Our Persian-Inspired House Haroset

Spring has arrived, and in celebration I brought home tulips today and painted my toes pink. Between the pouring rain and lashing wind, though, it’s not feeling particularly spring-like yet, but once I start thinking of the balmy days ahead there’s no stopping me.

Having Passover fall in March this year is creating a bit of a scramble as I scrub the kitchen and clear out all the hametz (leavened items like pasta and bread). Fortunately, I also get to plan the seder menu which is so much more fun! A seder is the traditional Passover dinner that celebrates the ancient Israelites’ journey from slavery to freedom. I also get to dust off my seder plate, which is used to hold symbolic foods during the seder. I love our seder plate! Bob and I brought it home from a pottery co-op in Jerusalem back in 1994, where we celebrated our 1st wedding anniversary. Such special memories.

I keep a Passover file with each year’s notes, suggestions and recipes I want to try. Once it’s all spread out over the dining room table, I get out my pen and notepad and start planning.  We have eight days of eating unleavened foods (including matzah roca!), which leads to some creative cooking that I truly enjoy.

One of the symbolic foods we put on the seder plate is haroset. Haroset is typically made of fruit and nuts mixed with wine and spread on matzah to eat. The chunky mixture represents the mortar that the Israelite slaves used when in Egypt. Haroset is made with a quick blitz in the food processor or you can crunch it together with a mortar and pestle. The most familiar version is made with chopped apples, walnuts and sweet wine.

There are many different harosets reflecting different Jewish cultures. Suriname, Egypt, Yemen and Turkey are just a few – you can take a trip around the world just eating haroset! Each year, I like to do a haroset tasting and sample some different flavor combinations. There’s one haroset that’s always on our menu, though, and it’s this one: our house haroset.

I discovered this Persian-inspired recipe almost twenty years ago, when Joan Nathan’s book Jewish Cooking in America was first published. It includes strawberries, dates and bananas in addition to apples and nuts. Sweet, spicy, soft and crunchy ... let’s just say it was love at first taste! I’ve changed a few ingredients and spiced it up a bit over the years and it’s become a family tradition.

Some of my favorite times volunteering in my sons’ Jewish elementary school were when I taught each of their classes to make this haroset. I roughly chopped up dates, strawberries, bananas and apples and let the students scoop the ingredients into small bowls and sprinkle on cinnamon and a splash of cherry juice. Then their little hands got busy pounding away with wooden spoons to create a chunky paste. We slathered the haroset on matzah and happily snacked away.

Haroset
Adapted from Jewish Cooking in America
By Joan Nathan
Makes about 4 cups

1 cup pistachios, shelled and roughly chopped
1 cup raw almonds, lightly toasted and roughly chopped
1 cup dried, unsweetened cherries
10 ounces strawberries, stems removed and cut in half
1 medium banana, peeled and chopped
1 medium apple, cored and chopped (I use Granny Smith)
6 ounces dates, pitted and sliced in half
2 tablespoons cherry juice (I used dark cherry concentrate) or pomegranate juice
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon cloves
1/4 teaspoon cayenne (optional, provides a little kick)
Matzah or crackers for serving

Combine all the ingredients in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse the mixture until a chunky paste is formed. Spoon the haroset into a bowl to serve alongside matzah. It can be made a few hours ahead and kept covered in the fridge.

Haroset also makes a marvelous breakfast when spread on matzah (or toast) with some cream cheese.

Creamy Strawberry Macaroon Tart

Today I am guest posting at Everyday Maven! Over the past year, I’ve had the pleasure of getting to know Alyssa through her blog, Everyday Maven, where she creates terrific recipes that promise good taste and health.

I was delighted when she graciously asked me to share a healthy dessert on Everyday Maven. This Creamy Strawberry Macaroon Tart is a festive and indulgent way to welcome spring. Head on over to Everyday Maven for the recipe. While there, take some time to explore Alyssa’s inspiring blog, where I’m sure you’ll discover something tempting and delicious!

Click here for the full post and recipe on Everyday Maven.

Strawberry Curd

More strawberry delight!  I cannot get enough of our local strawberries, and with our almost daily treks to the berry stand I am dreaming up different ways to enjoy them.

Over the winter, when citrus was in abundance, I made grapefruit curd and it became a breakfast treat for us.  With the summer and its profusion of berries, I decided to try adapting my grapefruit curd to strawberries.  It is fun to experiment, and even more fun when the results taste good!

Any creation using strawberries is going to be pretty.  The appealing pink of this curd adds a rosy pop of color, especially to a flaky croissant.

When I was picking out some pastries, I could not resist this strawberry croissant – pure decadence to top it with a dollop of strawberry curd!

Strawberry curd is a delightful change from citrus curds. Its creamy texture is buttery and fruity and sings of summer.  With blackberries and blueberries still to come, I think I see more experiments - and hopefully more curds gracing our table!

Strawberry Curd
Makes 1 1/2 cups

3 cups strawberries, washed and sliced in quarters if large, half if smaller
1 tablespoon sugar
2 eggs, whisked
2 tablespoons lemon juice
4 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces
Zest of 1 lime
A pinch of kosher salt

In a medium sized saucepan, stir and mash the strawberries over medium heat until they break down and become saucy, about 10 minutes.

Add the remaining ingredients and continue to stir until the butter has melted and the curd thickens and coats the back of a wooden spoon, about 5-10 minutes. Watch to be sure the mixture does not become too hot and curdle.  If needed, turn the heat down to medium-low.

Remove the saucepan from the heat and pour curd into a jar.  Let cool, then cover and chill.  It will keep in the fridge for a few weeks.

Cheese Blintzes with Strawberries for Shavuot

It’s that time of year ... time for dairy delights! Shavuot is this weekend, and it is customary to eat dairy products to mark this Jewish holiday commemorating when Moses received the Torah at Mount Sinai. I’m looking forward to a delicious celebration with cheesecake, ice cream and my favorite Shavuot treat – blintzes.

Blintzes have a certain elegance to them. A soft, crepe-like pancake drapes itself around the creamy cheese filling under a blanket of berries. The luscious textures and flavors blend together beautifully.

When making the blintz crepes, I often find myself trying to flip them too soon in the pan and end up tearing the delicate pancakes. I’ve discovered the key is to let them really brown and loosen up so they're easy to flip, then it only takes a few seconds to finish on the other side.

Blintzes take a bit of time to prepare but all the components can be made ahead and assembled at the last minute, or the assembly can be done the night before a brunch and baked just before serving. While the blintzes are baking, slice some strawberries and sprinkle a shower of sugar over them to serve alongside. I can promise you, nothing smells as good as a pan of hot blintzes emerging from the oven!

Happy Shavuot!

Cheese Blintzes with Strawberries
Adapted slightly from The Book of Jewish Food
By Claudia Roden
Makes 18 small blintzes

Pancakes:
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cups whole milk
1 1/3 cups water
2 eggs
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons canola oil

Filling:
1 pound cottage cheese
8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1/4 cup sugar
3 egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla

Topping:
3 cups strawberries, quartered
3 tablespoons sugar

In large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, milk and water until well blended.  Add the eggs, salt and canola oil and stir until smooth.  Let sit for 1-2 hours at room temperature.

Heat an 8-inch, non-stick frying pan over medium high heat.  Using a paper towel dipped in canola oil, wipe the bottom to lightly grease it.  Pour 1/3 cup of the blintz batter in and swirl the pan to cover the bottom.  When the pancake browns lightly and releases easily, flip it over and cook for a few seconds on the other side.  Repeat with remaining batter, stacking the pancakes up as you go.  The pancakes can be made ahead and covered until ready to use (chill them if preparing the night before).

In the bowl of a food processor, whiz the cottage cheese, cream cheese, sugar, egg yolks and vanilla until smooth.  Set aside until ready to form the blintzes (again, cover and chill if making the night before).

Butter a 9x13-inch baking dish.  To form a blintz, lay a pancake flat and spoon about 2 tablespoons of the cheese filling in the middle.  Fold the two side edges over the filling and roll the open edges over to encase the cheese (like a little burrito).  Place the rolls side by side in the prepared dish.  The dish can be covered and kept chilled at this point to bake later, or baked right away.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Bake the blintzes for 25 minutes. While they are baking, stir together the strawberries and sugar in a small serving bowl.  Serve the blintzes hot with the bowl of strawberries.

Strawberry St-Germain Cocktail and a Toast to Time

Nine days and 3,002 miles in an RV – our spring break family road trip! The destination was Boulder, Colorado. My older son, Sam, is looking at colleges and University of Colorado is on his list. We’ve always wanted to do an RV trip and this was an ideal opportunity to rent one and set out on an adventure.

New sights and experiences, meeting cousins, seeing friends, family time – this trip had it all, especially time for talking, reading, laughing and savoring the four of us together on the road.

I marvel at all we saw ... the blinding white salt flats in Utah

and the vast, stark beauty of the Wyoming plains.

Other than the RV muffler pipe breaking somewhere in Wyoming (easily repaired at a muffler shop) and a speeding ticket in Boulder (not in the RV!), all went smoothly.

I returned home feeling a warm glow from all there is to celebrate – time spent with family and friends, a sunny spring evening, the sweet smell of jasmine that welcomed us as we came up our front steps. I felt like toasting life – time for a cocktail!

As the weather warms, my bottle of St-Germain (elderflower liqueur) migrates to the front of our liquor cabinet. Its floral, citrusy flavor pairs beautifully with champagne for a sparkling drink to sip – always a favorite of mine. Some pureed strawberries add a kiss of pink and hint of berry flavor.

Cheers to cherished memories and to time spent together!

Strawberry St-Germain Cocktail
Makes 2

4 teaspoons strawberry puree (I whizzed 3 large strawberries in the food processor until smooth)
2 ounces St.-Germain liqueur
Champagne or sparkling wine, chilled
2 strawberries for garnish

Pull out your 2 favorite champagne coupes or flutes. Add 2 teaspoons of strawberry puree and 1 ounce of St.-Germain to each glass. Pour champagne into each glass until filled. Garnish with a strawberry, clink glasses and sip away.

Eton Mess with Strawberries and Passion Fruit Curd

I just finished scraping the bottom of my glass to get every last delicious bite of this dessert. Meet my new favorite: Eton Mess.

I’ve been intrigued for quite some time by this confection that originated in England at Eton College in the 1930s. Its name caught my attention when I stumbled upon it in a British cookbook, prompting me to peruse the recipe. Cream, fruit and meringue? Yes, please.

My idea of a dreamy dessert usually includes some form of summer fruit, cream and crust or biscuit (shortcake, cobbler, pavlova ...). In fact, the first recipe I created when I was little was Whipped Cream Pie which involved folding whipped cream and diced fruit together and then spooning it into a baked pie crust (my Mom still has the recipe card I carefully wrote!).

Since I’ve been having fun celebrating my birthday this week, it seemed an ideal time to assess my wish-list of treats to try. A little extra indulgence is an important part of birthdays, wouldn’t you agree? And Eton Mess provided just that.

Dollops of crisp meringue are crumbled and swirled with whipped cream and sweetened strawberries to make ... a mess! Just in time, we have fresh, beautiful strawberries emerging here - a sure sign of spring. What a gift it is to inhale their sweet scent!

Several variations of Eton Mess appear in British cookbooks, even one with chocolate and cherries, and I decided to include some fruity curd in my version. I had been saving a lovely jar of passion fruit curd we brought home from Australia and it was time to pop it open for a taste of Aussie sunshine.

Crispy, creamy, fruity and sweet – such a heavenly combination of texture, taste and color. Eton Mess was delightful and all I had dreamed it would be.

Eton Mess with Strawberries and Passion Fruit Curd
Serves 6

2 egg whites, room temperature
1/4 cup sugar plus 1 tablespoon
2 cups strawberries, stems removed and thickly sliced
1 cup heavy whipping cream
3/4 cup passion fruit curd (you can substitute your favorite curd if passion fruit is not available)

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Place the egg whites in a medium sized mixing bowl and beat until soft peaks form. Gradually add 1/4 cup sugar and beat until the mixture is glossy and holds stiff peaks.

Drop dollops of the meringue onto the prepared baking sheet. I had about 14 meringue blobs. They don’t have to be pretty – you’ll be crumbling them. Bake for 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours, until the outsides are firm and crisp. Remove from the oven and let cool.

While the meringues are baking, combine the strawberries and remaining 1 tablespoon of sugar in a small bowl and stir gently. Leave sitting out to macerate and get juicy.

When ready to serve, whip the heavy cream until soft peaks form. Crumble the meringues into coarse pieces.

This dessert can be served in pretty glasses or in a marvelous heap on a platter for everyone to tuck in to – you decide. To assemble, scatter a layer of half the meringue pieces in glasses or on a platter. Spoon half the whipped cream over and drop spoonfuls of half the curd over it. Spoon half the strawberries and their juices over the top. Repeat layering with the second half of the ingredients. Stir a bit to make a mess and enjoy!

The Berries Are Here!

Is this a gorgeous sight?  We have a fabulous berry stand right in our neighborhood where a local farm sells its strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and marionberries.  Each year, when we see the stand being set up and the “Coming Soon” sign posted, we let out a little cheer.  Summer is just around the corner and we can begin our daily pilgrimages (those pint boxes are single servings).  Sometimes it’s a couple of weeks before it actually opens depending upon how the growing season is going, but every day we eagerly look and wait.  An-ti-ci-pa-a-tion…

If my husband was not such a calm driver, I may have caused an accident when I let out a loud gasp and thrust my pointed finger in his line of sight at the now open berry stand.  We have had the wettest, coldest spring I can remember in Seattle and I am desperate for summer.  We are on our way to the airport with Isaac for his Japanese adventure so we all have a quick debate over stopping now for strawberries or taking a chance they’ll be sold out if we grab them later.  Japan calls and Isaac insists we get to the airport so on we go.

Fortunately, these little red gems are still waiting upon our return.  These are small, delicate, fragrant berries that almost taste like candy with their sweetness and melt on your tongue.

Right now, I really should be vacuuming and changing sheets.  My folks are arriving for a visit and in the chaos of the past few days the house cleaning did not get done.  Instead, all I can do is gaze at the half flat of strawberries sitting on the counter and think about what I will create with them.  My parents need lunch, right?  Lunch is more welcoming than mopped floors, right?  At least the chicken coop is clean …

Barley Spinach Salad with Strawberry Vinaigrette

Serves 6

4 cups barley, cooked and cooled

1 cup hazelnuts, toasted and roughly chopped

8 ounces fresh small mozzarella cheese balls, cut in half (or cut a larger sized ball into bite sized pieces)

3 handfuls baby spinach, roughly chopped

1 1/2 pints strawberries, preferably small local ones, green tops removed

1/4 cup white balsamic vinegar

1/4 cup olive oil

Salt to taste

In a medium sized serving bowl, combine the barley, nuts, cheese, spinach and 1 pint of strawberries.  If the strawberries are very small, keep them whole.  If not, cut in half or quarters as needed.

To make the vinaigrette, combine the remaining 1/2 pint strawberries, vinegar and oil and whiz with an immersion blender or in a food processor until smooth.  Season to taste with salt.  Drizzle about 3/4 of the dressing over salad and gently mix.  If the salad will sit for a bit, you will need to add more dressing since the barley will soak it up. 

Serve to your guests. They will admire your pretty pink salad and overlook the dusty furniture.