Humble Potato Leek Soup

From The Heart of the Plate by Mollie Katzen

Simple and tasty - I had mushrooms and scallions that I wanted to use up, so I added those too.

INGREDIENTS:

1 lb russet potatoes, peeling optional, into 1 inch chunks

4 cups water

up to 1.25 tsp salt

2 Tbsp olive oil

4 packed cups (~2 lbs) cleaned leek rings, short of 1/4" thick

    (plus ~ 1/2 - 1 cup sliced mushrooms, and one large scallion)

Black pepper

DIRECTIONS:

1. Combine the potato chunks, water and 1/2 tsp salt in a medium-large saucepan.  Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to a simmer and cook, covered, until the potatoes are very soft, about 15-20 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, place another saucepan over medium-low heat for 1 minute.  Add the OO and swirl, then add the leeks and another 1.2 tsp salt and cook.  Stir for a minute or two, then lower the heat and continue to cook, stirring for 5-8 minutes.  Cover and cook over low heat for another 5-8 minutes, or until the leeks are very soft. 

3. Add the potatoes and all their cooking water to the leeks, along with black pepper to taste.  Cover the pot, turn off the heat, and let the soup sit for about 15 minutes to develop the flavor. Somewhere in there, taste to adjust the salt. 

4. You can now reheat the soup and serve as is or puree some of it with an immersion blender and reheat.  Serve hot.  Note - I didn't  care for the way it looked, so I blended all of it, in batches, in my Bullet, then seasoned with salt and pepper.

Eggplant salad

From Cokie Robert’s “Our Haggadah” - you don’t have to wait for Passover to serve it! 

For years, I’ve been trying to re-create my grandmother’s eggplant recipe - it was tangy and green, that’s all I knew.  I thought parsley was the most likely green she would have used, and lemon or vinegar would have been the tartness.  This recipe comes closest to my grandmother’s.  I plan to play with it a little more.  And, I’ve never microwaved a whole eggplant, so that was new for me. 

INGREDIENTS:

1 large eggplant, pricked several times with a fork

1 small onion, peeled and chopped, about 1/2 cup (maybe more)

1/4 cup chopped parsley

1 clove garlic, peeled, smashed and minced

1 tsp kosher salt

1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper

2 Tbsp olive oil

2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

DIRECTIONS:

1) Put eggplant on top of a few paper towels and cook in the microwave for ~ 7 minutes (check it before). Remove from oven. And let cool.  Then cut it in half lengthwise and scoop out the flesh.  

2) Put the flesh in a food processor, add onions, parsley, garlic, salt and pepper and process until coarse lay chopped.  

3) Stir in the oil and lemon juice.  Serve at room temperature with matzoh 

Jamaican Pot Roast

From New York Times Cookbook - Craig Claiborne.  1961

This has been a family favorite for years.  We used it numerous times for International Day at the kids school, sometimes changing the spices.  Haven’t made it in so many years! 

INGREDIENTS:

Flour for dredging

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

3 lb boneless chuck or rump roast

(3 Tbsp lard)

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

1/3 tsp thyme

2 cups canned tomatoes, untrained (used DelMonte Stewed Italian Tomatoes and xtra fresh tomatoes, but covers the taste of the ginger)

1/2 tsp powdered ginger

DIRECTIONS:

1) Mix flour, salt and pepper.  Dredge meat.

2) Add onion, garlic and thyme.  Stir until onion begins to brown and then add the tomatoes and ginger.  Cover tightly and simmer until tender, about 2.5 hours.  Remove to heated platter.  Thicken gravy, if desired with a little flour mixed with water. 

Tsimmes for Passover

https://food52.com/recipes/print/16721 

The Big Tzimmes for Passover

This took some time, but was very good for Rosh Hashanah.  Froze well and defrosted by the time I got to NY.  Opted out of cherries, I think I used some zest with the fresh-squeezed OJ. Used less than recommended of the dried fruit, but could increase some.  Remember to cover!

By Vivian Henoch

Food52 Editors' Comments: As author Vivian Henoch writes, tzimmes is a traditional Ashkenazi Jewish side dish, most often made during Jewish holidays like Rosh Hashanah and Passover. It’s typically prepared with sweeter root vegetables like sweet potatoes, yams, and carrots, plus prunes, raisins, and other dried fruits. It’s the perfect accompaniment to braised meats and rich starchy dishes, like noodle kugel, playing a similar role to sweet potato casserole on the Thanksgiving table. Best of all, and contrary to what its Yiddish name would suggest, cooking tzimmes is really no “big fuss.” Give the vegetables a rough chop and quick steam, give the remaining ingredients a quick simmer to mix, then throw it all in a pot and let it roast until soft, slightly sticky, and sweet. To make it even easier, you can prep everything up to the roasting portion of the recipe ahead of time, then finish it off in the oven a half hour before you’re ready to serve. This version of tzimmes brings the dish into the 21st century. Sticky dates and dried apricots are a welcome refresh for the traditional prunes and raisins. Tart cherries and citrus in the form of lemon and orange juice give the dish a necessary punch of acid, which helps bring depth and balance to what could be one-note sweetness. I like to go the extra mile and add some lemon or orange zest, or both. Tzimmes is a perfect dish for late winter-into-early spring, when the markets will still showcase the best citrus winter has to offer, but there's not much else besides root vegetables in the rest of produce department. While it has its origins as a traditional Jewish dish, tzimmes is a colorful and hearty side that anyone can enjoy. 

You say potato. I say potato kugel. You say you’re in a stew? I say what’s the big tzimmes? Tzimmes. Pronounced tzim-mess. For those unfamiliar with the term, tzimmes is generally understood as Yiddish for “a big fuss.” In Jewish cooking terms, a tzimmes is essentially a casserole. Similar to a stew. Asked to bring a side dish to a Seder meal, for example, it would be understood that I would make a big tzimmes of the request, stewing up something delicious and “company-style.” I don’t know which came first, the big fuss or the Eastern European dish, but I do know that to make a tzimmes involves some chopping, simmering, and stewing, tzimmissing, if you will. Like a good argument, a good tzimmes is both savory and sweet. What goes into a tzimmes can be either vegetables or meat and any combination of fruit, most notably prunes. In cooking as in life, as it turns out, making a tzimmes is easy as pie. Essentially it's take, chop, mix, and stew. 

Serves 8Prep time: 40 min 
Cook time: 30 min

• 4 to 6 carrots
• 4 sweet potatoes (about 2 pounds)
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter (use vegan butter)
• 1 cup bite-size pitted dates (about 6 ounces). (Used 1/2)
• 1 cup dried apricots (about 5 ounces) (used 1/2)
• 1 medium apple, sliced (optional)
• 1/2 cup dried Michigan-style cherries (optional)
• 1/4 cup fresh orange juice (processed with the rind) - used with a little zest
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 cup chopped parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1. Heat the oven to 350°F. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium. Cut the carrots into 2-inch pieces. Cook the potatoes in their skins for 20 minutes, adding the carrots after 10 minutes. Drain in a colander; set aside until cool enough to handle.
2. Peel the potatoes and cut into 1-inch chunks. Transfer the potatoes and carrots to a large bowl.
3. In a medium skillet over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the dates, apricots, apple, if using, cherries, if using, orange juice, syrup, lemon juice, and brown sugar and simmer for 1 to 2 minutes, just until heated through. Transfer to the potato mixture and stir well to combine. 
4. Add the parsley and salt and toss well to combine. Transfer to a 2-quart baking dish. Cover and bake, basting after 15 minutes, for about 30 minutes total, until the potatoes are fork-tender and juices are bubbling.

https://food52.com/recipes/37768-french-lentil-and-arugula-salad-with-herbed-cashew-cheese 

Very good vegan main dish salad.  Love the ‘cheese’ even with making my own herbes de Provence, without the help of lavender.  

I listened to Guy Raz interview the founder of Food52 on How I Built This. She was a NYT food reporter and eventually founded this crowd-sourced food blog.  Then when I was searching for a good vegan main dish to accompany a Passover Seder, I learned that the conservative movement certified legumes to be ok several years ago.  Hence this perfect main dish, to be served alongside tsimmes and matzo kugel.  

French Lentil and Arugula Salad with Herbed Cashew Cheese

By Gena Hamshaw

Delight in all of the familiar flavors and textures of a traditional French lentil and goat cheese salad—chewy lentils, creamy and tangy cheese—while also enjoying a recipe that's 100% dairy-free and vegan-friendly. The cashew cheese consistency should be somewhere in between a very thick hummus and a soft goat cheese—you'll know it when you see it. Add water gradually so that you can be sure to control the texture to your liking. 

Serves 4For the salad::

• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1 small shallot, minced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon Champagne vinegar
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 2 1/2 cups cooked Le Puy green lentils, drained well
• 2 cups firmly packed baby arugula leaves
• 1 cup thinly sliced radishes
• 1 cup chopped endive
• 1 cup sliced cucumber
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh dill
• 1/3 cup toasted walnuts, chopped
• 1 dash black pepper
• 1/4 cup herbed cashew cheese (below)

1. In a small bowl or measuring cup, whisk together the olive oil, shallot, salt, lemon juice, vinegar, and mustard until evenly blended.
2. In a large bowl, stir together the lentils, arugula, radishes, endive, cucumber, and dill. Drizzle evenly with the dressing, then toss or stir until all the ingredients are evenly coated. Stir in the walnuts and season with black pepper to taste. Dot the top of the salad with small bits of the cashew cheese (about 1⁄2 teaspoon each).
3. Serve salad right away, or store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

For the herbed cashew cheese::

• 1 1/2 cup cashew pieces or a combination of cashews and pine nuts, soaked for at least 3 hours and drained
• 2 tablespoons large flake nutritional yeast
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons herbes de Provence
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 4 tablespoons water, divided

1. Put the cashews in a food processor or blender (preferably a high-speed blender). Add the nutritional yeast, salt, herbes de Provence, pepper, lemon juice, and garlic. Pulse a few times to break the cashews down until they have a wet, coarse, mealy texture.
2. With the motor running, drizzle in 2 tablespoons of the water. Now it’s time for some kitchen intuition: Keep adding water, stopping occasionally to scrape down the sides of the work bowl, until the mixture has a good consistency. It should be similar to a thick hummus—a little coarse, but smooth and spreadable. You may not need all of the remaining 2 tablespoons of water. (If using a blender, start on a low speed and gradually increase to high speed as you add the water, using a plunger attachment the entire time to keep the mixture blending.)
3. Taste and adjust the seasonings as desired. Stored in a covered container in the fridge, the cheese will keep for about 5 days