Israel's summer lingers into the holiday season, and our holiday fruits ripen beautifully in the heat. Look up at the date palms in parks and on sidewalks. They're loaded with huge clusters of red or yellow dates. Pomegranate trees in gardens and even along highway medians hold out their branches set with red fruit. But there's no need to shinny up a date palm or stop your car on the highway to grab some holiday flavors. Our markets are crammed with fabulous produce and it's only a matter of choosing. These kitchen-tested recipes make the most of autumn's delicious offerings. BEEF SHORT RIBS IN THE SLOW COOKER Beef short ribs with Mediterranean herbs and apple cider are even tastier the day after they're cooked, and keep well for two days refrigerated. For the cooking liquid, I use 5% alcohol apple cider because it gives the dish a subtle sweet note. Serves four; may be increased by half or doubled 1 kg. beef short ribs, most of the fat trimmed away 1 Tbsp. olive oil 1 large onion 1 tsp. ground sumac 4 large cloves garlic 4 small-medium tomatoes, or 2 large 1 bay leaf ½ tsp. dried thyme ½ Tbsp. dry rosemary, or a fresh twig about 2.5 cm. long 330 ml. apple cider: 1 small bottle Optional : 1 Tbsp. cognac or gin Salt and pepper to taste If the beef is in long pieces, search for the meaty parts between the bones and chop there. There should be around 8 pieces. Pat the pieces of beef with a paper towel until dry. Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a non-stick skillet and add as many pieces of the beef as will fit without crowding. There should be some space around each piece. You'll probably need to do this in two batches. Brown the meat, letting the fat render out as much as possible. Turn the pieces over as they caramelize, so that all sides are well crusted and brown. This might take half an hour or more. The second batch will go much more quickly. Note: if increasing the recipe by half or doubling it, use two skillets to save time. In the meantime, prepare the seasonings. Chop the onion thinly and sprinkle the sumac over it. Peel the garlic and mince it. Slice the tomatoes thinly. Remove the meat to a plate. Let the fat in the skillet cool down somewhat, then pour most of it away, leaving a tablespoon or so in the skillet. Heat the fat for a few seconds over medium heat and stir in the sumac-seasoned onions. Cook, stirring, until the onions wilt; about three minutes. Add the tomatoes with all their juices to the onions. Stir in the garlic. Add the bay leaf. Stir and cook for five minutes or until the tomatoes soften. Salt the vegetables to taste. Pour the contents of the skillet into the slow cooker. Place the meat over the vegetables in the cooker. Sprinkle the thyme over all. Place the rosemary in the center. Pour the apple cider over the meat and vegetables. Add the optional cognac or gin. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook on high for five hours. You may keep cooking the short ribs another two hours, on low, if you want beef that falls apart at the touch of the fork. CHICKEN ROASTED WITH FIGS, BASIL AND ROSEMARY OIL The season's fresh figs make a sweet counterpoint to the savory chicken. Start this recipe by infusing olive oil with rosemary. If you don't have rosemary oil, use plain olive oil. Serves six Ingredients for the oil: ¼ cup olive oil 3 or 4 twigs of fresh rosemary Heat the oil and rosemary in a covered pan, over low heat, for 20 minutes. Cool the oil and strain it into a small jar. It will keep three months in the refrigerator. Ingredients for the chicken: 1 whole roasting chicken ½ lemon 2 large cloves of garlic, chopped fine 2 Tbsp. olive oil infused with rosemary 1 Tbsp. coarse salt ½ cup basil leaves, taken off the stems 14 small fresh figs or 8 large ones, halved 2 Tbsp. silan (date honey) or 1 Tbsp. warmed, dark bee's honey Ground black pepper to taste A dash of soy sauce Squeeze the juice of the lemon over the chicken. Rub the lemon half all over the chicken. Cover the chicken and let it marinate at room temperature. In a small bowl, combine a tablespoon of the olive oil with the garlic, coarse salt, black pepper and soy sauce. Place the chicken in a backing pan lined with baking parchment. Rub the oily mix well over the chicken. Push any loose garlic pieces under the bird. Gently separate the skin of the chicken from the flesh, making a pocket. Stuff the basil leaves under the skin, gently pushing them around the flesh. Put leftover basil in the cavity of the chicken. Pile the figs up next to the chicken. Dribble the remaining tablespoon of rosemary oil and the silan or honey over them. Cover the figs lightly with a strip of tin foil, leaving the sides of the strip open. Leave the chicken uncovered. Roast at 175° for an hour or until the chicken is golden and cooked through. KABOCHA PUMPKIN STUFFED WITH QUINOA, CHESTNUTS AND PARMESAN CHEESE The squat, bumpy kabocha pumpkin, known in Hebrew as dla'at yapani, makes a delicious container for a hearty vegetarian stuffing. The whole pumpkin roasts before accepting the cooked stuffing. Choose a kabocha weighing between 1 and 1½ kg. If the idea of peeling chestnuts puts you off, never fear – simply buy one vacuum-packed bag in the supermarket. This is a dish my vegetarian friends rave over. Serves six to eight 1 whole kabocha pumpkin, rinsed and dried 1 tsp. olive oil for roasting the kabocha 1 cup quinoa, well rinsed and drained 1 Tbsp. olive oil for cooking the quinoa 1 small red onion, finely chopped 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped 100 gr. peeled chestnuts, chopped coarsely 1 tsp. dried thyme 1 tsp. salt Ground black pepper to taste 1½ cups boiling water 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese Preheat the oven to 200°. With thin, sharp knife, pierce the rind of the kabocha in a few places around the stem end. Smear the kabocha well with 1 teaspoon olive oil. Bake it for 45 minutes or until the rind is soft and easily pierced with a knife. In the meantime, cook the quinoa. In a medium pan, heat one tablespoon of olive oil. Fry and stir the red onion in the olive oil until wilted. Add the garlic. Fry and stir one minute longer. Add the quinoa. Continue to fry and stir until the quinoa is coated with the oil. Stir in the chestnuts. Stir in the thyme, salt and pepper. Add the boiling water; stir and wait for it to boil again. Reduce the heat to low and cover the quinoa. Cook 20 minutes or until all the water is absorbed and the quinoa is fluffy. Allow the quinoa to cool, then mix the Parmesan cheese into the mass. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper if needed. Set the cooked pumpkin on a rack to cool. When cool enough to handle, cut a circle out of the stem end. Set this cap aside. With a spoon, scrape the seeds out of the kabocha, taking care not to remove too much flesh from the interior. Stuff the kabocha with the quinoa. Pack it in well. Replace the cap on the kabocha. You can wrap the pumpkin in foil or plastic wrap and refrigerate it until convenient to reheat. But it doesn't keep well, so reheat and serve the same day. Heat the oven to 175°. Place the stuffed kabocha on a baking sheet and heat it through – about 15 minutes. To serve, slice it from the top to the bottom, like a bundt cake. CARP COOKED IN SAFFRON RICE A fish meal sometime during the holiday makes a welcome change from meat and chicken. Serves six 6 slices fresh carp or salmon “steaks” 3 Tbsp. olive oil 2 medium tomatoes, chopped 4 garlic cloves, crushed 1 medium onion, chopped 2 tsp. fresh ginger, grated 1 tsp. salt 1 cup white rice, rinsed and drained ½ tsp. saffron threads 2 cups hot water ½ cup chopped cilantro or parsley Juice of 1 lemon Ground black pepper to taste Heat oven to 175°. Pour the olive oil into an oven-proof casserole dish. Add the chopped tomatoes, garlic, onions and ginger. Bake, uncovered, for 20 minutes. Stir once during this time. Pour the lemon juice over the fish slices to marinate while the vegetables are roasting. In the meantime, put the saffron, salt and pepper in a Pyrex measuring cup or other heat-proof container. Pour the hot water over it. Stir and cover. Place the fish on top of the roasted vegetables in the casserole. Spoon the rice into the cavities of the fish slices. Stir the saffron water well and pour over the rice and fish. Cover the casserole tightly (use aluminum foil if necessary). Bake for one hour. IRAQI CHICKEN SOUP WITH RICE This spicy soup is almost a meal by itself. Recipe adapted from The Book of Jewish Food by Claudia Roden. Makes six generous portions 1 whole chicken 4 celery stalks, with some of the leaves, chopped ²⁄3 cup short-grain rice, rinsed 1 small onion, chopped 1 tsp. ground cardamom seed Juice of 1 large lemon 2 tsp. of salt 1½ tsp. ground turmeric ½ tsp. cinnamon ½ tsp. freshly grated ginger root, or ½ tsp. dried, ground ginger More salt and pepper to taste Place the chicken in a large pot and add 2.6 liters (11 cups) of water. Bring to a boil, removing any scum that rises to the surface. Add all the other ingredients and two teaspoons of salt. Simmer for an hour. The rice will be very soft. Remove the chicken to a large platter or chopping board. Remove the skin and bones, and cut into portions. Return the chicken flesh to the soup pot. Taste for salt/pepper, adding more as needed. Simmer the soup one half-hour longer. Serve the soup with plenty of chicken in each bowl. SLICED, ROASTED POTATOES WITH ZA'ATAR AND GARLIC Hasselback potatoes, Israeli style. Serves four to six 4 to 6 medium-sized white potatoes, rinsed and dried ¼ cup olive oil 2 Tbsp. dry za'atar blend (the kind that's packaged with sesame seeds) 3 large garlic cloves 2 tsp. coarse salt Ground black pepper to taste Mix the olive oil and the remaining ingredients in a small bowl. Thinly slice each potato horizontally, almost to the bottom. It should hold together. Smear the insides of each slice generously with the oil mixture. Roast the potatoes at 190°. STUFFED DATES ROLLED IN CHOCOLATE Set these dates on your simanim platter, or enjoy them as an intriguing snack with a cup of tea. Serves 12 12 moist Medjool dates ¼ cup chunky peanut butter 280 gr. chocolate chips ½ cup grated, sweetened coconut Remove the pit from each date with a small, sharp knife. Fill each date with a teaspoon of peanut butter, placing them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Put the stuffed dates in the freezer for 15 minutes. Melt the chocolate chips in a double boiler or in the microwave (one minute). Stir to ensure the melted chocolate is smooth. Skewer each cold date, or lever it onto the melted chocolate with a fork. Coat the dates on all sides. Put them back on the baking sheet. Let the chocolate harden on the dates for a few minutes, then sprinkle them with coconut. For a chic twist, forgo the coconut and sprinkle the dates lightly with flaky sea salt. Store in a tightly covered container in the refrigerator.
Fish can be a welcome change during a holiday(photo credit: SIVAN STERNBACH/WWW.SIVANSKITCHEN.CO.IL)Updated: Read More