fruit

Enjoy summer treats

Peach cobbler (photo by sk/flickr)

Tabbouleh is such a popular Lebanese salad that the first Saturday of July is known as Lebanese National Tabbouleh Day. Although there are variations, classical tabbouleh is bulgur, parsley, tomatoes, mint and onion with olive oil, lemon juice and salt. The word tabbouleh means seasoning or dip, and bulgur, the primary ingredient, is a cereal food made from whole grains of different wheat species, said to be as healthy or healthier than quinoa and rice.

Another summer treat is cobbler, as fresh strawberries, cherries, apricots, peaches, nectarines and all kinds of apples start to appear. Cobbler is said to have originated among the American colonists, but the origin of the name – dating back at least to 1859 – is uncertain. According to Wikipedia, it may be related to cobeler, meaning “wooden bowl,” or to its top looking like a cobbled stone pathway, rather than a smoothly “paved,” i.e. rolled out, pastry top.

MY FAVOURITE TABBOULEH
(4 servings)

1 cup steamed and drained broccoli
7 tbsp water
1/2 tsp chicken soup powder
2 tbsp wine vinegar
1 tsp Dijon mustard
salt and pepper to taste
2 crushed garlic cloves
2/3 cup bulgur
5 tsp oil
4 tsp cider vinegar
chopped radishes
chopped celery
chopped green onions
chopped tomatoes
chopped red pepper

In a saucepan, combine water, soup powder, wine vinegar, mustard, salt, pepper and garlic, and bring to a boil. Add bulgur, cover, and let set 15 minutes.
Place broccoli in a salad bowl. Add bulgur mixture, oil, cider vinegar, radishes, celery, onions, tomatoes and red peppers and toss lightly.

TABBOULEH WITH MARINATED ARTICHOKES AND BABY SPINACH

(This recipe by Deborah Knight came from Food & Wine online. It makes 4 servings.)

4 large artichokes
1/2 tsp cumin seeds (optional)
2 tbsp sherry vinegar
2 tsp finely chopped fresh oregano
salt and pepper to taste
* * *
1 cup boiling water
1 cup coarse bulgur
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3 tbsp lemon juice
2 finely chopped scallions
1/2 cup coarsely chopped curly leaf parsley
1 finely diced plum tomato
1 tbsp fresh chopped mint
salt and pepper to taste
10 halved cherry tomatoes
2 cups packed baby spinach leaves
1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
2 tbsp toasted pine nuts

Cut stems off artichokes, then steam the stems and artichokes. When cool, pull off leaves and trim fibrous outer skin. Scrape out the chokes and quarter the artichoke bottoms. Peel the stems and cut into 1/2-inch rounds.
Toast cumin seeds in a skillet until fragrant, about 40 seconds. Let cool, and ground to a powder.
Place artichoke bottoms and stems in a bowl. Add olive oil, sherry vinegar, oregano, salt and pepper. Let stand at room temperature one hour or refrigerate overnight.
In a large bowl, pour boiling water over bulgur. Cover and let stand 40 minutes, until bulgur is tender. Fluff with a fork. Stir in olive oil, lemon juice, scallions, parsley, plum tomato and mint. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate for one hour or until chilled.
In a bowl, toss cherry tomatoes with spinach, feta and pine nuts. Spoon two tablespoons of artichoke marinade over salad and toss well. Season with salt and pepper.
Spoon tabbouleh onto plates and surround with artichokes. Top with spinach salad and serve.

PEACH COBBLER
(6 servings)

1 cup flour
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
4 tbsp unsalted pareve margarine
1 large egg
1/4 cup non-dairy milk
5 cups pitted and sliced peaches
4 tsp cornstarch
1/4 tsp cinnamon
non-dairy vanilla ice cream

Preheat oven to 400°F. Grease a shallow baking dish.
In bowl, mix flour, two tablespoons sugar and baking powder. Cut in margarine until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
Beat together egg and non-dairy milk. Add to flour mixture until dry ingredients are moistened and a dough forms.
Put peaches, remaining sugar, cornstarch and cinnamon in a saucepan. Cook until peaches are tender and syrup is clear, thick and boiling (five to seven minutes).
Pour peach mixture into baking dish. Drop dough by heaping tablespoons in six portions over peach mixture. Bake for 20 minutes. Serve with pareve vanilla ice cream.

PAREVE REVERSE FRUIT COBBLER

1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp canola oil
1 cup non-dairy creamer
1 cup flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 cup sugar
1/4 tsp cinnamon
4 cups of fruit (strawberries, cherries, apples, peach, plums, nectarines and/or blueberries)
pareve whipping cream

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a round glass pie plate.
Pour oil into the glass dish. Add non-dairy creamer, flour, baking powder, sugar and cinnamon. Stir until blended.
Add fruit.
Bake for 25 minutes. Serve warm with pareve whipped cream on top.

Sybil Kaplan is a journalist, author, editor/compiler of nine kosher cookbooks. She is a food writer for North American Jewish publications, and leads English-language Shuk Walks in Machane Yehuda.

Summer salads for lazy days

A peach salad not only looks pretty, it’s like a cold culinary shower on a hot day. (photo from pickpik.com)

Recently, I was food-shamed. Not for binge eating. Or for eating too much junk food. But for not eating enough vegetables. Guilty as charged. But seriously? In my own defence, I have a gut (or at least part of one) that doesn’t play nicely in the sandbox with all vegetables. Truth to tell, it can be somewhat of a bully.

Just to set the record straight, I wasn’t always veggie averse. A few short years ago, I could wolf down Caesar salads, corn on the cob and sautéed kale like nobody’s business. It’s mostly a distant memory now, though. But I can still share the love, even if I can’t eat all the food.

Being a bit of a COVID weeny, I’m not entirely comfortable going out to restaurants yet, so I continue to make do at home. Until recently, when the beautiful fresh veggies and fruits started showing up at the party, my fallback positions were fish, chicken and beef; the occasional pasta dish. It was getting a tad dull. So I’m thrilled that I now can eat lighter and fresher.

Here are a few of my favourite lazy summer salads. Nobody likes easy recipes quite like I do. My rule of thumb is this: if a recipe calls for a foodstuff or piece of equipment that a) I’ve never heard of, or b) I don’t know how to pronounce, there’s no way on earth I’m trying it. Hence, lazy-girl recipes are my specialty. The following are not only super-healthy, but they’ll hit the spot on days when you just don’t feel like cooking for real. And what better time to take advantage of all the fresh seasonal fruits and veggies available everywhere in Vancouver? This first salad not only looks pretty, it’s like a cold culinary shower on a hot day.

PEACHY SUMMER SALAD

peaches, diced
Roma tomatoes, diced
can of corn niblets, drained
red or sweet onion, finely diced
fresh mint or basil, chopped or cut chiffonade
blueberries

Throw together a vinaigrette from olive oil and balsamic vinegar and, voilà, you’ve got yourself a refreshing, easy salad that’s a surefire crowd-pleaser. If, however, you’re a card-carrying carnivore like me, you might want to follow it up with an eight-ounce ribeye chaser.

Another summer fave is Sunomono salad. It’s a cold Japanese salad made of rice vermicelli noodles swimming in a rice wine vinegar dressing, if you will. You can add almost about anything to jazz it up, but, being a purist, I only like to throw in some thinly sliced English cucumber and maybe a bit of shredded carrot. If you crave protein, imitation crab will jack it up a notch. There are a variety of recipes for the dressing, but this is my no-fail go-to.

SUNOMONO SALAD

3/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup rice wine vinegar
1/2 cup sugar
small squeeze of lemon juice
few drops of soy sauce
rice vermicelli noodles

Shake the first five ingredients together in a jar, then pour it over cooked and rinsed, cold rice vermicelli noodles. Don’t add too much dressing to each bowl, as it’s quite concentrated – just add enough to cover the noodles. Leftovers can stay in the fridge for a day or two. Sunomono is obviously too flimsy to be a main dish, but it makes a great starter or side dish and goes with everything, particularly fish. Think of it as a Japanese palate cleanser.

For a heartier salad that can double as a main dish (depending on your appetite), I’m a big fan of cold orzo salad. Since this salad is pasta-based, it’s much more filling than just a bowl full of veggies or fruit. And, with the bold-flavoured ingredients, it’s got a depth to it that belies its simplicity.

COLD ORZO SALAD

8 oz orzo pasta
1/2 cup pitted Kalamata olives, roughly chopped (or more, to taste)
4 oz baby spinach (split in two bunches)
6 oz feta cheese, roughly crumbled
1/4 cup pine nuts, lightly toasted on the stove or in the toaster oven (optional)
1/4 cup red onion, finely chopped (optional)
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar (or less, to taste)
1 tbsp red wine vinegar (you can substitute lemon juice or regular vinegar)
salt and pepper to taste

Cook the orzo eight to 10 minutes for al dente, or a bit longer if you like it softer. Drain and rinse with cold water.
Puree half the spinach and one tablespoon of the olive oil in a blender. Put cooled orzo in a big bowl and stir in the pureed spinach/olive oil mixture until the orzo is well-coated with the spinach puree.
Roughly chop the other half of the spinach. Lighty mix the chopped spinach, feta cheese, pine nuts, Kalamata olives and red onion in with the orzo.
Make the dressing in a small jar by combining the remaining two tablespoons of olive oil with the balsamic vinegar and the red wine vinegar. Put the lid on the jar and shake it to mix well, or whisk it all together in a small bowl. Pour over orzo mixture and gently mix till it’s all incorporated.
Chill the salad for at least an hour before serving to let the flavours meld.

To round out your meal, buy or make a simple rosemary focaccia. I make one from scratch (in a cast-iron pan) that’s to live for. Sure, it’s easier to buy one, but, if you really want to dazzle your dining companion(s), I suggest putting in the extra effort. Believe me, the effort/reward ratio is huge.

I found my recipe online at flavorthemoments.com/one-hour-rosemary-focaccia-bread and the only things I leave out are the garlic and parmesan, but it’s up to you. You could also add chopped Kalamata or green olives to it, but keep in mind it calls for coarse kosher salt sprinkled on top, so it’s already high in sodium. The focaccia turns outs camera-ready gorgeous and tastes heavenly straight out of the oven, dipped in EVOO (extra virgin olive oil). I mean, who doesn’t love fresh bread? With the hot weather right around the corner (that’s the optimist in me), now might not be the best time to bake bread, but that’s your call. If you ask me, it’s totally worth it.

So, give yourself a break, throw together a salad for dinner and call it a day. If your spouse, partner or you are still hungry after all that, do what I do – order in pizza.

Shelley Civkin, aka the Accidental Balabusta, is a happily retired librarian and communications officer. For 17 years, she wrote a weekly book review column for the Richmond Review. She’s currently a freelance writer and volunteer.

Three fave kosher fruit pies

Blueberry Bottom Pie is garnished with blueberries and fresh mint. (photo from pxfuel.com)

When I think of summer, I think of fresh fruit. When I think of fresh fruit, I think of pies. Early pies may have originated with Egyptian cakes and ancient Greek pasties filled with fruit. According to Wikipedia, Medieval England had sweet pies, but they were called tarts, and fruit pies were unsweetened, because sugar was a rare and costly “symbol of wealth.” Also according to Wiki, a pie could have a number of items as its filling, but a pastry would have only a single filling. Fruit pie recipes began appearing in the 15th century. Here are recipes for three of my favourite fruit pies.

PEACH PIE

1 1/2 pounds seeded, sliced peaches
1 cup sugar
2 tbsp unsalted butter or margarine
2 tbsp flour
2 large eggs
pinch nutmeg
nine-inch crust (bought or homemade)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare a nine-inch pie plate with dough.
In a bowl, mix together sugar, butter or margarine, flour, eggs and nutmeg.
Arrange peaches in piecrust. Pour batter over them. Crimp edge of crust.
Bake 50 to 55 minutes or until just set.

BLUEBERRY BOTTOM PIE

2 packages vanilla pudding
1 1/4 cups milk or non-dairy creamer or soymilk
1 1/2 cups pureed blueberries
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp grated lemon rind
1 baked nine-inch pie shell
3 1/2 cups kosher whipped topping
blueberries and mint leaves for garnishes

Check to make sure which vanilla pudding dissolves with non-dairy creamer or soymilk. Combine one package pudding and a quarter cup milk or non-dairy creamer or soymilk, blueberries and cinnamon. Cook until mixture comes to a full boil. Pour into crust and chill.
Prepare remaining pudding and milk or non-dairy creamer or soymilk. Add one teaspoon lemon rind. Pour into bowl, cover with plastic wrap and chill about one hour.
Fold in one cup whipped topping to refrigerated mixture and spoon over blueberry layer.
Combine remaining whipped topping with remaining lemon rind and spoon over filling. Freeze one hour or refrigerate three hours.
Garnish with blueberries and mint leaves before serving.

FAUX CHERRY COBBLER
(Cobblers generally have a dough-like topping dropped on top of fruit. This cobbler is more like a pie).

2 cups pitted cherries
1 cup sugar
1 cup flour
1 1/2 tbsp baking powder
1 cup milk or soymilk
2 1/2 tbsp melted butter or margarine
brown sugar

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a square baking dish.
Combine flour, sugar and baking powder in a bowl. Add milk and melted butter or margarine. Pour into a greased baking dish.
Scatter pitted cherries over batter. Sprinkle the top with brown sugar. Bake for about an hour.

Sybil Kaplan is a journalist, lecturer, book reviewer and food writer in Jerusalem. She created and leads the weekly English-language Shuk Walks in Machane Yehuda, she has compiled and edited nine kosher cookbooks, and is the author of Witness to History: Ten Years as a Woman Journalist in Israel.

Enjoy summer’s many fruits

Who doesn’t look forward to summer’s bounty? Not only are fruits healthy – blueberries, for example, are low in calories but high in fibre, Vitamin C, Vitamin K and have a high antioxidant capacity – and delicious on their own but they make for great desserts, salads and spreads. Here are some recipes for a few of my favourite fruits: blueberries, peaches and apricots.

REVERSED BLUEBERRY COBBLER
six to eight servings

base:
2 cups blueberries
1/2 cup sugar
1 tbsp flour
2 tsp grated lemon peel
1/8 tsp nutmeg
2 tbsp pareve unsalted margarine

cake:
1 1/3 cups flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp nutmeg
6 tbsp unsalted pareve margarine
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 tsp grated lemon peel
2/3 cup non-dairy creamer

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a baking dish.
2. Combine blueberries, sugar, flour, grated lemon peel, nutmeg and margarine for base. Bake 10 minutes.
3. In a bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder and nutmeg for cake.
4. In another bowl, cream margarine with sugar and eggs. Add vanilla and lemon peel.
5. Mix in dry ingredients with non-dairy creamer. Drop batter atop blueberry mixture. Bake for 40 minutes. Serve warm with pareve whipped cream or ice cream.

BLUEBERRRY YOGURT CAKE 1

1/2 cup butter or margarine
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 cup blueberry yogurt

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a cake pan.
2. Cream butter or margarine and brown sugar.
3. Add egg and vanilla and blend.
4. Stir in flour, baking soda, baking powder, alternately with yogurt.
5. Pour into a cake pan. Bake for 50 minutes.

BLUEBERRY YOGURT CAKE 2

1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup butter or margarine
3 eggs
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
2 cups blueberry yogurt
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp cardamom

1. Preheat oven to 325°F. Grease a cake pan.
2. Cream half cup sugar and butter or margarine. Add eggs.
3. Gradually add flour, baking powder and baking soda.
4. Stir in one cup blueberry yogurt. Add vanilla and cardamom. Pour half of batter into cake pan.
5. Spread remaining sugar and yogurt on the batter. Add rest of batter. Bake for 45-50 minutes.

SPICED PEACHES

4 cups sliced peaches
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tsp lemon juice
12 cinnamon sticks
2 tsp brandy

1. Place peaches, sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon sticks and two cups water in a saucepan.
2. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes.
3. Cool and add brandy. Pour into a jar with a lid or a bowl.

WALDORF PEACH SALAD
four servings

1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup sliced grapes
1/2 cup chopped apples
1/4 cup chopped nuts
4 sliced peaches
4 pieces Romaine lettuce
1 tbsp brown sugar

dressing:
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 cup whipped cream
1 tsp grated orange peel

1. In a bowl, combine celery, grapes, apples and nuts. Toss lightly.
2. Place a piece of lettuce on each salad plate with a sliced peach on top. Fill with a quarter of the salad.
3. Sprinkle with brown sugar. Refrigerate.
4. In a bowl or jar with a lid, combine mayonnaise, whipped cream and orange peel. Spoon over each peach salad serving.

PEACH UPSIDE DOWN CAKE

1 cup brown sugar
1 cup chopped nuts
2 cups chopped peaches
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 pound butter or margarine
1 egg
1 cup milk or non-dairy creamer or pareve almond milk
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a cake pan.
2. Toss together one cup brown sugar, nuts and peaches. Sprinkle on the bottom of a cake pan.
3. In a bowl, cream one cup brown sugar and butter or margarine. Add egg, milk and vanilla and stir.
4. Add flour, baking powder, cinnamon and nutmeg and blend. Spoon into cake pan. Bake for one hour or until a cake tester comes out clean. Allow to cool before turning out onto a cake plate.

APRICOT JAM
This is a Grace Parisi recipe taken from Food & Wine Magazine’s online recipe pages. It makes three half-pint jars.

2 pounds pitted apricots, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

1. In a nonreactive saucepan, toss the apricots with sugar and let stand, stirring until the sugar is mostly dissolved, about one hour.
2. Add lemon juice and bring to a boil until sugar is dissolved. Simmer until the fruit is glassy and the liquid runs off the side of a spoon in thick, heavy drops, 20-25 minutes. Skim off scum that rises to the surface.
3. Spoon into three half-pint jars, leaving a quarter of an inch at top. Close and let jam cool to room temperature. Store in refrigerator for up to three months.

SPICED APRICOTS

2 cups apricots cut into halves
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp lemon juice
6 pieces stick cinnamon
1 tsp brandy

1. Place apricots, sugar, lemon juice and cinnamon in a saucepan with a little water. Simmer until soft.
2. Add brandy and heat. Cool and spoon into a jar.

APRICOT BUTTER

five cups
2 pounds halved apricots
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp cloves
1/4 tsp allspice
2 tsp lemon peel
1 tbsp lemon juice

1. Place apricots in a saucepan. Cook over low heat in their own juices until soft.
2. Puree in a blender and measure. Return to sauce pan, adding a quarter cup sugar for each cup of pulp.
3. Add cinnamon, cloves, allspice, lemon peel and lemon juice. Bring to a boil. Spoon into jars, close and refrigerate.

APRICOT LEATHER

2 cups pitted apricots, cut into pieces
1 tsp lemon juice
1/2 cup sugar

1. Preheat oven to 175-200°F.
2. Drop apricot pieces into a blender and puree. Add lemon juice and sugar.
3. Spray a cookie sheet with vegetable spray. Spread pureed apricots evenly, quarter-inch thick on a cookie sheet. Place sheet in oven and keep door open. Bake until dry, three to six hours. Let cool.
4. Cut crosswise once, lengthwise three times, so you have six pieces.
5. Cover with plastic wrap and roll up.