Tu b'Shvat Shabbat menu

[magid]

Tonight is Tu b'Shvat, new year for the trees, so I've tried to incorporate lots of fruits and nuts into tonight's menu (also the seven species of Israel, except I forgot to get pomegranate juice. Ah, well.). It's also Shabbat Shirah, the week when we read about the crossing of the Re(e)d Sea, but I don't have any traditional foods for that.

• grape liquid, challah (half white wheat flour, the only add-in this time being 10-grain hot cereal)
  
• hummus, olives
  
• vegetable soup (mostly a reprise of last week, cooked much less, with onions, garlic, sweet potatoes, red cabbage, spinach, dried wood ears, black pepper, some red wine, red lentils, and barley)
  
• chicken thighs baked with dried apricots, prunes, almonds, onion, cinnamon, cumin, allspice, bay leaves, some red wine, and black pepper)
  
• couscous
  
• not-quite ratatouille (onion, garlic, eggplant, and zukes in tomato sauce)
  
• green salad with apples and walnuts (if it happens after candlelighting)
  
• sauteed carrots and broccoli
  
• citrus-chocolate cake (the vegan one with mixed citrus peel (leftover from the batch I made for last year's fruitcaking) and a bit of tangerine juice)
  
• mixed dried fruit, nuts, tea, possibly fig spread on bread (given that I've snacked on too many of the figs I otherwise would've served)

Note to self: currently out of almonds, ground coriander, and ground cinnamon. Do not get any more cumin!

Comments

[surrealestate.livejournal.com]

I really enjoyed the seder you hosted last year. It would be fun to do again.

[magid.livejournal.com]

Thank you. I had brief thoughts of doing one this year, but somehow with it being on Shabbat, I didn't want to tack it onto a Shabbat meal, or incorporate it into a meal. Next year, maybe.

And I'll have to figure out whether I kept all those Tu b'Shvat 'haggadot' I printed out, and if so, where they got to...

PS

[magid.livejournal.com]

FYI, Tremont St. is having a seder this Sunday afternoon, and there's still spaces available.

[dancingdeer.livejournal.com]

I have to congratulate you on your choice of nuts with tonight's meal. :)

[magid.livejournal.com]

*giggle*

[rethought.livejournal.com]

Y'know, I've always wondered (in a very non-urgent sort of way) whether there are any dishes that have all seven in. Hmm.

[magid.livejournal.com]

My first thought is "no," but it could work as a fruited grain salad. Make barley and wheat berries, add in raisins, diced figs, diced dates*, and something spicy to balance all the sweetness (scallions, maybe?), dress with a dressing that includes olive oil and pomegranate molasses, plus black pepper.

I may just have to try this sometime...

* The honey mentioned in Tanach generally being understood to be date honey. If bee honey, put some in the dressing?

[rethought.livejournal.com]

That could be really nice.

I'm wondering now if it could work as a rice pilaf or couscous.

I think I'll have to try this out. :)

[magid.livejournal.com]

Let me know how it comes out?

[rethought.livejournal.com]

Sure. :)

[hrafn.livejournal.com]

Pomegranate molasses? That sounds wonderful.

[magid.livejournal.com]

Pomegranate juice cooked to a syrup, found more easily in Middle Eastern markets than the average supermarket. Or cook down pomegranate juice yourself.

Notes

[magid.livejournal.com]

I added extra water to the bread dough, unsure how much the cereal would need, and the texture of the bread is noticeably airier as a result.

The difference of having red wine and red cabbage in the soup was noticeable, also there was much more barley. It was still good, but needed salt.

Interestingly, the fruit with the chicken changed: the apricots were more nuanced before cooking, the prunes more so afterward.

The salad happened, and had the last of the current jar of Kalamatas in it plus some red cabbage, but was not on an elevated salad plane.

The citrusy chocolate cake worked, and is worth doing again.

In straightening up just before candlelighting, I discovered some almonds (whole, roasted, unsalted); it would still be good to get some more slivered ones.