Slow food recipes for Rosh Hashanah

By J. Correspondent | September 19, 2008

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French Lentils With Beets and Parsnips

(Submitted by Sarah Rich)

Serves 10-12

3 cups dry French lentils

1 large yellow onion

1 to 2 cloves garlic

3 large beets with their tops

3 parsnips (or carrots)

1 cup red wine

6-8 cups vegetable stock

sea salt

Optional seasonings:

Cumin, coriander and cinnamon; or thyme and tarragon

Peel and cut the beets and parsnips into small chunks, and toss them in a bowl with a generous amount of olive oil and some salt. Lay them out flat on a cookie sheet and put them in the oven at 400 degrees.

Chop the onion and garlic and place in a large pot with olive oil. Heat and sautée the onion and garlic until the onion is translucent (for a richer flavor add butter).

After about 20-25 minutes, remove the partially roasted beets and parsnips/carrots from the oven.

Pour about 6 cups of vegetable stock into the pot over the onion and garlic, add the beets and parsnips, then dump in the lentils and if the stock doesn’t cover all of that, add water or more stock until it’s all covered.

Cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Add beet greens (or chard, spinach or collard greens) and pour up to a full cup of red wine into the pot.

Cook for an additional 10-25 minutes, checking lentils regularly until they are tender but not mushy.

Brisket With Apricots and Apples

(From “The New American Cooking”

by Joan Nathan)

Serves 8-10

2 onions, chopped

4 cloves garlic

1 Tbs. ground ginger

2 Tbs. vegetable oil

5-6 lbs. brisket

salt and pepper to taste

2 apples, chopped (about 2 cups)

1 cup dried apricots, halved

1⁄2 cup dried cranberries

1 cup dried plums, pitted

1 to 2 cups apple juice

1 to 2 cups beef or chicken broth

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Brown the onions, garlic and ginger in the oil until the onions are golden. Scatter the mixture in a roasting pan.

Season the brisket with salt and pepper, and lay it on top of the onions. Add the apples, apricots, dried cranberries, dried plums and enough apple juice and beef or chicken broth to almost cover the brisket. Cover the roasting pan with a lid or aluminum foil and cook for 3 hours, basting occasionally.

Remove the brisket, cool, and refrigerate overnight.

Just before serving, reheat the oven to 350 degrees. While the brisket is still cold, skim off any fat that has accumulated on top of the juices, and slice off the excess fat from the meat.

Slice the meat against the grain, place in a baking dish with the reserved juices, cover, and reheat for about a half hour. Remove brisket to a platter, surrounded by the fruits and the sauce.

Winter Squash Soup

(Adapted from “The Olive Harvest Cookbook” by Gerald Gass)

Serves 6-8

1 kabocha squash, about 2 lbs.

1 red kuri squash, about 2 lbs.

1 butternut squash, about 2 lbs.

4 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil

sea salt or kosher salt

freshly ground white pepper

1 cup chopped yellow onion

4 cups vegetable or chicken stock, plus

extra for thinning if needed

2 Tbs. chopped fresh sage

2 Tbs. honey

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Rub three whole squashes with 1 Tbs. olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place on rimmed baking sheet and roast, turning once or twice, until tender when pierced with a knife and browned, 1 to 2 hours.

Remove squash from the oven and let stand until cool enough to handle. Halve, seed, peel and chop the squashes. Measure 8 cups chopped squash; reserve the remainder in the refrigerator for another use.

In a saucepan, heat 2 Tbs. olive oil over low heat. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until sweet and tender, about 10 minutes. Add chopped squash and 4 cups stock, and bring to a boil over high heat, stirring frequently. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, uncovered, until the squash is very soft, about 10 minutes.

Remove from the heat and let cool slightly. Working in batches, process the squash mixture in a blender until smooth and transfer to a clean pot. Reheat gently to serving temperature, and add the sage, honey and the remaining 1 Tbs. olive oil.

Thin with additional broth or water if necessary. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Ladle into warmed bowls and serve immediately.

J. Correspondent