Eretz cheetah, u’seorah, gefen, u’te’enah, rimon v’eretz zeit shemen u’devash min hatemarim.
Eretz Yisrael is a land of seven species: Wheat, barley, grapes, figs, pomegranates, olive oil and sweet dates. Here are some recipes to make your Chag La’Illanot a festive one.
Chava Dumas’ Favorite Tu B’shevat Recipes:
Olive Salad
Ingredients
4 cups of olives, the wider the variety, the more appealing
¼ cup olive oil
1 red pepper
½ white onion and ½ purple onion
½ cup fresh parsley or cilantro
2 scallions, sliced thin
Serve the olives in small bowls, sprinkled with olive oil and decorated with finely chopped red pepper, onion, scallions, and fresh parsley or cilantro leaves.
Pomegranates and Holy Nuts and Seeds
Celebrate the healthy benefits of energy-enhancing unroasted, unsalted, raw nuts and seeds that are incredibly rich in iron, calcium, protein, B-vitamins, healthy oil and more.
You’ll need seeds of at least four pomegranates and your choice of almonds, pecans, cashews, hazel nuts (aka filberts), shelled pistachios, walnuts, macadamias, Brazils, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds and/or pine nuts.
Serve on a round platter in concentric circles of species or in layers within a large, wineglass-shaped glass bowl.
Festive String Bean Salad
Ingredients
1 bag of whole string beans (2 pounds or 800+ grams), simmer for 20 minutes
3 cloves garlic, crushed
3 different colored fresh peppers (red, light green, yellow or orange), sliced long
1 grated carrot
½ cup dried cranberries
¼ sliced almonds
¼ cup sesame seeds
Dressing:
4 tbsp oil
3 tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp brown sugar
¼ tsp black pepper
¼ tsp salt
After the string beans have simmered, but are still crisp, drain and mix in a large bowl with the rest of the ingredients, including the dressing. Let the flavors mix together for several hours before serving.
Chava Dumas is an educator, certified doula, women’s health advocate and cancer support counselor. Read more special tips in her life-changing book “Prepare for Pesach… B’simchah! 40 Lifesaving Lessons to Help you make it to the Finish Line.”
Individual Baked Apple Pies
Ingredients
4 apples (we used granny smith)
1 heaping tsp cinnamon
About an 1/8 tsp nutmeg
¼ cup sugar
1 tbsp brown sugar
4 small pats butter or margarine
1 frozen pie crust, thawed
Directions
Cut the tops off the apples, then use a spoon to hollow them out. It works best if you try to get most of the core initially with a big spoon, then scoop out the rest with a smaller one.
Chop up the pieces of apple and apple tops (peel first) and place in a bowl.
Combine dry ingredients in a small bowl and then add to chopped apple. Toss until evenly covered.
Fill the hollowed apples with the apple mixture.
Unroll your piecrust and cut into strips.
Place a small pat of butter or margarine on top of each apple.
Place about 3 strips of piecrust over the top of each apple. Then place about three more in the opposite direction. You can also lattice the strips if you feel so inclined.
Place the apples in a pan; add enough water to just cover the bottom.
Bake at 375° for 30 minutes, covered.
Uncover and bake for an additional 12 minutes.