Stuffed Zucchini - pareve
This vegetarian entree for Sukkot is offered by Betty Newman in the
Jewish Bulletin of Northern California. She writes: "To make the
modern journey between kitchen and sukkah easier, it's a good idea
to prepare easily transportable foods such as casseroles and salads.
It's also nice to begin taking advantage of harvest foods, such as
squash."
I think it's more than "nice." Squash was one of the New World foods
which the Sephardic kitchen quickly adopted and adapted, when
brought back by the merchants who traveled on the exploration
expeditions to North and South
America. (Among them were ~conversos~ -- Jews who had ostensibly
bowed to the pressure of the Inquisition and converted.) So, there
is a very strong tradition for the use of various types of squash in
Jewish cuisine.
1 onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp. olive oil
1/2 cup rice, uncooked
1 cup water
1/2 cup raisins or currants
1/3 cup dried apricots, cut up
1/2 cup pine nuts
2 Tablespoons chopped parsley
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. each allspice, nutmeg
salt, pepper
1 tsp. fresh mint, minced
2 medium zucchini, sliced lengthwise, scooped out
Saut� onion and garlic in oil. Add rice, water, raisins or currants,
and apricots; simmer until rice is almost done. Add remaining
ingredients and fill in zucchini halves. Place zucchini in greased
8-inch square baking dish. Add a small amount of water and bake in
350-degree oven for 50 to 60 minutes or until squash is tender. Add
more water if necessary.
Betty Newman - Jewish Bulletin of Northern California |