Rosh Hashana Eve - Barbara & Howard's Dinner Table
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Two Weeks Ago, Mark Bittman Asked New York Times Readers This Question:
"What Are You Cooking for Rosh Hashana?"
Of course, I couldn't resist throwing in my two cents. Here's what I told Mark, on the morning before the New Year began.
The Healthy LibrarianU.S.A.September 28th, 20119:54 am
Crazy how much my Rosh Hashana menu has changed over the years.
Never in a million years could I have predicted how much my menu would have changed!
This year it's 100% plant-based---and not just at my home--but at the homes where we've been invited.
Instead of Challah, I'm serving a multi-grain hearty loaf.
Dinner tonight is a Spicy African Sweet Potato, Red Lentil, Chickpea Stew, a Triple Rice Salad with Dried Fruits & Nuts and Field Roast Apple Sage "Sausages", a big green salad, & a Berry Crisp.
Lunch tomorrow is an all vegetable Mushroom Barley Soup, a Spicy Thai Peanut Slaw, a Sweet Potato Lasagna, & Jeni's Riesling Poached Pear Sorbet.
Here's the African Sweet Potato Stew recipe:
http://www.happyhealthylonglife.com/happy_healthy_long_life/2011/05/coco...
Here's the Triple Rice Fruit & Nut Salad:
http://www.happyhealthylonglife.com/happy_healthy_long_life/rice-fruit-s...
Yes, my holiday entertaining has done a complete turnaround these past three years.
Here it is 2011 & I just celebrated the eve of Rosh Hashana with a 100% plant-based dinner--and I wasn't even the one hosting the dinner--my good friends were. That's what I call real change.
We're talking about a holiday tradition that's steeped in brisket, roast chicken, chicken soup with kreplach, chopped liver, and potato kugel. Followed up eight days later with lox, smoked fish, bagels, cream cheese, and cheese blintzes. And we all know how hard it is to mess with tradition.
On Rosh Hashana day I was the one hosting a plant-based lunch at my house.
As it often happens, Rosh Hashana fell mid-week this year, making it difficult to celebrate with my family, who all live out-of-town. DC, St. Louis, Cincinnati, & Florida. Which is why I'm so grateful for in-town friends who are like family. (Read more about that below)
This week, my husband & I will be celebrating a very low-key Yom Kippur out-of-town with my oldest son, daughter-in-law, and grandson--while we help them out as they bring a brand new grandbaby into the family--any minute now. Talk about being on pins & needles!
But, I have to be straight with you.
Food really is not the main event for this holiday. It's a once-a-year chance to stop what you're doing--and take a serious accounting of what's been going on in your life over the past year--especially in your relationships with everyone you know, as well your community, and the world-at-large.
So, this week I'm thinking about all the times I've certainly missed the mark! Never intentionally. Never consciously. Never on purpose. Which is the heart of the problem. Right?
I admit it---This year I've taken my turn at being: unkind, thoughtless, uncaring, a no-show when I should have showed up, small-minded, gossipy, jealous, selfish--especially with my time, someone who jumped to conclusions without the facts, unsympathetic, uninterested in what someone was telling me, unenthusiastic, sarcastic, self-centered, dismissive, impatient, easily annoyed, short-tempered, blase, foolish, a know-it-all, lazy, egotistical, cheap, ungenerous (is that a word?), close-minded, wasteful, too busy, aloof, unwelcoming, or thinking mostly of myself. And--I'm really a pretty nice person! Most of the time I figure out a way to overlook or rationalize this nastiness--but I'm not that good at fooling myself. I still know when I'm being a jerk.
Which brings me back to how food is so inter-connected with celebrating the New Year.
When I prepare food for guests, it's a chance to go out of my way--to inconvenience myself--carve out the time to prepare and share a special meal, invite others over, and celebrate with the people I love. It always feels good to put myself out!
Rosh Hashana Eve
"Chopped Liver" Made with Lentils & Walnuts and Served on Crackers
Triple Rice Salad with Cranberries, Apricots, Currants, Pecans & Apple Sage "Field Roast" Sausage (click here for the recipe)
Simple Green Apple Salad with Assortment of Oil-Free Salad Dressings
Spicy African Sweet Potato, Red Lentil, Chickpea Soup (click here for the recipe)
Barbara's Gluten-Free Peach & Berry Crisp Made with No-Added Oil Granola
Rosh Hashana Post-Synagogue Lunch
Rosh Hashana Lunch Table
"Cheezy" Kale Chips to Snack On Before We Got Started
Apples & Honey and Wishes for a Sweet New Year
An Old-Fashioned Mushroom Barley Soup (click here for the recipe)
Joyce's Sweet Potato Lasagna (click here for the recipe)
Thai Peanut Slaw (click here for the reicpe)
Jeni's Riesling Poached Pear Sorbert (definitely, a treat)
The October 8, 2008 New Year's Post
Transforming Traditions - Rice, Beans & Squash and When Friends Become Family
Martha's Vineyard 2008
Land Between the Lakes, Kentucky 2011
This is the reposting of my Yom Kippur 2008 post.
What can I say? It's one of my favorite posts---about a holiday that reminds us to stop what we're doing, and take ten days out to examine our spiritual, physical, interpersonal and communal responsibilities.
How have we measured up? Where have we missed the mark? Where can we do better?
No brisket or matzo ball soup for me.
I'm making Butternut Squash and Apple Bisque. Rice Salad with Roasted Red Peppers, Chickpeas and Feta Cheese.
No family coming home for this midweek Yom Kippur holiday.
I'm celebrating with friends who have become family.
Am I depressed?
No, I'm grateful. Let me explain.
Sometimes you just have to transform the traditional. Holiday fare doesn't always have to be brisket and matzoh ball soup. Holidays can't always be celebrated with your family. You can transform humble fare like rice, beans and squash into something truly spectacular. And if your family lives out-of-town, your friends can be transformed into family.
"Find a way to be grateful for what you do have."
On Monday at the gym I worked out on the weight machines & listened again to Rabbi Sharon Brous' High Holiday interview with Krista Tippett on "Speaking of Faith".
Here's what I remember most:
Think about what you have, not what you lack.
Rabbi Brous: So many people walk around in life so aware of what they don't have, what they long for: the love that they haven't found yet,the absence.
They're so aware of the absence and what Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel says to us is, 'Look at the presents and figure out what you do have.
Look at the world with awe and wonder, and the amazing miracle that your skin holds the blood inside your body.' That nature works the way that it works, that the world is as extraordinary as it is--because there are so many things wrong--but there are so many incredible blessings around us.
And part of our spiritual challenge he says, "is to understand that it is gratefulness that makes the soul great." And so, find a way to be grateful for what we do have because it's simply not fair to live in a world and only be conscious of what you do not have.
Think about what's really important in life.
Rabbi Brous: Unetane Tokef--this incredible climactic prayer that comes in the High Holy Day services, is kind of pushing us to engage in the reality and possibility of our own death---who will live and who will die.
I mean, what this prayer basically says is: Realize that you cannot control if you will live or die, but you can control the way that you're going to live over the course of the year--and that's not some big amorphous ambiguous statement, like "feel good."
But it actually means: go out and do these three things:
- Build a spiritual life for yourself.
- Fix your relationships.
- And fight for justice in the world.
Because ultimately those are the three things that matter in life.
Yom Kippur comes in the middle of the week this year--as it does on so many years. My family is spread across the country and as much as we'd all like to be together, it's just not possible this year.
The same goes for my friends and their families. We're empty-nesters. Our kids are out-of-town--our parents have passed away or live out-of-town. Our siblings live in other cities. But for many years now we've shared the holidays with each other, taking turns, and including each others' family when they are in town. My friends have become family and the circle just seems to grow & expand in interesting ways.
My high school friends + college friends + our friends' friends + Fran's work friends + friends I've met through volunteering + Joyce's assorted friends + our relatives + our children (& their friends) when they're in town + each other's neighbors. The guest list always changes, except for the core--my friends who have become family.
Last March I wrote about friendship and included this excerpt from an article from the New York Times, written by Sally Friedman and sent to me by my dear NY college friends.
Friedman writes about a group of college friends who have been getting together for the Rutgers Homecoming every year since 1961, and "How sweet it is."
"We had hit the stage of life when friends become family, something you may have to live in order to understand.
We needed one another more than ever. Our parents were all gone, our children were far-flung, and some of us had even lost easy contact with siblings who had moved to places with lyric names in Arizona." (note to my sib & sibs-in-law: this does NOT apply to you!)
RICE, BEANS, AND SQUASH TRANSFORMED - Here's what's cooking in my kitchen for Yom Kippur
*Note: I reworked these 3 year old recipes, and removed the olive oil & feta cheese from the original ones. In fact, this sounds like a perfect menu for this year's Yom Kippur dinner or break-fast.
Butternut Squash and Apple Bisque - from Laura Samuel Meyn
1 medium butternut squash (about 2 1/2 lbs) (my shortcut: buy the precut butternut squash at Trader Joe's
1/4 cup of vegetable broth (to saute the onions)
1 medium sweet onion, peeled and chopped.
1 1/2 cups chopped carrots (my shortcut: use pre-shredded carrots)
2 medium Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and chopped
1 TBS chopped peeled fresh ginger
5 cups vegetable broth
1 cup apple cider
2 TBS dark brown sugar (or maple syrup or agave)
1/2 cup regular (not low-fat) soy milk
2 tsp garam masala (available in the spice aisle of many supermarkets) (add more if you like)
1. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Cut butternut squash in half lengthwise. Using a spoon or melon baller, remove seeds and discard. Place squash halves, cut side up, in large baking dish. Brush cut sides of squash with olive oil. Roast squash until tender, about 1 hour. If using the precut squash, mix with a tablespoon of olive oil & roast until tender, could be as quick at 15-20 minutes.
2. Heat up remaining 2 TBS of olive oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat. Add onion and saute for 5 minutes. Add carrots and saute vegetables until tender and beginning to brown, about 8 minutes longer. Add apples and ginger; saute 2 minutes. Stir in broth, water (or cider), and brown sugar (may want to omit if using cider). Using a spoon scoop roasted squash from the rind & add to the soup. Cover soup and bring to boil; uncover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until apples and all vegetabls are very tender, about 20 minutes. Cool slightly.
3. Working in batches, puree soup in blender (or use an immersion blender). Return to pot. Stir in 1/2 cup of the cream. Stir in enough water to thin soup, to desired consistency, about 1 cup. Return soup to simmer. Stir in garam masala. I use a lot--but add slowly & keep tasting. Season soup to taste with salt and additional brown sugar or garam masala. Soup can be made up to a day ahead.
Yield: 8 servings
Rice Salad with Roasted Red Peppers, Chickpeas, and Feta Cheese- from Jeanne Lemlin's "Simple Vegetarian Pleasures"
2 1/2-3 cups cold cooked brown rice (Made from 1 cup rice boiled in 2 1/4 cups water)
1 (16 oz.) can chickpeas, rinsed well and drained
3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese (note: I no longer eat feta--but I'm going to substitute 3/4 cups of crumbled Tree of Life brand Hot n' Spicy Smoked Tofu or the regular Smoked Tofu--it's very "cheese-like" in texture)
2/3 cup diced roasted red peppers, store-bought or freshly roasted
1/2 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
1/4 cup chopped fresh dill
3 scallions, very thinly sliced
The Dressing
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 garlic cloves, pressed or minced
Generous seasoning freshly ground black pepper
Salt
1/4 cup silken firm Mori-Nu Light Tofu
1. Combine the rice, chickpeas, feta cheese (or smoked tofu), peppers, parsley, dill, and scallions in a large bowl & toss well.
2. Combine the tofu & lemon juice in a blender & mix well--the tofu helps to emulsify the lemon juice.
3. Combine the lemon juice/tofu mixure with the garlic, salt, & pepper and whisk well--or shake it all up in a jar with a tight-fitting lid. Pour the dressing on the rice mixture and mix thoroughly. Let sit at least 1 hour or up to 8 hours before serving. Serve at room temperature.
Yield: 4 main dish servings.
Wishing You All a Happy Healthy New Year--Regardless of When You Celebrate the New Year
Great post! I would have loved to have celebrated the holidays with other plant-strong folk, but, it's not in my cards right now as my local family consists of almost no plant-strong peeps. It's actually mildly uncomfortable for me, because celebrating a holiday with food that I have negative feelings for puts somewhat of a damper on the whole experience. I know, I know, I try to remind myself that it's the family and not the food that is the truly important thing here, but I am kinda sad. There's always another holiday around the corner (Shabbat) that I can make plant-strong. I've just gotta navigate my way through and then host another Plant-strong pot luck!
Posted by: Wendy | October 05, 2011 at 03:51 AM
I'm glad you took your turn at being thoughtless, etc., so I didn't have to do it all. Seriously, though, this blog has been a huge gift to its readers, so put that on the positive side of the ledger. I've gotten a lot of information and changed some of my ways. Thanks, and Happy New Year!
Posted by: Mary in southern Vermont | October 05, 2011 at 06:33 AM
Gulp. I have a lump in my throat.
Miss you so very much, especially after reading this.
You are none of those things you mention: selfish, aloof, bla bla bla..... Not even a little bit.
Also love your decorations on your RH lunch table.
Posted by: Franny | October 05, 2011 at 06:42 AM
Amen to Franny's post.
Posted by: babs | October 05, 2011 at 07:00 PM
Thank you so much for posting this. The rice dish looks amazing and the soup dishes make me want soup right now- at 9am. We often do forget the important things in life, and need to be reminded by things like this post. Thanks for that!
Posted by: Michelle | October 07, 2011 at 07:14 AM
Uplifting and educational post.
I tried "Spicy African Sweet Potato, Red Lentil, Chickpea Soup". Very good. A creative way to use sweet potatoes. The "Mushroom Barley Soup" looks amazing. It's next on my list. Most of the recipes I try make way too much, so I save my old glass peanut butter jars, divide it up, & freeze. One recipe keeps me set for 1 or 2 weeks. I usually cook 1 meat dish for hubby & 1 veggie dish for me. I only put a small amt of meat in the dish & load up on beans & veggies. Nov to Jan 5 is the hardest time of the year if you aren't a spender on stuff or eater. I think I'm going to really concentrate on learning new vegan recipes during this season & volunteering.
Posted by: DJ | October 10, 2011 at 08:30 PM
I made the mushroom barley soup and it is very good. It's a nice change from vegetable and/or bean soup. I like the spicy african peanut stew, too, but it's too sweet for my hubby. I have printed out more recipes so will comment as I get to them.
Posted by: Penny | October 19, 2011 at 10:57 AM