Pomegranate Glazed Carrots and Leeks for Rosh Hashanah

Pomegranates are a sure sign that Rosh Hashanah is here!  This is such a beautiful season, a time of renewal with a fresh year ahead. We eat pomegranates during Rosh Hashanah with the wish that our good deeds in the coming year will be as abundant as the seeds of a pomegranate. And they taste so good, too!

Our new year will begin with a meal of round challahs filled with chocolate and figs, brisket, maple sweet potatoes, jujubes (a new fruit we just discovered at the farmer’s market), apple honey cake and this side dish of Pomegranate Glazed Carrots and Leeks.

Sweet carrots and caramelized leeks are glazed with a mix of pomegranate molasses and honey. Pomegranate molasses is wonderfully tart, and I added a drizzle of honey to balance it out. I couldn’t resist tossing in some sliced dates, and a sprinkling of crimson pomegranate seeds added a pop of color. Filled with fall flavors, it is a delightful dish.

I look forward to gathering around the table with family and friends and dipping apples in honey. These are special days to savor; crisp, sunny days with leaves blushing the color of pomegranates – for that, and for so much more, I am grateful.

L’shana tova – a sweet and happy new year to you!

Pomegranate Glazed Carrots and Leeks
Serves 6-8

2 1/2 pounds carrots, ends trimmed and sliced in 1 inch diagonal slices
1 1/2 pounds trimmed leeks, sliced in 1 inch diagonal slices
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons kosher salt
3 tablespoons pomegranate molasses
2 tablespoons honey
12 dates, pitted and sliced in slivers lengthwise
1/4 cup pomegranate seeds
1/4 cup Italian parsley, roughly chopped

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add the carrot slices. Cook the carrots until they are soft, about 6-8 minutes. Drain and return them to the pot.

While the carrots are cooking, heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium high heat. Add the leeks and salt and stir. Let the leeks cook until the bottom layer begins to brown, then stir and let them brown again. Sauté the leeks until they are golden brown and soft, about 10-15 minutes.

In a small bowl, whisk together the pomegranate molasses and honey. Pour this over the warm carrots and stir to coat. Add the leeks and dates and gently mix.

Spoon the carrots into a serving dish and scatter the pomegranate seeds and parsley over the top. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Butternut Squash and Leek Bread Pudding

Ahh, Monday morning – it’s so much easier to feel ready for the week after a restorative three-day weekend. Love those long weekends! It was indeed a relaxing one (hopefully for you, too). The Will Bake for Food bake sale took place on Saturday and was a marvelous success - we raised $2571 and filled a few barrels with food donations. I also met some terrific bakers/bloggers and ate way too many amazing treats (homemade Twinkies, toffee, chocolate meringues, monster cookies, chai spiced snickerdoodles ... I was quite impressed by the array of creative baked goods). The rest of the weekend was spent reading, watching movies, sleeping, cooking and eating. Since it was alternating between hail and rain outside, these were perfect indoor pursuits.

My weekend cooking veered dramatically away from sweets. I’ve been baking and sharing a lot of desserts this past week and I need a bit of a sugar detox. Time for something more virtuous, but not too virtuous. Bread pudding is a long-time love of mine and I got to thinking about a savory version. With Thanksgiving approaching, I have tastes such as cranberries and squash on my mind. In my opinion, stuffing is the best part of Thanksgiving dinner (and pumpkin pie ... but we’re not talking about sweets today).

This bread pudding combines the stuffing elements that I love - hearty bread, pecans, cranberries, leeks and thyme - with tangy goat cheese and roasted squash to create a satisfying dish of comfort food. The edges are crispy, the middle is creamy, and there are plenty of textures dancing around in your mouth with the pop of the cranberries and the crunch of the leeks. (Speaking of dancing, did you see Marge’s taste buds dancing in the Simpsons episode last night? Loved it!)

Don’t limit this bread pudding to dinner, though. I would also serve it for brunch with oven scrambled eggs and grapefruit mimosas. Have fun playing around with the ingredients and add your favorite stuffing flavors.

I hope your week is off to a good start!

Butternut Squash and Leek Bread Pudding
Serves 8

1 pound butternut squash, cut into 1/2 inch pieces (usually about half of a large squash)
1 large leek (white and light green part), sliced thinly
Olive oil to drizzle
4 eggs
2 1/2 cups whole milk
3 tablespoons maple syrup
2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
1 teaspoon kosher salt
A few grinds of black pepper
3/4 pound multi-grain bread (a rosemary infused bread would work well, too), cut into 1 inch pieces
3/4 cup fresh cranberries
4 ounces soft goat cheese
1/4 cup pecans, toasted and chopped

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Butter a 2 1/2 - 3 quart casserole. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss the butternut squash and leeks with a few drizzles of olive oil. Spread evenly and roast for about 25 minutes. The squash should be softened but still a bit firm and the leeks should have some brown, crisp edges.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, maple syrup, thyme leaves, salt and pepper. Add the bread, stir well, and let it soak while the squash and leeks are roasting.

Scrape the squash and leeks into the bread mixture, then add the cranberries. Stir gently. Dollop the goat cheese in (you want to keep some small chunks) and most of the pecans and stir gently again.

Pour the mixture into the prepared casserole. Scatter the remaining pecans on top. Bake until golden and set, about 55-60 minutes. Serve warm.