My Latest Shabbat Menu: Cool and Playful Summer Recipes: On impossibly hot days, rather than make up a menu and try to stick to it, I decide to look around me, and let the produce displays surprise me and inform my menu. Since going this route guarantees nothing but the best and freshest, it is a totally calculated risk.
I knew I wanted to use a very good bulghur I had just bought, and some great looking beef cheeks I had just received. I also wanted to make the best possible use of some tilapia fillets, tuna steaks and mock crab I had in my freezer.
At Fairway Market I saw gigantic and sizzling fresh bunches of mustard greens and Swiss Chard. That decided my dinner menu: I would make a tajine of Swiss Chard and Mustard Greens. I was sending dinner for two to two friends who just had a baby: What better gift, I thought, than a treat strictly to Mom and Dad?
Friday Night: So my two couples’ dinner was the same as ours: Although I didn’t just have a baby, I still thank Gd every day for the three wonderful children He Gave me, and celebrate with a nice dinner, entre nous, just my husband and I, every chance I get (we only had the tajine, saving the rest for Shabbos lunch and later in the week):
with a little of my magical Porcini Oil drizzled on
with Green Goddess Sauce
I saved some of the mustard greens I had and ground them with the parsley and mint, and loved the added kick and bright color
Saturday Lunch: Big First Course, Small Main Course, that’s my motto: Whole grain Breads (all from Fairway) served with Basil Olive Oil; I had a captive audience, and passed some samples of Dried Salami (Saucisson Sec) Gourmet Butcher had given me for review (delish!).
Antipasto (Roasted Beets, Artichoke Hearts, Assorted Cerignola Olives, Roasted Red Peppers, Giant Caper Berries, assorted Mini Campari Tomatoes)
Using beef cheeks, tiny potatoes, lots of cremini mushrooms, saffron, turmeric. No liquid whatsoever
