Yom Kippur : Supper at Sundown

When the Yom Kippur holiday begins this year at sundown Tuesday, observant Jews will begin a 24-hour fast. The following evening finds hungry family and friends gathering for the traditional breaking of the fast.

The transition from fast to feasting should be a gradual one. Tea flavored with lemon and honey or a glass of wine is usually served with challah (egg bread) or honey cake. The meal may be light, consisting of simple dairy foods, or it might be a complete dinner featuring old-time family favorites.

The break-the-fast recipes that follow were inspired by chef Josiene LaBalch of the Remi restaurants in Santa Monica and New York City.

Her delicious dishes meet all the requirements for a post-Yom Kippur dinner, and most can be prepared in advance. The food is hearty enough to sate ravenous post-fast diners, yet it’s easy to digest. And it answers the question of how to serve something different to a group of hungry relatives and friends.

The meal starts with Remi’s Tomato-Goat Cheese Appetizer, a light but flavorful dish that’s prepared in advance and browned under the broiler just minutes before being served.

The versatile crespelle (whole-wheat crepes) can also be served as an appetizer, although they work well as a first course or main course too. An Italian version of blintzes, the crespelle are filled with spinach and ricotta cheese and served on a sauce of sauteed fresh tomatoes.

Serve wine and the traditional braided challah as accompaniments. If your family wants more, add a simple pasta course. Keep the dessert simple--perhaps a fresh-fruit salad. Marinate the fruit ahead in orange juice and sweet wine, then serve the salad with cookies.

REMI’S TOMATO-GOAT CHEESE APPETIZER

1 to 1 1/2 cups Basic Tomato Sauce

3 to 3 1/2 cups Goat Cheese Mixture

Olive oil

Salt

Minced parsley, optional

Focaccia or other Italian bread, optional

Cover bottom of 8 small oven-proof serving dishes with Basic Tomato Sauce and top each with scoop of Goat Cheese Mixture. Place dishes on baking sheet and place under broiler until brown on top. Garnish with drizzle of olive oil, salt and minced parsley. Serve with focaccia or other Italian bread. Spoon mixture on pieces of bread. Makes about 16 servings.

Each serving contains about:

136 calories; 163 mg sodium; 21 mg cholesterol; 12 grams fat; 2 grams carbohydrates; 5 grams protein; 0.18 gram fiber.

Basic Tomato Sauce

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 clove garlic, crushed

1 small white onion, finely diced

1 (16-ounce) can whole stewed plum tomatoes

2 pounds fresh tomatoes, peeled and seeded

5 fresh basil leaves

Salt

Freshly ground pepper

Heat olive oil in skillet and saute garlic until golden. Add onion and saute until transparent but not brown. Add canned and fresh tomatoes and basil and simmer until tender. Coarsely mash tomatoes, reduce heat to low, partially cover skillet and simmer 30 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper and simmer another 15 minutes. If preparing in advance, cover with plastic wrap and store in refrigerator. Makes about 3 cups sauce.

Goat Cheese Mixture

1 pound goat cheese, room temperature

1 pound cream cheese, room temperature

1/2 cup mascarpone cheese, optional

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil plus more for garnish

Beat together goat cheese, cream cheese, mascarpone, garlic and basil in bowl of electric mixer. Drizzle in olive oil and blend until smooth. Makes about 4 1/2 cups.

CRESPELLE WITH RICOTTA AND SPINACH

2 cups Basic Tomato Sauce

1 onion, chopped

3 carrots, peeled and chopped

3 celery stalks, chopped

1 pound fresh ricotta cheese, drained

1/2 pound spinach, steamed, drained and chopped

Freshly grated nutmeg

Salt

Crepes

1 cup Goat Cheese Mixture

Place Basic Tomato Sauce in large pot and add onion, carrots and celery. Simmer over low heat until vegetables are tender. Puree in food processor or blender. Set aside.

Combine ricotta, spinach, nutmeg and salt to taste in bowl. Spread mixture on each Crepe and roll up, turning sides in. Cut in quarters.

Spoon sauce in center of each serving plate and arrange with crespelle standing up on end. Top each crespelle quarter with small dollop Goat Cheese Mixture. Makes about 12 servings.

Each serving contains about:

321 calories; 256 mg sodium; 178 mg cholesterol; 20 grams fat; 23 grams carbohydrates; 14 grams protein; 1.32 grams fiber.

Crepes

5 eggs

2 egg yolks

1 cup milk

1/2 cup whipping cream

1 3/4 cups whole-wheat flour

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

Salt

1 tablespoon butter plus more if needed

Beat eggs and egg yolks in large bowl. Add milk, whipping cream, flour, olive oil and dash salt and blend well. Pass batter through fine strainer.

Melt 1 tablespoon butter over low heat in small skillet or crepe pan. When butter begins to bubble, pour in about 1/4 cup batter and rotate pan quickly to spread batter as thinly as possible, pouring off any excess. (First crepe will be thicker than rest.) Cook on 1 side until lightly browned around edges. Turn and brown other side. Turn crepes out onto paper towels to cool.

Repeat with remaining batter, adding more butter when necessary. Stack cooled crepes on platter with square of wax paper in between each. Set aside. Makes about 24.