Tu B’Shevat

By Eileen Goltz

Tu B’Shevat is a holiday on which eating fruit, particularly from the kinds that are mentioned in the Torah, is an accepted custom. After hours of scouring obscure tracts, I still haven’t found the proof I need that Moshe had Hershey’s Kisses and M&Ms as his go-to snack on his way out of Egypt. I live in hope that someday my scholarly search for chocolate will be vindicated . . .

In the meantime, I’m going to settle for some not-so-typical recipes for fruits and vegetables that have grown in abundance for thousands of years in the land of milk and honey.

Dates, Pine Nuts, And Roasted Cauliflower

Serves 8

Ingredients:

2 large heads cauliflower, cut into florets

salt and black pepper, to taste

nonstick cooking spray

5—6 Tbsp. butter or olive oil

2/3 cup pine nuts

2 tsp. minced garlic

1 cup pitted dates, coarsely chopped

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Spread the cauliflower on a baking sheet, lightly spray with cooking spray, and then season with salt and pepper. Roast until lightly golden brown, tossing once with a spatula, about 20 minutes.

In a skillet, melt the butter or heat the oil and sauté the pine nuts, stirring constantly for about 4 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and dates and continue cooking and stirring until the dates are soft, 2 to 3 minutes. Season to taste with salt.

Place the hot cauliflower in a serving bowl. Add the date mixture and mix to combine. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Modified from a recipe by Claire Robinson

Pear Pomegranate Salad

Serves 8

Ingredients:

Dressing

1 cup pomegranate juice

½ cup rice-wine vinegar

2 Tbsp. honey

zest of 1 lemon

1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard

2 green onions, sliced thin

1 cup oil

salt and pepper to taste

Salad

½ cup pomegranate seeds

2 cups spinach greens

1 lb. chopped romaine or red-leaf lettuce

½ cup chopped pecans

1 cup shredded Monterey Jack or Mozzarella cheese

3 ripe pears, cored and chopped into bite-sized pieces

Directions:

In jar with a lid, combine the pomegranate juice, vinegar, lemon zest, honey, green onions, and Dijon mustard. Shake to combine, taste, and then season with salt and pepper and shake to combine; set aside.

In a salad bowl, combine the spinach and lettuce. Add 1/3 of the dressing and toss to coat. Add the pecans, cheese, pomegranate seeds, and pear. Drizzle with a 1/3 of the dressing and toss to combine. Serve with remaining dressing.

Broccoli And
Grape Pasta Salad

Serves 8

Ingredients:

½ (16 oz.) box bowtie pasta, cooked, drained, and rinsed

2 bunches fresh broccoli, cut into florets

½ cup mayonnaise

½ cup pareve sour cream

2 Tbsp. honey

1/3 cup diced red onion

1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced

1/3 cup rice-wine vinegar

1 tsp. sea salt

2 cups seedless red grapes (cut in half)

6 cooked kosher breakfast beef or pastrami, cooked and crumbled

½ cup toasted chopped pecans

Directions:

In a serving bowl, combine the mayonnaise, pareve sour cream, honey, red onion, vinegar, and salt. Whisk to combine and then add the broccoli, red bell pepper, pasta, and grapes. Mix to coat, cover, and refrigerate for at least 3 hours. To serve, top with crumbled kosher breakfast beef and toasted pecans.

© Eileen Goltz

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