a progressive Reform Jewish congregation |
2600 Bennett Valley Road, Santa Rosa California 95404(707) 578-5519 fax: (707) 578-3967 email: [email protected] |
These first three recipes were contributed to the Women-to-Women gathering on April 6.
Makes about 6 large matzo balls.
Mix ingredients. Refrigerate for � hour. If mixture is too loose, add some meal and refrigerate again for � hour.
Roll mixture into balls of about 1 T each.
Drop into a boiling mixture of 1/3 chicken broth/ 2/3 water and simmer for 20 minutes.
Equal parts of:
Add water to cover first 2 ingredients
Cook until they can be mashed together
Remove from heat and add equal part of walnuts
Beat egg yolks until thick and lemon colored.� Gradually beat in sugar, orange rind and lemon juice.� Stir in bananas, salt, cake meal and almonds.� Beat egg whites until stiff, but not dry.� Fold into batter.� Turn into ungreased 9 inch tube pan.� Bake in 350 degree oven for 45 - 50 minutes until cake tester comes out clean.� Remove from oven and invert to cool.
The following recipes are by Michelle Anna Jordan from the Men Can Cook class held on April 6 at Sur La Table. The class focused on Sephardic and Mediterranean cooking. As you can see, many of these recipes are not strictly kosher for Passover.
This recipe is inspired by a traditional Lebanese dish, made in both homes and cafes. My version includes ingredients� celery, lemon juice and cilantro sauce�not in the original, yet the technique is identical.
Serves 8 to 10
Drain the chick peas, put them in a large saucepan and add enough water to cover them by about 2 inches. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce the heat to low and simmer slowly, covered, for 1 hour. Check the water level occasionally and add boiling water as needed to keep the beans submerged.
After 1 hour, add 2 teaspoons of kosher salt and the garlic and continue to simmer until the beans are completely tender. Remove from the heat and let the chick peas cool in the cooking water.
Meanwhile, put the yogurt into a medium bowl, add the tahini and whisk until the tahini is completely incorporated into the yogurt. Add salt to taste and set aside. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and when it is hot, unfold the lavash and set it on the oven racks. Close the door and cook until the lavash is crisp but not browned, about 4 to 5 minutes at the longest.
Transfer to a serving dish that is at least 2 1/2 inches deep and 12-inches square. Use the heel of your hand to press down on the toasted lavash to break it into small 1 pieces.
Ladle chick peas in their liquid over the lavash so that the lavash is soaked by the cooking liquid. Scatter the diced celery over the beans and season lightly with salt. Top with the yogurt mixture.
Pour the olive oil into a small saute pan set over medium heat and when it is warm add the pine nuts. Cook, stirring continuously, until the pine nuts begin to color. Pour the pine nuts and hot oil over the yogurt and top with a light sprinkling of coarse salt.
Serve immediately, with the cilantro sauce on the side for guests to use as a condiment.
Note: Bolani East & West Gourmet sells a delicious cilantro sauce at the Santa Rosa farmers market. However, it is not difficult to make cilantro sauce. Simply rinse a bunch of cilantro, trim off and discard the biggest stems and put the leaves and smaller stems in a blender or food processor along with a stemmed serrano or jalapeno, the juice of 1 lemon, a teaspoon of salt and about 1/3 cup olive oil. Pulse until the mixture is fairly smooth. Taste correct for salt and acid.
Variations:
A type of spring onion, the cal�ot, is celebrated throughout Catalonia in February or March, depending on the weather. You see enormous mounds of them at outdoor markets. Some restaurants grow their own cal�ots in nearby gardens and offer a traditional cal�otada menu during the short season; it is a feast unlike any other in the world. There are also cal�ot eating competitions through the region, with winners eating several hundred of the grilled onions. Cal�ots are eaten with the fingers, with the tender inner part of the onion snapped out of its blackened interior and then swirled in rich Romesco sauce. When we first planned the menu for today�s class, I decided to serve our version of cal�ots with salsa verde because all of the ingredients for classic Romesco are not yet in season. But as the menu has evolved I have felt that you should try Romesco with our version of cal�ots and thus have provided the recipe in this packet. I have also brought along some homemade Romesco Sauce for you to try.
serves 4 to 6 as a hearty main course
First make the salsa verde. Use a sharp knife to chop the parsley and put it in a medium bowl. Add the minced garlic, lemon zest and lemon juice. Season generously with salt and pepper and stir in the olive oil. Taste the salsa verde for both flavor and texture; if it is too dry, add a little more lemon juice and enough olive oil to balance the acid. Correct the seasoning and set aside.
Make a fire in an outdoor grill or preheat a stovetop grill. Wash the onions, trim off the root end and pull away any blemished out leaves. Put the onions into a large bowl or onto a baking sheet, drizzle with the olive oil and turn gently until all the onions are lubricated.
Spread the onions in a single layer over moderately hot coals or on a stove top grill. Cook, turning them every few minutes, until they are limp and tender all the way through, about 15 to 25 minutes, depending on their size.
Transfer the onions to a large serving platter, cover with a tea towel and let rest for 5 to 10 minutes. Season with kosher salt and several turns of black pepper and serve, with the salsa verde alongside.
Note: In the US, spring onions refer to onions that have not yet formed a bulb. They often the same exact onions that, left in the ground, become the storage onions of summer and fall. You should find them at any farmers market and at farm stands and locally-owned markets such as Oliver�s, Andy�s and Pacific markets.
There are numerous versions of this classic Spanish sauce, similar to French rouille and not unlike skordalia when it is made with almonds. Romesco sauce is essential with cal�ots, excellent with all grilled vegetables, and frequently served as a condiment with grilled meats and sausages.
Makes about 1 3/4 cups
Two hours before making the sauce, place the dried chiles in a small bowl, cover them with boiling water, and set them aside.
Drain the chiles, place them in a large mortar and use the pestle to pulverize them thoroughly. Add the garlic, pulverize it with the chiles, and the almonds, and crush them until the mixture forms a smooth paste. Add the egg yolks and mix together thoroughly. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil, mixing well after each addition so that it is fully incorporated into the sauce before making the next addition. When all of the olive oil has been added, transfer the sauce to a bowl, fold in the pepper and tomato, stir in the vinegar and lemon, add a few turns of black pepper, stir and taste the sauce. Correct the seasoning; if you have used unsalted almonds, it may need a teaspoon or so of salt. Cover the bowl, and store the sauce in a refrigerator until ready to use. It will keep for at least one week.
Variation: To make this sauce in a food processor, combine the soaked and drained chiles with the egg yolks, garlic, and almonds and process until they form a smooth paste. Add the pepper and tomato, process again until smooth. With the machine running, slowly add half the olive oil. Stop the processor as necessary to push ingredients down from the sides of the container. Continue to process, slowly adding the vinegar, lemon juice, and the remaining olive oil. Transfer the sauce to a small bowl and refrigerate it, covered until ready to use.
When Joyce Goldstein makes this traditional Albanian dishes, she uses fresh goat cheese. I use a mix of cheeses, but you can use all young goat cheese if you prefer. For a pan, I like a 10-inch nonstick paella pan, the ideal shape for both cooking and serving this scrumptious savory pie.
Serves 6 to 10
Wash the leeks thoroughly in a tub of cool water to remove any dirt and sand that hides between layers. Drain them, cut them in half lengthwise and slice into thin (1/8-inch) half moons. Melt the butter in a medium skillet set over medium-low heat, add the leeks and saut�, stirring frequently, until they are completely soft, about 12 to 15 minutes. Add 2 or 3 tablespoons of water during cooking if they seem dry; do not let them brown.
Season the leeks with salt and set aside to cool.
Break the cheeses into chunks and use a wooden spoon to stir them into the leeks. Add the eggs and season generously with black pepper. Add several gratings of nutmeg, taste the mixture and correct the seasoning.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Set a paella pan or other pan with 10 inches of available flat surface on a cutting board. Brush the bottom of the pan with melted butter. Set a single sheet of filo on the surface, allowing it to drape over the side. Brush it with butter and set another sheet on top, rotating it slightly. Continue layering 10 sheets. Spread the leek mixture over the filo and fold the overhanging filo in over the filling. Brush exposed edges with butter. Layer the remaining sheets of filo on top of the pie, brushing each layer with butter and tucking the edges underneath.
Bake the pie for 15 minutes, or until the filo is pale golden brown. Remove it from the oven and set a baking sheet or pan on top of it. Carefully and quickly invert the pie, so that it drops onto the clean sheet pan. Return it to the oven and bake for 10 minutes. Invert the pie a second time, returning it to its original container. Increase the heat to 400 degrees, bake for 7 to 10 minutes, or until the pie is evenly browned. Let rest 5 minutes. Cut into wedges and serve warm.
Israeli couscous really has more in common with certain small pasta shapes that it does with traditional couscous, though it is used in Middle Eastern dishes more often than in those of Italy. In this instance--served with our leg of lamb--it serves the same function as any starch, to soak up delicious juices. I often serve it with harissa, a traditional condiment when couscous is served with a tagine, but the ingredients in harissa--especially caraway seeds and dried hot chiles--interfere with the bright green spring flavors of the tapenade and so I have dressed it lightly.
Fill a medium saucepan two-thirds full with water and bring to a boil over high heat. Add 2 tablespoons kosher salt and the couscous and cooking according to package directions until the couscous is just tender. Drain thoroughly and do not rinse.
Put the couscous in a serving bowl, drizzle with olive oil and toss to coat thoroughly. Cover with a tea towel and set aside.
Immediately before serving, add the parsley, thyme leaves and red pepper flakes, if using. Toss, taste and correct for salt.
Serve alongside the lamb or, on individual plates, as a bed for the lamb, so that the juices and tapenade ooze down into it.
Tapenade is one of the classic salty condiments of southern Europe, made in one version or another virtually everywhere olives are grown. It might be a smooth pur�e, it might be chunky, but it almost always includes brine-cured olives, garlic, and anchovies. This version adds two other ingredients common to Provence and northern Italy, artichokes and walnuts, and combines them with tangy green peppercorns for a chunky sauce that is excellent on crostini, tossed with hot pasta or used, as it is here, as a stuffing for roasted lamb.
Makes about 2 1/4 cups
Fill a large pot two thirds full with water, add 2 tablespoons kosher salt, and bring to a boil over high heat.
Meanwhile, using kitchen shears or a sharp knife, snip off the tips of the out leaves of the artichokes. Drizzle a little of the olive oil in the center of each artichoke and place in the boiling water. When the water returns to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer the artichokes gently for 20 minutes. Use tongs to remove one artichoke, turn it upside down and press a toothpick or bamboo skewer through the root end. If it goes in with just a little resistance, remove the artichokes from the heat and drain them immediately. If the root end is still hard, cook for 5 minutes more and test again. Some artichokes are tender in 20 minutes; others takes 40 minutes. Do not overcook or the tapenade will not have the proper texture.
Meanwhile, use a suribachi or mortar and pestle to grind the garlic and anchovies together until they form a smooth paste. Use a rubber spatula to fold in the green peppercorn, lemon zest and juice, and olive oil, scraping the sides of the bowl as you mix. Set aside.
Cut the green garlics into very very thin rounds.
Transfer the artichokes to a colander or strainer, rinse under cool water, drain thoroughly and let cool. When they are cool enough to handle, remove the leaves, serving them as an appetizer or reserving them for another use. Use a teaspoon or a small, sharp paring knife to cut away the choke in the center of each artichoke heart. Discard the chokes and cut the hearts into 1/4-inch dice.
In a medium bowl, combine the green garlic, diced artichoke hearts, olives and the olive oil mixture. Add the parsley and several turns of black pepper. Taste, season as needed with salt and adjust for acid, if necessary.
To serve as an appetizer, let rest 30 minutes. Use immediately, if you like, for stuffing.
The very best lamb is local; it is mild and sweet, with a pleasing texture. Lamb from New Zealand is much less expensive but nowhere near as delicious.
Serves 6 to 8
First, make the tapenade; this can be done a day in advance.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Season the lamb all over with salt and pepper.
Set the lamb on your work surface, with the fell side down. Spread the tapenade over the inside of the lamb, pressing it into the opening where the leg was and using as much of it as possible. Press the meat in on itself, tucking up any flaps so that it makes a loose-looking roll or roast. (It will be uneven; don�t worry about it.) Use kitchen twine to tie the lamb, end to end first and then around the middle.
Tie it fairly tightly.
Set the lamb on a rack in a roasting pan and put the pan on the middle rack of the oven. Cook until the temperature of the thickest part is 115 to 120 degrees for rare for 130 degrees for medium rare. A five pound boned leg will take about 1 1/2 hours.
Remove the cooked roast from the oven, cover loosely with aluminum foil and let rest 20 to 30 minutes before carving.
Carve the roast into 1/4 or 3/8-inch thick slices and arrange on a platter.
Drizzle the meat with a little extra virgin olive oil, season with salt and pepper and scatter the mint on top. Serve immediately. If you did not use all the tapenade as stuffing, serve what remains alongside.
This is the recipe from the original menu. As I studied the pacing of the class I realized it�s lengthy cooking time simply would not work with the structure and time frame of the class. So here it is as a bonus recipe: Feel free to try it on your own; if you have any questions, you can always send me an e-mail.
Serves 6 to 8
Arrange half the onions on the bottom of a large clay pot or other deep ovenproof pot. Season with salt and pepper and set 3 of the thyme sprigs on top. Add the lamb, season with salt and pepper and pour in the white wine. Cover the pot, put in a cold oven and set the heat to 275 degrees. Cook for 2 hours.
Meanwhile, trim the artichokes. Fill a medium bowl half full with water and add the lemon juice Cut each artichoke in half lengthwise and then cut about 1/4 inch of the tip off, cutting crosswise all the way through the artichoke. Put the cut artichokes into the lemon water and set aside.
After the lamb has been cooking for 2 hours, remove the pot from the oven. Arrange the green garlics over the lamb, season with a little salt and pepper and spread the potatoes on top. Season the potatoes with salt and pepper and set the remaining 3 sprigs of thyme on top. Quickly drain the artichokes and spread them over the potatoes.
Cover the pot, return it to the oven and cook for another 90 minutes, or until the potatoes and artichokes are completely tender.
Remove from the oven and let rest at least 15 minutes before serving. To serve, ladle portions of the stew, being sure to reach all the way down to the bottom, into wide soup plates. Sprinkle each portion with fresh mint, garnish with one or two lemon wedges and serve.
Throughout the Mediterranean you find salads that combine finely sliced greens with seasonal herbs and very simple dressings. In this version, one of Sicily�s traditional fruits�the orange�is featured in the dressing. Notice the similarities between this salad and the one from the Greek island of Lesbos, which I provide here for comparison.
Serves 6
Stack the lettuce leaves and cut them crosswise into 1 1/2-inch-wide ribbons. Put in a salad bowl.
Quarter the fennel and cut crosswise into 1/8-inch-thick slices. Add the fennel to the lettuce bowl.
Make a dressing by combining the orange juice, vinegar, oil, and salt. Just before serving, pour over the salad and toss. Sprinkle with mint (or other herbs) and toss again.
Serve immediately.