Carol Goodman Kaufman

dates

A Feast for the Eyes, the Stomach, and the Soul

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book coverThis past Saturday evening, we hosted the first of two groups of people that won a Middle Eastern feast at a charity auction. To prepare for this event, I scoured my collection of recipes gathered and adapted over the years. Wild rice stuffed grape leaves. Labneh with za’atar and olive oil. Soft, fluffy pita bread.

But I also used this homework phase to explore the contents of Jerusalem, the groundbreaking cookbook by Israeli Yotam Ottolenghi and Palestinian Sami Tamimi.

I liked the idea of two men who could be enemies but who instead cook together and feed others. Breaking bread instead of heads, as it were. But I also loved the look and feel of the cookbook. Resplendent with gorgeous color photos and filled with personal stories, the book is a masterpiece.

Menu planning presented a challenge. I needed to make this vegetarian, but wanted something that wasn’t hummus or falafel or baba ganoush. I wanted new, bold, innovative. I craved uncharted territory. And, to be honest, I wanted to make a splash.

And, boy did I ever get that. My worries that I would grow weary of Middle Eastern food were groundless. The flavors in Jerusalem’s pages were so varied that there was no way we could tire (except for the sheer exhaustion I felt by midnight Saturday, when I collapsed into my warm, cozy bed).

Jerusalem offered pureed beets with goat cheese and hazelnuts; watercress and chickpea soup with rose water and ras el hanout; roasted butternut squash with onions and tahihi; baby spinach salad with dates and almonds; burnt eggplant soup with mograbieh; roasted sweet potatoes with fresh figs; semolina, coconut and marmalade cake. And, for a dinner prepared for just the two of us: an absolutely divine chicken with caramelized onions and cardamom rice.

The recipes called for ingredients that brought to mind caravans of colorfully clad camels bearing goods across vast deserts. Orange blossom water, za’atar, turmeric, cumin, cinnamon. Pine nuts, hazelnuts, goat cheese, tahini, dates, figs. The aromas wafting from my kitchen made me feel as if I were strolling through the narrow, vaulted alleyways of the shuk.

But, enough day dreaming; I’m bound to let something boil over or burn. And anyway, it’s time to plan menu #2.

A Little Piece of Eden: Part #2

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This past fall, long after the High Holidays had passed, I discovered, hiding under a bag of parsnips in my refrigerator’s vegetable bin, one half of a pomegranate. (Please, no comments about how often I should clean the fridge.) It was still in fairly good condition, but I had no particular desire to eat it and knew that, if left it in the fridge, it would rot.

So, I popped the seeds out of their glossy, cream-colored nest and into some fresh potting soil in a clay pot.  And waited. About three weeks later, as I went to the windowsill to water the plants, lo and behold, several tiny green seedlings were popping out of their deep brown home – see photo. I can’t wait to bring the little ones outside this the summer to see how they do. Stay tuned.

The pomegranate is just one of the Seven Species – two grains and five fruits – that are named in the biblical book of Deuteronomy (8:8) as being special products of the Land of Israel. The others are wheat, barley, grapes, figs, olives, and dates.

So, when one day I was eating an absolutely scrumptious Medjool date, it struck me: Why not plant a biblical garden? After all, I already had the etrog (see previous blog post). So I googled “planting dates at home” and learned that I should place the pits into a glass of water for a week or two before planting, changing the water frequently. The date pits have been sitting in soil for about two months now, but nothing has come of that experiment. Maybe I will try planting without soaking next time.

It turns out that I am not alone in wanting to have a little piece of Eden. This past January I got into a discussion with my friend, Josie, who told me of her synagogue’s attempt to plant a biblical garden in the Albany area. Then, just a couple weeks later, the Wall Street Journal published an article that chronicled similar, though not always successful, efforts by various groups around the country. See this link to read it. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203646004577213033000884426.html

In the meantime, I’ll start reading up on grapes, olives, wheat, and barley.