Spiced Apple and Honey Ice Cream

This year we are hosting our first Rosh Hashanah dinner.  Instead of the traditional brisket or roastchicken, we are serving chicken fesenjan, a Persian dish that contains pomegranates, a fruit often associated with the Jewish New Year.

For dessert I made this ice cream which includes apples and honey, which symbolize a sweet new year.  The Ashkenazi community first linked these ingredients with Rosh Hashanah in late medieval times; now the association is widespread throughout the Jewish community.

The apple has particular significance for several reasons: Rosh Hashanah is believed to be the day when God created Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden and the garden is believed to have had the scent of an apple orchard; ancient Jews believed apples had healing properties; the apple is also considered by some to represent the feminine aspect of God and eating apples represents our hope of being well-judged by him.

This ice cream can be served alone or as an accompaniment to honey or apple cake.  Other dishes that can be served at Rosh Hashanah include pomegranate couscous, noodle kugel, and honey cake.  Each of them contain some of the ingredients associated with this holiday.

Serves 10

Ingredients

Spiced apples

3 large apples, cored, peeled, sliced, and cut into 1/2 inch pieces (about 2 cups)

1/2 cup honey

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon allspice

1/2 teaspoon lemon zest

pinch of salt

Ice cream

3 cups heavy cream
9 large egg yolks

3 cups whole milk
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

pinch of salt

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 tablespoon vodka or other neutral alcohol (optional, to lower freezing temperature)

1/2 cup apple sauce (ideally one with a strong, spicy flavor)

Directions

1.     In a medium saucepan, combine the spiced apples ingredients.  Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until the apples are tender and all the liquid has evaporated.  This should take about 10 minutes.  Let the apples cool and then place them in the fridge to chill.

2.     Pour 2 cups of heavy cream into a large bowl and set aside.  In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks until smooth.

3.     Combine the milk, sugar, salt, and remaining heavy cream in a medium saucepan over medium heat.  Once the mixture is warm and just begins to bubble, slowly pour about half of it into the bowl with the egg yolks, whisking constantly.  Return the mixture to the saucepan over medium high heat.

4.     Cook the mixture, stirring constantly and scraping the bottom, until it thickens and coats a spatula or spoon (about 170-175° F).  Pour the mixture through a strainer into the large bowl with cream (this will remove any egg that has cooked).

5.     Mix in the vanilla and vodka.  Thoroughly chill the mixture in the refrigerator for 8 hours or overnight.  Lay plastic wrap on the mixture so that a skin does not form.

6.     Pour the mixture into the bowl of an ice cream maker, and prepare according to the manufacturer’s instructions.  About 10 minutes before the end of the cycle, add apple sauce to the ice cream.

7.     In the final minute, add the cooled spiced apple mixture until well incorporated.

8.     Remove and store in an airtight container for up to three months.

Summer Eggplant Salad

This is a perfect starter or side dish for a hot summer day.

The eggplant is native to the Indian subcontinent and was brought to Europe by Arabs in the Middle Ages.  The first known written documentation comes from a Chinese agricultural text dating from 544; the first European reference is in an English botany text from 1597.

The eggplant is a member of the nightshade family and was domesticated from the wild nightshade, also known as the thorn apple or bitter apple.  It is closely related to the tomato and potato.  In most languages, the fruit is known by some variation of the words aubergine, brinjal, or melongene, all of which derive from a Dravidian word that was borrowed into Sanskrit and Pali, then into Persian, then into Arabic, and finally into European languages.

The 18^th century cultivars popular in Europe were spherical and light in color, hence the name ‘eggplant’ which is still used in American English.  Although most North Americans are now familiar with the dark purple cultivar, eggplants come in shades of white, yellow, green, and reddish-purple.  There is also great variation in size—ranging from that of a grape to a watermelon.

Eggplant has a firm skin and smooth, spongy flesh.  It can be stewed (as in French ratatouille), fried (as in Italian eggplant parmensan), stuffed (as in Turkish Imam bayildi), curried (as in Indian curries), mashed (as in Middle Eastern baba ghanoush or on pizza), pickled (as in Syrian makdous), and braised or steamed in various Chinese dishes.  Eggplant has become popular as a meat-substitute in vegetarian cuisine.

Five nations account for 90% of international eggplant production; China leads the way followed by India, Egypt, Iran, and Turkey.

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 lemon, juiced

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground

2 pounds eggplant, cut into 1-inch chunks

3 ounces feta cheese, crumbled

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tablespoon capers, chopped

2 green bell peppers, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

1/4 cup fresh mint leaves

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

2. Whisk together the oil, lemon, salt, and pepper to create the dressing.

3. Toss eggplant with 1/3 cup dressing, and spread onto a baking sheet.  Bake for 30 minutes, tossing occasionally until tender and golden around edges.  Remove from the oven and let the eggplant cool so that it is warm (but not hot enough to melt the feta).

4. Mix feta, garlic, and capers into reserved dressing.

5. In a large bowl, combine baked eggplant, peppers, tomatoes, and mint leaves. Toss with reserved dressing and serve within 2 hours.

Winter Carrot Soup

Although it has been an unseasonably mild winter, I have been craving soup in the evenings.  This carrot soup packs an unusual combination of spicy, tart, and rich flavors.  It is perfect as a starter or, if served with hearty bread, as a main dish.

Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
2 small potatoes, quartered
6 large carrots, cut into 1/2 inch segments
1 bay leaf
2 teaspoons hot Madras curry powder
1 teaspoon ginger powder
1 teaspoon oregano
4 cups stock or water
1/2 cup cranberry juice
juice of 1 lime
1/4 cup evaporated milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon cayenne powder

Directions

1.  In a large pot, melt butter over medium heat.

2.  Sauté potatoes and carrots in butter for approximately 10 minutes.  Add bay leaf, curry powder, ginger, and oregano.  Continue to cook for 5 more minutes.

3.  Add stock or water and increase heat until liquid reaches a slow boil.  Reduce to simmer and cook for 30 minutes.

4.  In small batches, blend cooked vegetables and liquid and return to the pot.  Alternately, use an immersion blender.

5.  Add cranberry juice, lime juice, and evaporated milk.  Mix well.

6.  Add salt, pepper, and cayenne to taste.

Chocolate Coconut Haystacks

Makes 3 dozen

These treats are perfect for those with limited time and talent for complicated holiday baking.  They can even be made on Christmas Eve with minimal effort!  Haystacks are also ideal for cooking with children.  Since they can be stored in the refrigerator for up to two weeks, they can be made before the holiday madness begins.

My mother-in-law fell in love with haystacks on her travels, and she asked me to make them for Hanukkah.  After some web sleuthing, I developed the following recipe.  Other versions contain dry chow mein noodles or pretzel sticks instead of coconut.  They can also be enhanced with roasted nuts of any type (peanuts, cashews, pistachios, pecans), marshmallows, butterscotch chips, and sea salt.

Ingredients

6 cups sweetened coconut

1 pound semisweet chocolate chips or vegan carob chips

1/4 teaspoon almond extract (optional)

1/2 cup almonds or other nuts (optional)

Directions

1.     Toast coconut on a large rimmed baking sheet at 350F.  Check it regularly and remove when it is fragrant and has turned slightly brown.  Do not leave too long or it will burn.  Remove and set aside.

2.     On the same baking sheet, toast almonds for 10-15 minutes until brown and fragrant.  Remove and set aside.

3.     In a large glass bowl, melt chocolate chips in the microwave.  Heat for 60 seconds and stir, continue heating for 15 seconds and stirring until the chips have melted.  Mix in almond extract.

4.     Add toasted coconut to the chocolate and mix well using a spoon or your hands.

5.     Line the baking sheet with parchment and make haystacks with 2 teaspoons of batter each.  Top with an almond.

6.     Refrigerate for 20 minutes until firm.   Keep in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

Raspberry and Blueberry Gelatos

Outside North America, Italy is the nation I’ve most often visited.  It provides a wonderful combination of history, architecture, art, culture, fashion, and of course food.  Among Italy’s many earthly delights, gelato ranks near the top of my list.  I am often amazed by the intensity of  flavors which seem to distill and heighten the essence of an ingredient: hazelnut, lemon, chocolate, and pistachio…

In the United States, federal standards require that any item labeled as ice cream contain at least 10% milk fat, at least 20% milk solids, and no more than 1.4% egg solids.  There are no parallel guidelines for gelato; however, it generally contains less milk fat (usually 7-8%).  Unsurprisingly, the Italian government does not regulate use of the term gelato and it is used interchangeably with ice cream.

Gelato was popularized in the early 20^th century in the Italian town of Varese where the first gelato cart was developed.  To this day, more than half of the gelato produced in Italy is handmade rather than produced in factories.

Although the crisp autumn air has arrived, I’ve decided to extend summer through a second experiment with my new ice cream maker.  For this endeavor, I decided to experiment with two types of berries.  The raspberry flavor was rather delicate and might have benefited from marbling with extra raspberry puree (detailed on this site).  The blueberry was more intense due to the use of blueberry skins which contain the color and flavor of the fruit.

Ingredients

2 cups raspberries or 2 1/2 cups blueberries (use either fresh or defrosted berries)

1/4 cup water (for blueberry gelato only)

pinch salt (for blueberry gelato only)

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 1/2 cups half-and-half (2 cups for blueberry gelato)

4 large eggs yolks

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1-2 drops of red food coloring for raspberry gelato (optional)

fresh berries for garnish (optional)

Directions

1.     For raspberries, purée in a blender and press through a sieve to remove seeds.  For blueberries, cook fruit with 1/4 cup water and a pinch of salt for 10 minutes over medium heat.  Remove from heat and purée in a blender until smooth.  Set aside berry purée.

2.     Heat the sugar and half of the half-and-half in a saucepan.  Simmer over medium heat until the sugar is dissolved.  Set aside on low simmer.

3.     Using a hand mixer, beat the egg yolks until light and thick.  Then add 1/2 cup of warm half-and-half mixture to egg yolks and blend well.

4.     Gently pour the egg mixture into the saucepan with the half-and-half mixture.  Mix well and raise the heat to medium.  Stir constantly with a wooden spoon.

5.     When the mixture is thick and reaches 180F on a thermometer, remove from heat.  Add remaining half-and-half, berry purée, vanilla extract, and food coloring.  Mix well.

6.     Cover and refrigerate overnight.

7.     Prepare gelato in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

8.     The gelato will be soft and creamy and ready to serve.  If you prefer a firmer consistency, transfer the mixture to a freezer-safe, air-tight container for several hours.  Best to freeze in serving size portions to avoid multiple thawing and freezing.

9.     Remove gelato 10 minutes before serving.  Serve with fresh berries.  Raspberry gelato also goes well with chopped salted pistachios or chocolate sauce.

10.  Gelato will keep for up to one month in the freezer.