Seasonal Shavuot recipes
Shavuot always comes in the strawberry, asparagus, spinach,
raspberries, nectarines, watercress, watermelon season, if we're lucky and the
sun shines it's a time to invite friends in for a delicious summer lunch in the
garden. I hope you try out these recipes celebrating Shavuot, the summer, and
seasonal vegetables.
I've always loved Shavuot, because I'm a summer person, and
it reminds me that my birthday is round the corner. In our family the person
whose birthday it is chooses the menu for that night, from quite an early age I
chose salmon cooked with dill, jersey royal potatoes, asparagus, and something
with strawberries and raspberries. Which makes an ideal base for Shavuot meal.
However here are three slightly different ideas using seasonal vegetables.
One large bag of spinach, washed in cold water, and drained.
4 spring onions very finely chopped.
1 leak very finely chopped.
1 clove of garlic minced or chopped.
¾ a litre vegetable stock
Sea salt and black pepper to taste
¼ a teaspoon nutmeg
118 ml single cream, plant cream or milk.
1 teaspoon olive oil, or butter.
1 bay leaf
Method
In a heavy bottomed saucepan heat the olive oil or butter then
add the onions garlic and leeks, turning down the heat cook them gently until
they are transparent, Add the Bay leaf,
add the spinach, let it cook for a minute, then add the stock, cook on a low heat, it shouldn't
bubble too much. Stir it occasionally until the spinach is very tender this
takes about 10 minutes. Turn off the heat, and when the soup is a little cooler
blend it with a stick blender, adding three quarters of the cream, season, with
the salt, pepper, and nutmeg.
To serve reheat very gently, so the soup doesn't split, when
the soup is hot served it adding a bit of cream to each bowl and if you like a
couple of chopped chives for decoration, but this is optional.
Peach Melba.
This dish was invented in the 1890s by the French chef Auguste Escoffier, At the Savoy Hotel London to honour the famous Australian soprano, Nellie Melba.
I remember that my father's mother always made this as part of
the Shavuot meal.It was somthing I adored.
Ingredients serve 4.
350 grams, caster sugar
Juice of half a lemon
half a vanilla pod split lengthways.
4 peaches
750 ml (3 cups) water
For the Raspberry sauce
350 grams fresh raspberries
25 grams icing sugar.
juice of half a lemon
To Serve
you will need a tub of your favourite vanilla ice cream, again
if you are having vegan guests you can adapt this recipe and use superior
quality vegan ice cream.
Half a carton of whipped cream(optional)
Step one
In quite a wide saucepan put the water sugar lemon juice and
vanilla pod, stir gently to dissolve the sugar, then bring the pan to the boil
and let it bubble for 5 minutes, then reduce the heat.
Cut the Peaches in half, don't worry it's the stone doesn't
come out you can take them out afterwards, poa.ch the Peach halves in the syrup
for about 3 minutes, then gently turn them over and poach for another 2 to 3
minutes. You will know when they're ready by testing with a sharp knife if they
are soft then they're done, remove the Peach is from the syrup with a slotted
spoon, and set them aside in a dish to cool. At this stage you can remove the
skin and the stones. You can do this in advance and place the peaches in a Tupperware
in the fridge overnight covered with the poaching syrup.
Step two
Put the raspberries icing sugar lemon juice in a food
processor or blender and blend till smooth, if you want to remove the Raspberry
pips put the mixture through a sieve. The Raspberry sauce can also be made in
advance and put in the fridge.
Step 3 assemble.
In a glass dish, put a little Raspberry sauce, then add a
scoop or two of the ice cream, place the Peach halves (allow 2 a person) on top
of the ice cream, pour Raspberry sauce on top, and if you like a little whipped
cream for decoration. Serve quickly before the ice cream melts!
Watercress, Feta and Watermelon salad.
I made this salad up one summer day when guests suddenly
arrived and I didn't have much in my fridge, I used vegan feta, but it does
work very well with traditional feta. It is really an extremely easy unusual
and delightful summer salad.
Ingredients serves 4-6.
one bag of washed watercress
100-grams feta cheese drained, and cut into squares
Half a small red onion finely chopped.
100 grammes watermelon chopped into squares.
For the dressing
2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon of lemon juice
1 teaspoon runny honey
Half a teaspoon sea salt
half a teaspoon ground black pepper
half a teaspoon garlic granule.
Method
Put all the ingredients for the salad dressing in a screw
top jar, shake them well to mix them.
Wash and drain the watercress, cop it in half and place it
in the bottom of a salad bowl, add the chopped red onion, watermelon, and feta,
mix gently so not to break up the feta, pour the salad dressing over it, again
mix gently and serve.
This is wonderful as an aside with salmon, or a quiche, or a
main salad for light lunch, I know this might seem an odd combination but
believe me it really works well.
Wishing you and your family a wonderful Shavuot, Chag
Sameach.
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