronzed; if yours starts getting too dark too quickly, cover it with foil for the remainder of the baking time. The very best way to check for doneness in any bread but especially on ones like this where the wetness of the apples can slow down the baking time a bit, is with an instant read thermometer —center of the loaf should be 195° F.

SHE'ELAH: During the high holiday season it is tradition to eat challot with a round shape.  There are many interpretations for this practice.  One draws the meaning of the Hebrew word "shanah," most often translated as "year."  The root of the word "shanah" has two specific, conflicting meanings: 1) "repeat/cycle" 2) "change".  Each year our cycle repeats, but each year is also filled with great change.  As you look at the round challah give thought to these questions: In what significant way did my life change this past year?  What change do I want to pursue in the upcoming year?

Polenta in a Fruit Crisp? It CAN Be Done!

Each year I spend the first night of Sukkot with the same family friends and it has become a custom for me to bring along a homemade Applesauce Cake with Caramel Sauce. Suffice it to say, I think the cake is good (read the blog entry for the full rundown), but also wanted to shake things up a bit by bringing an apple based alternative dessert. I didn't want to do another cake, and with Thanksgiving approaching, felt I should avoid the pie route too. An apple crisp seemed to be a good idea, as crisps are typically well received and pretty hard to mess up - fruit, sugar, some spices, a sweet topping ... what can go wrong?


I set out to find a new recipe with a unique twist to kick it up a notch. After some intense research (code for - "I spent a few minutes searching my favorite recipe sites...) my eyes narrowed in on an Apple-Cranberry Crisp with a Polenta Streusel Topping. The recipe came from SmittenKitchen, a fantastic blog I discovered through my friend Abby, and is originally from culinary master Michael Chiarello.  I adapted a bit to keep it parve (non-dairy).

The polenta topping is certainly what sold me on the recipe. A traditional topping for fruit crisps seems to be a combination of brown sugar, flour, butter and some assortment of crunchy items - oats, nuts, etc. Polenta comes from cornmeal, and therefore this topping was more like a cornbread than a traditional crisp topping. Since most sukkot include some dangling ears of corn, this topping seemed apropos for the holiday. My topping was pretty thick and covered the full amount of fruit (I typically think of a streusel topping as having peaks of crunch).

I'm sure you can mix and match this recipe, trying out different fillings (peach berry) with the polenta topping or this apple-cranberry filling with a more traditional toppings. Play around - and enjoy!

APPLE-CRANBERRY CRISP with POLENTA STREUSEL TOPPING

Adapted from Michael Chiarello via Bon Appetit, December 2007

Serves: 10 - 12

Topping
1 tsp. aniseed
1 ½ cups pastry flour
3/4 cup polenta (coarse cornmeal)
½ cup sugar
1 ½ tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. salt
½ cup (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter or margarine, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 large egg, beaten to blend

Filling
2 cups fresh cranberries
1/3 cup white sugar
2/3 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
2 tsp. finely grated lemon peel
1 ½ tsp. finely grated orange peel
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
2 lbs. Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
Vanilla gelato, ice cream or soy-cream

Instructions

1. Toast aniseed in small skillet over medium heat until slightly darker in color,about 3 minutes. Place seeds in processor. Add next 5 ingredients; blend 5 seconds. Add butter; blend, using on/off turns, until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Transfer mixture to large bowl. Drizzle egg over and stir until ingredients are evenly moistened.
2. Preheat oven to 375° F. Combine first 8 ingredients in large bowl; stir to blend. Add apples and lemon juice; toss to blend. Transfer filling to 11×7x2- inch glass baking dish (or other shallow 2-quart baking dish).
   
3. Crumble topping finely over filling. Bake dessert until apples are tender, juices bubble thickly, and topping is crisp and golden, about 1 hour. Cool 15 minutes. Serve crisp warm with gelato.

SHE'ELAH: What's your favorite combination of fruit for a crisp?

The Ridiculous Applesauce Cake

Each year my family spends the first night of Sukkot in the the home of my childhood rabbi. They always build a beautiful sukkah, prepare a nice meal and invite fun company - it is a great opportunity to reconnect with family friends. The evening is pretty routine, and I enjoy the traditional progression of the evening from shmoozing in their living room to the chanting of brachot and tasty meal together. More so, it's fun to relive stories from childhood and to dust off (literally) the same photographed song sheets we use each year to sing the two distinctly Sukkot-themed songs in their repertoire. ...but I digress.

A number of years ago I was an eager, emerging baker and offered to bring something for dessert. After pouring through the recipe books I settled on a cake that seemed appropriate for the holiday: Applesauce Cake with Caramel Sauce. The recipe seemed simple enough, and I was attracted to the applesauce twist, some bold spices, and the bonus of a yummy sauce. In my opinion the cake was good enough - the spices give it a distinct flavor, the consistency is moist (in the way you want a cake to be moist), and the sauce certainly adds a sinful touch. Good, but certainly not anything particularly amazing. My own family seemed to concur.

Well, my rabbi and his family went bonkers. The men in the family enjoyed their first slice ... and their second. There was about 1/2 a cake left after everyone had finished eating, and yet, when the cake plate was returned to me from the kitchen at the end of the evening, it was completely cleared and cleansed. Not a single crumb left. "Where did the rest of the cake go?" I wondered. The answer - directly into their refrigerator to be consumed through the rest of the holiday.

When invited back the next year I again offered to bring a dessert. "That would be so nice - we really enjoyed the cake from last year" was the response to my offer. I picked-up on the not too subtle hint. When I arrived at their home, their eldest son answered the door and asked, "Did you bring it?!?" he asked with an intense look in his eye as he stared me down while blocking the doorway. I was thrown into a bit of an inner-panic! What was it that he was expecting me to bring with such great anticipation? I held up the only item I could offer - the cake. "Thank goodness!" he exclaimed and moved aside so that I could enter. The evening proceeded as it always does - shmoozing, eating, singing, benching ... and then a completely cleared and cleansed cake plate returned to my hands.

Thus began the tradition of the Applesauce Cake with Caramel Sauce on the first night of Sukkot. Again, I think the cake is good, but clearly there are others who think it is something really special! Each year I am greeted at the door with the same glaring look from some of the family - seeming more like addicts craving their annual hit than like gracious hosts - followed by a string of anticipatory comments as we lead up to dessert, during which time the harassment ceases only because their mouths are full with this ridiculous Applesauce Cake.

APPLESAUCE CAKE w/CARAMEL SAUCE

Serves: 12

Cake Batter Ingredients
½ cup butter or margarine, softened

½ cup extra virgin olive oil
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
3 cups flour, sifted
1 ½ tsp. nutmeg
1 Tbsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. ground cloves
1 Tbsp. baking soda
2 ½ cups applesauce
2 Tbsp. corn syrup
1 cup raisins or chopped dried apples
1 cup chopped walnuts

Caramel Sauce Ingredients
½ cup butter or margarine
1 cup brown sugar, packed
2 Tbsp. light cream or soy milk
2 tsp. vanilla extract
¼ to ½ cup powdered sugar, sifted

Instructions

1. Cream together butter, sugar and olive oil. Add eggs one at a time, beating for 30 seconds after each egg.
2. Sift together flour, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves and baking soda. Set aside.
3. Combine applesauce and corn syrup in a small bowl. Add to creamed mixture alternately with sifted ingredients. Fold in raisins/apples and nuts.
4. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 1 ½ to 2 hours until cake tests done when tester is inserted (from multiple angles). Cool cake in pan on wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pan and cool completely. Drizzle caramel sauce on top see below).
5. Prepare caramel sauce: In a medium saucepan combine butter, brown sugar and light cream. Heat until melted. Add vanilla and remove from heat. Using a hand mixer, beat in powdered sugar and mix thoroughly. Pour sauce over cooled cake and sprinkle with extra chopped nuts to decorate.

Adapted from California Sizzles

SHE'ELAH: What is the most unique sukkah decoration you have seen?

Who’s Invited to Your Sukkah?

Since the end of Sukkot last year, I have been patiently waiting for the chag to return. It is unquestionably my favorite Jewish holiday. Shabbat is glorious with its unique blend of ruach, menucha and challah. Channukah is radiantly marked by lights, gifts and latkes. Purim is an enchanting ride of costumes, hamentaschen, carnivals and spirits. …but Sukkot is the penultimate annual period that returns us to our roots (literally and figuratively), emphasizing the critical role of kehillah for the Jewish people. Look beyond the swooshing of the lulav and the fragrance of the Etrog. Peer through the green walls of the Sukkah. It all comes down to a series of three distinct invitations that land at your feet (think scrolls dropped by owls ala Harry Potter), binding us together as a community throughout time.

Sukkot teaches us to respect and learn from those who have walked before us.

The first invitation we extend is to our ancestral ushpizin (guests) – the “who’s who” of male (Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Aaron, and David) and female (Sarah, Rachel, Rebecca, Leah, Miriam, Abigail, and Esther) Jewish legends. Each night we invite a different set, and learn from their adventures. Many were uprooted from their homes or called to action in a way that led them down a transformative path of self-discovery. Starting with Abraham and Sarah, we are reminded of the value of hachnasat orchim by the way they so famously and hospitably welcomed strangers into their tent and so faithfully trusted God’s word – moving to a new land, starting a family at an old age, etc.. Not only can we learn from these traditional and more historical ushpizin, but as we sit and schmooze in our sukkot we have the opportunity to share stories of our own personal role models with whom we have enjoyed live relationships.

Sukkot gives us a sacred opportunity to deepen our relationships with current family and friends.

Why do we work hard erecting the walks of a sukkah, dusting off our fake fruits and vegetables (the Jewish version of X-mas lights) and laboring over the preparation of scrumptious meals? Surely there are easier ways to dine al fresco! …and yet, many of us have experienced the magic of Sukkot as it impacts the tone of our communal meals. The pace of eating slows down, we’re less distracted by TVs, landlines and computers that buzz in the background when we dine indoors and our attention turns towards each other. Dining together in the sukkah gives us an opportunity to enjoy each other’s company and take a step deeper into our interpersonal relationships (think of Buber’s I-Thou)!

Sukkot demands that we be forward thinkers, tending to the needs of those less fortunate.

Maimonides admonished that anyone who sits comfortably with family and friends in walls of their own sukkah and does not share with the poor is performing a mitzvah not for joy but for the stomach. In addition to extending symbolic invitations to ancestors, and Evites to current family and friends, we must take proactive steps to ensure that those in need also partake in the harvest. Customarily this meant inviting at least one poor person to a Sukkot meal; today it can include serving food at a shelter, donating money or canned food to those in need and many other gestures of tzedakah. While we are thankful for what we currently have, we must also think forward into the year to provide for those in need.

As a foodie, I can’t deny that part of my attraction to Sukkot is the opportunity to test recipes and enjoy the bounty of fresh California produce. More importantly, however, my love for Sukkot is rooted in the deep sense of kehillah I feel at this time of year. Humor me and take a moment to think through how you will fulfill the mitzvot of Sukkot by extending three invitations:

1) Which relative, friend or teacher from your own past would you invite to join you one night in the sukkah and why?

2) What will you do this Sukkot to spend time with current family and friends? What “distractions” will you need to put to the side to give these peoples your full attention?

3) What steps will you take to extend yourself to those in need during Sukkot and throughout the year?