By FAITH BAHADURIAN Special Writer
Rosh Hashana is Judaism’s New Year, a time for reflection on the past and resolutions for a better future. The observance, which marks the commencement of the year 5769, will begin at sundown on Monday and continue through Yom Kippur, which takes place at sundown on Oct. 8. The hope for a sweet New Year is reflected in symbolic foods such as apples, carrots and honey, and other typical foods of the harvest include grains, squash, leeks and onion.
It is also common to eat a “new fruit” on the second night of Rosh Hashanah, one that has not been tasted in a long time, such as the pomegranate (its current popularity of the juice as a health-conscious beverage notwithstanding). Besides being a symbol of fertility, the fruit is said to have 613 seeds, corresponding to the 613 “mitzvot,” or commandments, of the Jewish faith.
Since main courses at Rosh Hashana tend to be meat, I have included a very easy dairy-free dessert, fruit compote, below, which could be served with non-dairy whipped topping. But since we have a lot of vegetarians in the Princeton area, I have also included a dairy dessert that could follow a vegetarian (or maybe fish) meal.
And if you’re craving apples, I just wrote about them in the Sept. 12 issue of The Princeton Packet, and included a recipe for apple strudel baklava, which could be made with margarine instead of butter. Those recipes can be found under Lifestyle on The Packet’s Web site, www.packetonline.com. You’ll find variations on this all over the Internet, too. And don’t forget the humble baked apple, especially welcome at this time of year.
ROSH HASHANA POTLUCK:
LENTIL, CHICKPEA, RED PEPPER
AND BROCCOLI SALAD
adapted from “Jewish Cooking in America,”
Joan Nathan, Knopf, 1994
Serves at least 12.
Note: This is a composed salad, meaning you prepare the separate ingredients then put them on a platter in a nice arrangement. It makes a spectacular first course.
1 pound broccoli
1 12-ounce can chickpeas
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
¼ cup olive oil
1 garlic clove, mashed
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
2 cups lentils
2 roasted red peppers (fresh or jarred)
Vinaigrette:
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 garlic clove, mashed
Dash of sugar
1 teaspoon French mustard
¼ cup olive oil
¼ cup fresh mint, chopped
Lettuce for garnish
Cut broccoli into florets, cook briefly in boiling salted water, drain and plunge into iced water.
Drain chickpeas and mix with lemon juice, parsley, ¼ cup olive oil, garlic, and salt and pepper. Set aside.
Clean lentils and cook in boiling salted water for about 20 minutes until al dente; drain.
Slice peeled and seeded red pepper into thin strips about ½ inch wide.
For vinaigrette, mix vinegar, garlic, sugar and mustard, then whisk in ¼ cup of oil. Add salt, pepper, and mint. Set aside in serving bowl.
Place all the vegetables and grains in individual sections on a large platter, using lettuce as a garnish. Serve with dressing on the side.
POMEGRANATE CHICKEN
adapted from “Kosher by Design,”
Susie Fishbein, Me’sorah, 2003
6 servings
6 chicken breasts, with skin and bones
3 cups pomegranate juice
2 cups pomegranate syrup (from a Middle Eastern or gourmet grocer)
8 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
¼ cup chopped fresh mint, extra for garnish
1/8 cup freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons margarine
Place chicken in a zip-lock bag or plastic container with lid, and completely cover with pomegranate juice, syrup, garlic, mint, and pepper. Marinate overnight or up to 2 nights, turning occasionally.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Remove chicken from marinade, reserving marinade in a saucepan. In a deep frying pan, heat margarine over high heat and add chicken skin side down (be careful of splatters). Sear chicken 4-6 minutes to crisp skin. Remove chicken to a baking pan and bake skin side up for 40 minutes, or until cooked through.
For sauce, heat marinade and boil 30 minutes, stirring continuously, reducing by at least half until it is syrupy. Serve with chicken.
FRUIT COMPOTE
from about.com
Note: Try adding halved fresh figs to this, and substituting green cardamom pods for cinnamon.
3 ripe nectarines
3 ripe peaches
3 ripe plums
3 whole cloves
1/4½ cup apple juice
½ cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Cut fruit into small sections. Place fruit in a sauce pan with cloves, apple juice, sugar and cinnamon. Cook on medium-low heat until tender.
HONEY ICE CREAM
adapted from “Sephardic Flavors,”
Joyce Goldstein, Chronicle, 2000
Makes about 1½ pints
Note: Don’t be put off if you don’t have an ice cream maker; you can freeze this in serving cups, instead. The honey and rum (if used) keep it from freezing rock hard.
2 cups milk
1 vanilla bean
½ cup raisins, chopped
¼ cup dark rum, warmed, or hot water
5 egg yolks
1/3 cup fragrant honey, warmed
½ cup creme fraiche
In a saucepan, combine the milk and vanilla bean and bring just to a boil over medium-high heat. Remove from heat and let steep for 1 hour. Meanwhile, in a bowl, combine the raisins and rum or hot water and let stand until raisins are plumped, about 30 minutes.
Remove vanilla bean from the milk and reheat the milk just until small bubbles appear along the edges of the pan. While the milk is reheating, in a bowl, beat the egg yolks until thick and pale. Whisk a little of the hot milk into the yolks to temper them, then gradually stir the yolk mixture into the remaining hot milk, simmer over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in the honey, and let cool.
When the mixture is cool, fold in the creme fraiche and raisins and any liquid. For an ice cream consistency, transfer to an ice cream maker and freeze according to manufacturer directions. Alternatively, spoon the cool mixture into custard cups or small molds, cover well, and freeze. If using molds, dip in hot water to unmold.

