Kosher Cuisine Show #4 – Israel and Tu B’Shvat

This is the original script for the show. Some of the non-essential text may have been edited out of the final version that aired on Community Radio due to time constraints. In this edition, some of the Hebrew language has been retyped below in non-patriarchal terms. The original broadcasts of these radio shows were in 2015 and 2016. Some bits have been removed from this audio edition so the file fits within Bandcamps size limits – however, they are included below. Thanks for listening!

First Segment

Hava Nagila Music Intro [35 seconds then fade…]

Hello, everyone! This is Leah Kiser and you’re listening to Kosher Cuisine. This is a show about food safety, international kosher recipes and amazing music from areas around the world. This week we’re going to look at Israel and the holiday of Tu B’Shvat.

After Chanukkah, the next holiday on the calendar is Tu B’Shvat, which translated means, the 15th Day of the month of Shvat. Sometimes they are not very creative about these things. Traditionally, this date is named as the New Year of Trees. Now, why do trees need a new year, you may ask. In the Torah, there are rules about harvesting produce. A person with a fruit tree on their property is not supposed to harvest the tree for the first three years of its life, and the next year all the fruit is supposed to be given to charity. Only in the NEXT year can the family start eating the fruit, and at that time it can be sold in the market as well. It’s like here in Kentucky, all HORSES have the same birthday, January 1st - regardless of when they were actually born. This also serves some sort of official tallying purpose in the horse industry. In Israel, it’s the same way for trees. Otherwise it would be a nuisance trying to figure out just when the tree sprouted or was planted. It’s first birthday is Tu B’Shvat no matter when it started to grow.

To observe Tu B’Shvat, a family holds a seder. You may have heard the term “Passover Seder.” The “seder” basically refers to a booklet or a list of things you’re supposed to do and in what order to do them. As the theme of Tu B’Shvat is trees, the foods eaten all a have a theme of – wait for it – fruit and nut dishes. Now, the month of Shvat is the time of my birthday, which usually falls in February on the Western calendar. Wait a minute! – why celebrate trees in the winter? Isn’t Tu B’Shvat the Israeli version of Arbor Day? Yes, it is. But - the weather in Israel in February is nothing like here in Kentucky. Remember, the climate there is Mediterranean. THEY are enjoying nice, warm spring-like weather while WE are here shoveling the fallout from our polar vortices. Sucks to be us.

So the seder consists primarily of eating fresh fruits and dishes made from fruits and nuts, especially fruits that grow native in Israel: grapes, figs, pomegranates, olives, and dates. But any sort of fruit is ok. It’s the thought that counts. Historically, people who lived in the Diaspora often had no way to get anything other than local produce. And if you have picky kids, well, it’s a lot less hassle to serve things they like, now isn’t it?

But what we’re going to make today is a bunch of little tapas-like fruity Israeli items to serve at the Tu B’Shvat seder – although you can certainly serve them as hors d’ouvres at any time of year.

To start of our New Year of Trees menu, you will want a platter of fresh washed cut fruit, any varieties you happen to like. Be sure and use a clean parve knife and cutting board. Most people also serve a platter of cheeses, making this a dairy meal for all practical purposes. Use a dairy board and knife to slice your cheeses. However, you can go completely vegan with your seder if you prefer. At our house I do a dark chocolate fondue to go with the platter of fruit. Just melt the dark chocolate bar of your choice and use fondue forks or bamboo skewers to dip the fruit. Alternately, you can give everyone a spoon and let them drizzle the melted chocolate over the fruit on their plate. Yummy.

Next, to at least PRETEND we’re eating something healthy, a couple of fresh salads will be nice to get started. The first is one you may be familiar with, Strawberry Fields. As a regular salad course this recipe will serve 8, so even if you are having a tapas-like seder you will probably not need to double this unless you are having more than 14 or so people. Everybody loves this salad.

You will need to wash up:
1 pound of mixed baby spring greens, or buy 16 ounces of pre-washed baby spring mix salad

1 cup of sprouts, any variety

1 pint of strawberries. Once they’re washed, cut off the stems and slice them.

1 cup of sweetened dried cranberries
And optionally, you can add some crumbled feta cheese.

For the dressing, you will need to vigorously whisk together:
¼ cup of sugar
¼ cup of red wine vinegar
¼ of honey
¼ cup of warm water,
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 small red onion, thinly sliced

½ teaspoon dry yellow mustard powder. If you don’t have the powder, you can substitute prepared Dijon mustard.

And finally, ½ cup light salad oil – whatever type you prefer. I just use olive oil, honestly. But some people prefer canola or other vegetable oils.

And finally, you will need to make some sugared almonds. For that, measure out 6 tablespoons of sugars and 2 cups of slivered almonds. You can also use pecans if you like. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat, place the sugar and almonds into it and stir constantly until the sugar melts and coats the almonds. Be careful not to burn the sugar.

Alternately, you can make sweet roasted almonds or pecans in the oven. Basically mix a whipped egg white with a tablespoon of water, wet the nuts in it, then roll them around in a mixture of 1 cup sugar, ¾ teaspoon of salt, and ½ teaspoon of ground cinnamon until they are covered. Bake at 250 degrees for a total of one hour, stirring every 15 minutes.

In a bowl, mix the salad greens with the rest of the ingredients and coat with the dressing. Sprinkle the sugared nuts on top. That’s it.

This next dish is called Halloumi and Grape salad. As a normal salad course, this recipe serves four. If you are having a tapas-style seder, it would serve 8-10ish but you would need to double the recipe if you were expecting 12 or more people.

You will need:
5 ounces of mixed salad greens
3 ounces of seedless green grapes, cut in halves
3 ounces of seedless red grapes, cut into halves

For the dressing you will need to vigorously whisk together:
¼ cup of olive oil
1 tablespoon of lemon juice
½ teaspoon sugar
A pinch of salt and of ground black pepper
And 1 tablespoon of either thyme leaves or dill.

Next, you will need 9 ounces of Halloumi cheese – or substitute Feta if you can’t find it.
Also measure out 3 tablespoons of olive oil.
Finally, use some extra thyme leaves or dill to garnish.

So, we are going to sauté the cheese. Slice the block of cheese like you would a loaf of bread, about ½ inch thick slices. Heat the olive oil in a skillet and sauté the cheese briefly until it turns golden brown on the underside. Turn the cheese with a spatula and brown the other side.

Place the salad greens on a serving platter and top with the grape halves. Arrange the golden cheese sliced on top, and drizzle everything with the dressing. Garnish with the thyme or dill leaves.

While you’re washing up all these salad fixins, you might want to hear a bit of Israeli music. I will warn you in advance, this stuff is a bit…campy. Sort of like 60s movie background music or maybe commercials. The songs today are from a CD called “Authentic Israeli Folk Songs & Dances.” The first one is track 4 and is a medley of two songs called “El Ginat Egoz” and “Horal Eylat.” Enjoy!


[Track 4 – 45 second excerpt]


Second Segment

Welcome back to Kosher Cuisine! For our next fruit and nut filled New Year of Trees recipes, you can’t go wrong with couscous, unless you’re gluten free. Then you might need to substitute some quinoa. This dish is called Coucous Sucre Seffa. As a regular side dish, this recipe will serve 6, so in a tapas-like scenario you will not need to double it unless you are expecting more than 10 people to your Tu B’Shvat seder.

For this dish, we are going to start by preparing plain couscous. You can get the convenience kind, like Far East or other brands found in local stores. You will need in the neighborhood of 16 ounces, so you might need to get more than one box. It doesn’t matter if the boxes don’t add up to 16 ounces exactly. Traditional cooking never measures anything anyway. If you don’t want the quick-cooking kind, that’s ok – and more authentic.

So, whatever kind you are using, prepare the couscous per the package directions; but use 2 ounces of orange-blossom water instead of plain water when you’re cooking the couscous. If you recall, you can substitute an orange herbal tea in place of store-bought exotic waters if you don’t have any. When the couscous is prepared, serve it shaped in a cone. You might want to indent the top, like a volcanic crater, to give a nice looking effect with the toppings. Sprinkle the cone with confectioner’s sugar, about 3 tablespoons worth – or to taste. Now do the same with 1 tablespoon of cinnamon. Finally, top with ½ pomegranate seeds and a ½ cup of any or all of the following: roasted pine nuts, chopped almonds, or shelled pistachios. Serve it while it’s warm.

The next dish of our buffet is called pomme de terre aux olive, which means potatoes and olives. I have no idea how potatoes got to be called “apples of the earth.” They don’t look a thing like apples.

So, you will need 2 pounds of small new potatoes. I like Yukon gold or a similar yellow-style potato, but you can use any type. Cut them into halves, or quarters, whichever you prefer. Boil them in salted water until they are tender but not mushy. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. This recipe serves six for a regular meal but could be 12 for a tapas-like plate.

Measure out:
½ teaspoon of turmeric
A pinch of black pepper
4 minced garlic cloves
4 ounces of pitted black olives, cut into halves
Fresh cilantro leaves, destemmed and coarsely chopped until you have about ¼ cup total.

When the potatoes are done, drain them well. Put them into a baking pan, and add the other ingredients except the cilantro, mixing them well. Bake these for about 30 minutes, then top with the chopped cilantro.

This should also be served warm, so you will want to coordinate it to be ready at the same time as the couscous, and with the next dish, which is called Shirin Polo - Jeweled Rice. This recipe serves 6 normally, so unless you are expecting more than 10 people at your Tu B’Shvat seder you will not need to double it.

You will need 2 and ½ cups of basmati long grain brown rice.
1 and ¼ teaspoon of salt
½ cup of dried cranberries
½ cup of dried cherries
¼ teaspoon saffron, or substitute turmeric
1 cup of almond slivers
And 6 tablespoons of safflower oil, or substitute canola oil or other light oil.

Finally, you will need the equivalent of two oranges worth of candied orange peel.

If you want to make it from scratch, cut off the orange peels, leaving as little of the white pith as possible. Shred the peels finely, then boil in plenty of water for about ½ hour to remove the bitterness. Drain off the water, then put ½ cup sugar and 1/3 cup water back into the pot, and bring to a boil to make a simple syrup. Add the drained peel slivers and simmer for about 20 minutes.

Alternately, you can go to the store and buy a package of candied orange peels and chop them up finely. Honestly, that’s a lot easier.

OK, so now for 2 and ½ cups of dry whole grain rice you are going to need about 5 and ½ cups of water.

First, pour the oil into the pot, and warm so that you can sauté the saffron. If you’re not using saffron, then go ahead and sauté the dry rice in the oil for a minute or two, then add the water and the rest of the ingredients, including the turmeric if you’re using it instead of saffron.

Turn the heat to medium high, say, 6 on a scale of 1 to 10. Bring the rice mixture to a rolling boil, then turn down the heat to simmer, about level 2, and cover the pot with a lid. If you are using instant or white rice, you will need to keep an eye on it because it will cook fairly quickly – consult the package directions. But if you are using old fashioned brown long grain rice of any kind, this will take at least 45 minutes and possibly over an hour until all the liquid is absorbed. When it’s ready, fluff with a fork and serve warm.

While you’re waiting, here’s track 11 on the Authentic Israeli Folk Songs & Dances CD. It is a medley of two songs, called “Chad Chad Micherev,” and “Simchat HaKatzir.”

[Track 11 – 45 second excerpt]

Third Segment

Welcome back to Kosher Cuisine! So far we’ve had a lot of exotic fruits and nuts, and you might be thinking you’d like something a bit closer to home. Well, how about Florida oranges? And, more to the point, how about flan a l’orange? Yes, please. This recipe serves 8, but I wouldn’t hold my breath on it serving 16. People don’t like to share.

So, you’re going to need:
¾ cup of sugar
1 cup of blanched almonds
The grated zest of one orange
7 eggs
1 and ¼ cups freshly squeezed orange juice
And 3 tablespoons of orange liquor, any brand.

Now, if you don’t have a metal flan mold, you can use a pie tin. If you don’t have a pie tin, you can use a glass pie dish or ceramic ramekins – but it will stick worse.

Now, you are going to need some caramel. To make it from scratch, put 4 tablespoons of the sugar into the metal flan mold or pie tin and heat it until it melts and turns brown, but be careful not to burn it. Then pour in about 1 and ½ tablespoons of boiling water and let it bubble, stirring to dilute the caramel evenly. If you are using ramekins, you will need to spoon the caramel into them. Whatever you are using, turn it around and around so the warm caramel will coat the all the bottom and the sides. Let it cool.

Meanwhile, grind the almonds in a food processor. It is not recommended to use commercially ground almonds, but it can work. You just won’t get quite the same texture as a classic flan. Add to the almonds the rest of the sugar, the orange zest, and the eggs and blend well. Finally, add the orange juice and liquor and blend even more until it is thoroughly combined. Pour the mixture into your mold, pie tin, or ramekins. In a 9x13 cake pan put about 1” of water – place the mold, the tin, or the ramekins into the water. Very carefully put into the oven and bake at 350 degrees covered (carefully) for about 45 minutes, then uncover for another 30 minutes, or possibly 45 minutes, until the custard sets. Remove from the oven and cool.

Then chill in the fridge for another hour at least. Cut around the edge of the flan and place a plate on top of it, face down. Hold the plate and flip the two together so that the flan is unmolded upside down onto the plate. It’s a lot of trouble but certainly worth it. You can garnish flan with any sliced fruit.

While that’s baking and chilling, you can throw together une gateau a l’orange – orange cake!

Wash two oranges and then boil them in water, whole, for 1 and ½ hours until they are very soft. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.

Beat 6 eggs with 1 and ¼ cups sugar, then add 2 tablespoons of the orange blossom water or orange herbal tea substitute. Add 1 teaspoon of baking powder, and 1 ½ cups ground almonds. Mix everything well.

Cut open the oranges, remove the seeds, and puree in a food processor. Mix the orange puree in with the almond flour mixture. Combine them thoroughly. Take a 9 inch greased cake pan - you can use oil or butter or nonstick spray – and dust it with flour. Bake for one hour, then let cool before turning out onto a serving platter. Dust with confectioner’s sugar and garnish with sliced fruit or mint leaves. That’s it.

But while you’re waiting on everything to bake, here is track 9 from the Israeli Folk Songs & Dances CD. This is yet another medley of two songs, called “Yamin Ussemol” and “Al Tirah.”

[Track 9 – 45 second excerpt]

Fourth Segment

Welcome back to Kosher Cuisine! Last but not least in our Tu B’Shvat diet-busting extravaganza, some easy treats.

First, we have Composta di Fichi – Fig Compote. This recipe serves six, and has a fig per person. If you are expecting more people, expand it accordingly. You can serve it in little cups.

You will need 6 figs, carefully peeled
¾ cup of sugar
6 tablespoons of water
The grated zest of one lemon
A squeeze of lemon juice, say 1 tablespoon-ish
And 5 tablespoons of rum, any brand.

Simmer the sugar and water with the grated zest and the lemon juice for about 5 minutes. Add the figs and simmer a few minutes more, until they are soft. Turn them over once. Add the rum, and then plate them and let them cool. See, easy.

Now we’ll make some Bouchees aux Dattes – Date and Walnut Balls. This recipe makes 60, which should be more than enough for your Tu B’Shvat seder. Unless you eat them all before your guests arrive. Then you have a problem.

You will need 1 cup of coarsely chopped walnuts, and about 1 and ½ cups of finely chopped or ground walnuts.

Put 1 pound of pitted, dried dates that are fairly soft and moist, not rock hard, into a food processor. Add 4 tablespoons of water, just enough to make a paste. Take the processed date mixture and put it into a bowl. Then work in the coarsely walnut with your hands. Grease your hands so that the paste does not stick to you. Take small lumps of the mixture and roll them into 1 inch balls.

Finally, roll the balls into the ground or finely chopped walnuts. Let them set on wax paper until ready to serve. If you don’t think tonight’s dishes have been diabetic enough, you can make a sugar syrup, caramelize it, and use it as a dipping sauce for the balls.

Now, last but not least, Pear Slush. This recipe normally serves four, but has one pear per person. If you plan for half a pear per person, you can make this serve 8 as a tapas-style dish. More than that and you’ll have to double the recipe.

Peel and core 4 pears, then chop finely – you can use a food processor if you like. You’re not trying to liquefy it, so use the grater attachment.

Place the grated pear into a bowl, then stir in 2 tablespoons of lemon juice. Add 2 tablespoons of rose water or, alternately, 2 tablespoons of rose hip herbal tea which has been allowed to cool completely. Finally, add four tablespoons of confectioner’s sugar and combine everything thoroughly. At the last minute, put ½ cup crushed ice into a bowl, and top with ¼ of the pear mixture. Stir and serve immediately. If you don’t like pears, you can do this recipe with apples – but you’ll have to adjust the sugar carefully, because most varieties of apples aren’t as sweet as pears.

So while you’re doing all this chopping and rolling, here are four tracks from the Authentic Israeli Fold Songs & Dances CD: Track 15, called “Bat Yiftach;” Track 16, called “Ta’am HaMann;” Track 17, called “Debka Druz;” and Track 20, called “Nigun A Tik”. Enjoy!

[Track 16 – 20 second excerpt, Track 20 – 45 second excerpt]

Thank you for listening to Kosher Cuisine. Next week we will have some more great international food and music and we’ll talk a bit more about food safety and kashrut.

This is Leah Kiser wishing you Sabbath peace, this week and every week. Shabbat Shalom.
[Hava Nagila fade…]