Shavuot

Shavuot, June 3, celebrates the receiving of the Ten Commandments and the arrival of the spring harvest. But for food lovers, it is noted for the array of dairy foods that are served and delicious combinations of cheese, sour cream, milk and eggs, and blintzes with cheese fillings.

For this holiday I have experimented with the familiar dairy ingredients and have come up with some unusual results. Borscht is made with fresh spinach, potatoes, cucumbers and green onions, instead of the more usual beets. The result is a deep green color with an interesting texture from the crunchy chunks of vegetables. It’s refreshing served chilled with sour cream. Or, puree the soup in a blender with sour cream for a smooth, creamy cold borscht. And be sure to accompany it with a round loaf of corn rye bread and unsalted butter.

Using my favorite recipe for Classic Blintzes, I have developed two new variations. One is a spectacular appetizer, Lox-Cream Cheese Pinwheels, garnished with salmon caviar. It’s great for entertaining at Shavuot or any time. And once you’ve tried this combination, you’ll think twice before serving bagels and lox.

The same Classic Blintz recipe serves as an envelope for Vegetable Blintzes, symbolic of the spring harvest. Vegetables are quickly sauteed and used as a filling for crisply browned blintzes.

A flavor surprise is the Hearts of Lettuce Salad With Warm Cheese Dressing. Crisp, tender hearts of bibb lettuce and romaine, well chilled, are topped with a warm blend of Brie and blue cheeses and tossed with balsamic vinegar and olive oil. Simple, but very sophisticated.

Cheesecake is a favorite dessert for Shavuot and is very easy to prepare. My Two-Tone Strawberry Cheesecake displays a layer of creamy cheesecake based on a crisp almond crust, topped with another cheesecake layer flavored with fresh strawberry puree. A final topping of sour cream and glazed whole strawberries makes it very festive.

In making the appetizers and the cheesecake I like to use a pure, natural kosher cream cheese. It’s made without a trace of vegetable gum or other additives. This cheese is lighter, smoother and blends more easily with sugar, eggs and other ingredients. It may be purchased at supermarkets or health food stores.

Shavuot is also known as the Feast of Roses, so if you are planning to entertain during this holiday you might have a pretty bouquet of roses on the table.

SHAVUOT DAIRY MENU

Chilled Spinach-Cucumber Borscht

Hearts of Lettuce Salad

With Warm Cheese Dressing

Lox-Cream Cheese Pinwheels

Vegetable Blintzes

Two-Tone Strawberry Cheesecake

CHILLED SPINACH-CUCUMBER BORSCHT

1 pound spinach, stems removed

2 tablespoons butter or margarine

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 onion, minced

1 cup thinly sliced green onions

1 large cucumber, peeled and diced

1 medium potato, peeled, boiled and diced

3 cups vegetable stock or water

Juice of 1/2 lemon

1 teaspoon dried tarragon, crushed

Nutmeg

Salt, pepper

Sour cream

Rinse spinach leaves carefully and chop coarsely. Heat butter in heavy skillet and saute garlic, onion and green onions until tender. Add spinach and cucumber and saute until spinach is wilted but still bright green.

Add potato, vegetable stock, lemon juice and tarragon. Season to taste with nutmeg, salt and pepper. Bring to boil and simmer 10 minutes. Cool, then refrigerate at least 4 hours. Ladle into soup bowl and top with dollop of sour cream. Makes 8 servings.

HEARTS OF LETTUCE SALAD WITH WARM CHEESE DRESSING

2 heads bibb lettuce, center leaves only, torn into bite-size pieces

2 heads romaine lettuce, center leaves only, torn into bite-size pieces

3 ounces Brie cheese, diced

3 ounces blue cheese, diced

3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar or white wine vinegar

1/2 cup olive oil

Wash lettuce leaves and dry. Toss in large bowl.

Just before serving, place Brie and blue cheeses on foil-lined baking sheet. Bake at 375 degrees 5 to 10 minutes, until cheeses melt.

Toss lettuce mixture with vinegar and olive oil. Immediately spoon melted cheese over salad and toss again. Place on individual serving plates. Makes about 8 servings.

CLASSIC BLINTZES

1 1/2 cups flour

1 teaspoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 eggs

2 cups milk

Butter

1 tablespoon brandy

Combine flour, sugar and salt in bowl of electric mixer. Beat eggs, milk, 1 tablespoon melted butter and brandy. Gradually pour egg mixture into flour mixture, beating until smooth. Strain to remove lumps, if necessary. Cover and let stand 20 minutes.

Heat 2 teaspoons butter in 8- or 9-inch skillet. Pour in 3 tablespoons batter, rotating pan in circular motion. Pour excess batter back into bowl. Cook blintzes over medium-high heat on 1 side 30 seconds, until brown around edges.

Turn each blintz onto cloth towel and cool. Stack on platter with wax paper between blintzes. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use. Makes about 2 dozen.

LOX-CREAM CHEESE PINWHEELS

12 Classic Blintzes

Cream Cheese Filling

1/2 pound lox, thinly sliced

Sour cream

1 small jar salmon caviar

Minced chives

Prepare Classic Blintzes, but brown on both sides. Then place 1 blintz on work board and spread with Cream Cheese Filling. Place another blintz on Cream Cheese Filling and arrange slices of lox on top. Place another blintz on top of lox. Roll up tightly, jellyroll fashion. Repeat procedure with remaining 9 blintzes.

Transfer to large platter and chill in refrigerator at least 30 minutes. Slice into 1/2-inch to 1-inch portions. Place on serving plate, cut side up. Top with spoonful of sour cream. Garnish with salmon caviar and sprinkle with chives. Makes about 20 to 30 pinwheels.

Cream Cheese Filling

1 (8-ounce) package natural kosher cream cheese, without gum

1 ounce blue cheese or goat cheese, optional

1 tablespoon whipping cream

Salt

Dash hot pepper sauce

1 tablespoon minced parsley

Beat cream cheese, blue cheese and whipping cream in processor or bowl until well blended. Season to taste with salt and hot pepper sauce. Mix in parsley. Cover and chill.

Note: Natural kosher cream cheese without gum is available at supermarkets and health food stores.

VEGETABLE BLINTZES

5 to 6 tablespoons butter or margarine

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup diced onions

1 cup diced carrots

1 cup diced turnips

1 cup diced zucchini

1 cup diced mushrooms

1 cup diced tomatoes

Salt, pepper

20 Classic Blintzes

Sour cream

Basil or cilantro sprigs

Heat 3 tablespoons butter in skillet. Saute garlic and onions until tender. Add carrots, turnips, zucchini and mushrooms and saute until tender. Add tomatoes and season to taste with salt and pepper. Cool.

Fill browned side of each blintz with 1 or 2 tablespoons vegetable filling and roll, tucking ends in.

Melt 2 to 3 tablespoons butter in large skillet and brown filled blintzes on both sides until crisp. Serve with sour cream and garnish with basil.

TWO-TONE STRAWBERRY CHEESECAKE

3 (8-ounce) packages natural kosher cream cheese, without gum

1 cup sugar

4 eggs

1 teaspoon strawberry extract

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

Almond Crust

3 tablespoons strawberry puree

Sour Cream Topping

Strawberries for garnish

Beat cream cheese, sugar and eggs in large bowl of electric mixer and blend thoroughly. Blend in strawberry and almond extracts. Pour 1 3/4 cups cream cheese mixture into baked Almond Crust. Bake at 350 degrees 10 minutes, until firm.

Blend strawberry puree into remaining cream cheese mixture and mix well. Carefully pour over partially baked cheesecake layer. Return to oven and bake additional 30 to 40 minutes or until firm in center and brown around edges.

Remove from oven. Spread Sour Cream Topping over cheesecake, return to oven and bake 5 more minutes. Cool, then loosen from sides of pan, cover with foil and chill. Garnish with strawberries. Makes 12 to 16 servings.

Note: Natural kosher cream cheese without gum is available at supermarkets and health food stores.

Almond Crust

1 1/2 cups finely ground almonds

2 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons butter

1 teaspoon almond extract

Place almonds, sugar, butter and almond extract in food processor or blender and process until mixture begins to come together. Press almond mixture evenly into bottom and about 1 inch up sides of 9-inch springform pan. Bake at 375 degrees 5 to 10 minutes or until crust is golden brown.

Sour Cream Topping

2 cups sour cream

1 tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon strawberry extract

1/4 teaspoon almond extract

Combine sour cream, sugar, strawberry and almond extracts in bowl. Mix well. Cover and chill.