Rosh Hashanah

Rosh Hashanah, which means “the beginning of the year,” is the Jewish New Year. Tomorrow will be the beginning of the year 5747, according to the ancient Hebrew calendar.

Since the holiday eve falls on a Friday, I have prepared a special Sabbath dinner for my family’s celebration. The menu has a delightful surprise: With a few last-minute additions, the hot dinner becomes a beautiful cold buffet for lunch or dinner the following day.

I am baking a big classic hallah, always part of the traditional menu. Then I am adding some currants to the dough to bake into individual hallahs for the buffet at the same time since no food is prepared on the Sabbath in orthodox homes.

The main course is a veal roast, served hot for the first menu. With veal being versatile, it will be served cold the next day in an entirely new arrangement, thinly sliced and accompanied by three spritely sauces to choose from.

A colorful platter of marinated vegetables takes care of both salad and vegetables for the buffet.

The two menus feature unusual desserts. The holiday eve dinner ends with an Apple Upside-Down Cake, made like a French tart, with plenty of juicy apples, glazed with honey. For the buffet, pomegranates, the traditional holiday fruit, are frozen into ruby-colored ice and served with crisp Honey-Sesame Thins.

I have included many foods that have a classic religious meaning. Hallah is the traditional bread, baked for all holidays except Passover. It is customary to dip the hallah in honey for Rosh Hashanah. Because it is round, it represents a rounded or complete year, as does the apple cake. The honey and apples also signify “a sweet year.” The pomegranate in ancient lore is known as “a first fruit” to be enjoyed during this holiday.

TWO-IN-ONE MENU FOR ROSH HASHANAH

Friday Menu

Warm Green Bean Salad

Baked Veal With Vegetables

Festive Honey Hallah

Apple Upside-Down Cake

Saturday Menu

Marinated Vegetables

Sliced Cold Veal With Three Sauces

Minihallah Pomegranate Ice

Honey-Sesame Thins

WARM GREEN BEAN SALAD

1 1/2 pounds green beans

Boiling salted water

2 tablespoons minced shallots or green onions

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

3/4 cup olive oil

Salt, pepper

1 sweet red pepper, stem and seeds removed, thinly sliced

Lettuce leaves

Red onion rings for garnish

Cut ends from green beans. If using large beans, slice in half lengthwise. Cook beans in boiling salted water 4 to 5 minutes or until tender but still crisp and green. Drain.

Combine shallots, mustard, vinegar and olive oil in small bowl and blend well. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Place warm beans in large bowl. Add red pepper slices and toss with enough sauce to coat vegetables. Spoon onto lettuce leaves and garnish with red onion rings. Makes 8 to 10 servings.

BAKED VEAL WITH VEGETABLES

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 onions, sliced

1 (6- to 8-pound) veal shoulder, rolled and tied

1 bunch carrots, peeled and sliced

12 small pearl onions, boiled and peeled

12 mushrooms, halved

2 heads garlic, cloves separated but unpeeled

1 tablespoon dried rosemary

1 tablespoon dried thyme

1/2 cup parsley, packed

2 cloves garlic, peeled

1 cup chicken or vegetable broth

1/4 cup dry white wine

Salt, pepper

6 sprigs thyme, optional

Tuna Sauce

Red Pepper-Basil Sauce

Mustard-Basil Sauce

Place large sheet of heavy-duty foil long enough to loosely cover veal and vegetables in large, shallow roasting pan. Heat oil in small skillet and saute onion slices until tender. Spoon onions onto center of foil. Place veal, fat side up, on onion slices. Brown veal under broiler 4 to 5 minutes to seal in juices. Remove from oven and surround veal with carrot slices, pearl onions, mushrooms and unpeeled garlic cloves.

Place rosemary, dried thyme, parsley and 2 cloves peeled garlic in blender or food processor. Blend and sprinkle over veal. Carefully pour broth and wine over vegetables. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Seal foil securely. Bake at 350 degrees 2 hours. Uncover or open foil and fold back. Continue baking until tender. Slice thinly and serve surrounded by vegetables, including unpeeled garlic cloves. Garnish with thyme sprigs. Or serve cold with Tuna Sauce, Red Pepper-Basil Sauce and Mustard-Basil Sauce. Makes about 12 servings.

Tuna Sauce

1 (3-ounce) can tuna, drained

1 egg yolk

1 clove garlic, peeled

4 flat anchovy fillets

3 tablespoons lemon or lime juice

3/4 cup olive oil

2 tablespoons non-dairy creamer

Salt, pepper

Combine tuna, egg yolk, garlic, anchovies and lemon juice in food processor or blender and blend to puree. Gradually add olive oil in thin stream with machine running. Transfer to bowl and stir in non-dairy creamer. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate. Serve with cold sliced veal. Makes about 2 cups.

Red Pepper-Basil Sauce

6 large sweet red peppers, roasted, peeled and seeded

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1/4 cup basil leaves

2 tablespoons non-dairy creamer, optional

Salt, pepper

Sugar

Place red peppers and lemon juice in food processor or blender and blend to smooth puree. Add basil leaves and blend. Add non-dairy creamer to desired consistency. Season to taste with salt, pepper and sugar. Cover and refrigerate. Serve with cold sliced veal. Makes about 2 cups.

Mustard-Basil Sauce

3 tablespoons prepared brown mustard

1 teaspoon dry mustard

2 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon white wine vinegar

1/3 cup oil

3 tablespoons chopped basil

Combine prepared mustard, dry mustard, sugar and vinegar until well blended. With wire whisk, beat in oil until consistency of thick mayonnaise. Stir in basil. Cover and refrigerate. Will keep for several days. Beat with whisk before serving. Serve with cold sliced veal. Makes about 2 cups.

MARINATED VEGETABLES

1 pound green beans, ends cut and sliced diagonally

1 cauliflower, cut in florets

3 to 4 small stalks broccoli, cut in florets and stems sliced

6 small red potatoes, quartered

2 tablespoons minced onion

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon prepared mustard

1/2 cup white wine vinegar

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 cup olive oil

Salt, pepper

Sugar

Lettuce

1 red onion, thinly sliced for garnish

Arrange green beans, cauliflower, broccoli and potatoes on steaming racks set over boiling water and steam, covered, until just tender. Do not overcook. Transfer to bowls and chill.

Combine minced onion, garlic, mustard, vinegar and basil in food processor or blender and blend. Add olive oil and blend well. Season to taste with salt, pepper and sugar.

Arrange vegetables separately on lettuce-lined platter and spoon marinade over vegetables, or combine vegetables in large bowl and toss with marinade. Garnish with red onion slices. Makes 8 to 10 servings.

FESTIVE HONEY HALLAH

1 package dry yeast

1 1/2 cups warm water (105 to 115 degrees)

3 eggs

1/3 cup honey

1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted

1/8 teaspoon powdered saffron, optional

2 tablespoons brandy

5 to 6 cups flour

1 tablespoon salt

1 cup currants or raisins soaked in sweet wine, drained

Cornmeal

1 egg white

Sesame seeds

Dissolve yeast in 1/2 cup warm water. Beat eggs, honey and butter in large mixing bowl. Add remaining 1 cup warm water, saffron and brandy and blend well. Blend in yeast mixture. Add flour, 1 cup at a time, and salt, blending well after each addition, until thick enough to work by hand.

Spoon onto floured board and knead 5 to 10 minutes, incorporating drained currants and additional flour to make smooth and elastic dough. Place dough in greased bowl, turning to grease top of dough. Cover and let rise in warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.

For large hallah, divide dough into 3 parts. Form each part into long rope. Braid 3 ropes into large hallah, bringing ends together to make round hallah, pinching ends to seal.

For small rolls, break off small pieces of dough. Form into small ropes. Twist into knots or braid.

Place large hallah or small rolls on greased baking sheet sprinkled with cornmeal. Cover with towel and let rise in warm place until doubled, 40 minutes.

Lightly beat egg white and brush over dough. Sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake at 350 degrees 30 to 40 minutes for bread and 20 to 30 minutes for rolls, or until golden brown. Makes 1 large hallah or 30 small rolls.

APPLE UPSIDE-DOWN CAKE

2 tablespoons butter or margarine

1 cup brown sugar, packed

2 tablespoons honey

2 large tart apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced

3 eggs, separated

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup apple juice

Combine butter, brown sugar and honey in saucepan. Stir over low heat until sugar and honey dissolve. Add apple slices and gently spoon sugar syrup over apples until evenly coated. Simmer until apples are tender. Remove apple slices with slotted spoon to flat plate. Continue cooking syrup until thick.

Beat egg yolks and sugar in large mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Sift flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda together. Add flour mixture alternately with apple juice to egg mixture.

Beat egg whites until stiff but not dry. Fold egg whites into batter.

Place apple slices in 9- or 10-inch baking pan, overlapping to form circular pattern. Pour syrup over apples, then pour batter over apples. Bake at 350 degrees 40 to 50 minutes or until cake is golden brown and cake tester inserted in center comes out clean. Loosen sides with sharp knife. Place plate over cake and turn out onto platter so apples are on top. Makes 8 to 10 servings.

POMEGRANATE ICE

2 cups unsweetened pomegranate or cranberry juice

1/4 cup lemon juice

1 3/4 cups Sugar Syrup

1 tablespoon fruit liqueur of choice, optional

Combine pomegranate juice, lemon juice, Sugar Syrup and fruit liqueur in large bowl and blend well. Freeze in ice cream freezer according to manufacturer’s directions.

To make without ice cream freezer, pour mixture into ice cube trays or glass bowl. Place in freezer, stirring every hour with fork, scraping sides into center. Continue stirring and freezing until mixture is set. Makes 1 quart.

Sugar Syrup

4 1/4 cups sugar

3 cups water

Place sugar and water in large, heavy saucepan over medium heat. Cook over low heat until sugar dissolves. Bring to slow, rolling boil and simmer 5 minutes. Pour into glass bowl, cover with plastic wrap and chill. May be stored in refrigerator, covered, up to 1 month.

SESAME-HONEY THINS

3/4 cup butter or margarine, cut into pieces

1 1/3 cups dark brown sugar, firmly packed

1/4 cup honey

1 teaspoon vanilla or almond extract

1 egg

1/2 cup sesame seeds

1 cup flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

Cream butter. Add sugar, honey and vanilla. Beat until light and fluffy. Blend in egg and sesame seeds. Add flour and salt and beat until smooth. Dough may be refrigerated in plastic wrap. Bake when desired.

Spoon small marble-size mounds onto foil-lined baking sheet, 2 inches apart. Bake at 350 degrees 5 minutes or until cookies begin to brown around edges. Cool on foil. When cookies harden, peel off foil. Makes about 8 dozen.