Harvesting Memories

My Grandmother Eva was a great cook. She had to be; that was how she supported her family after she was widowed.

Before emigrating to the United States in the early 1880s, her father had owned an inn in Russia. When they moved to New Jersey, he ran a grocery store. Growing up, each child had a responsibility; hers was cooking.

When she moved to California and lived in Boyle Heights, the family always had chickens in the backyard. After she was widowed, she raised her family by cooking kosher meals and catering dinners for the Jewish community.

One of the favorite dishes was pickled fish. But because she had more chicken than fish, she made a substitution, creating this dish.

It’s perfect for Sukkot celebrations because it can be prepared in advance, served hot or cold and is easily carried from the kitchen to the sukkah, the palm-roofed hut many families build for the harvest holiday celebrations. Sukkot begins at sundown Friday.

When we invite guests to eat with us during Sukkot, we always ask them to bring bunches of grapes, pears, apples, squash and other goodies to decorate the sukkah. We furnish twine and they tie their gifts to the branches of the roof. It gives everyone a feeling of participating in the holiday.

To carry out the fall harvest theme, include roasted autumn vegetables such as sweet potatoes, carrots or squash, and whole grains such as barley, bulgur, brown rice or kasha.

Complete your menu with a refreshing dessert; serve a nondairy lemon sorbet and cookies. The lemon has a special meaning because it represents the ceremonial esrog, a citrus fruit that plays an important part in the Sukkot ritual.

Grandma’s Pickled Chicken

Active Work Time: 20 minutes * Total Preparation Time: 1 hour plus 2 hours chilling

A bouquet garni is a combination of herbs, usually wrapped in cheesecloth. I like to wrap the herbs in leek leaves; they add flavor besides providing a holder for the herbs.

2 outer green leaves from 1 large leek

1 celery top

2 parsley sprigs

2 bay leaves

2 cloves

1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 (3- to 4-pound chicken), cut into 8 pieces

3/4 cup white wine

3/4 cup vinegar

3/4 cup hot water

1 onion, cut into 1/8-inch wedges

2 carrots, peeled and thinly sliced into rounds

1 small leek, including 2 inches of green part, thinly sliced

1 teaspoon salt

Lemon slices, for garnish

* To make bouquet garni, place 1 leek leaf on work surface and flatten by pressing with palm of your hand. Arrange celery top, parsley, bay leaves, cloves and thyme in center. Cover with remaining leaf and tie with string to make a tight bundle. Set aside.

* In large heavy pot, heat oil over medium-high heat and brown chicken, skin-side down, turning once, about 5 minutes.

* Add wine, vinegar, water, onion, carrots, leek, salt and bouquet garni and bring to boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until chicken is tender but not falling apart, about 25 minutes.

* Remove bouquet garni and arrange chicken pieces in deep baking dish, just large enough to hold them snugly in 1 layer. Pour cooking liquid with vegetables over chicken. Cool to room temperature, about 15 minutes. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 2 to 3 hours or overnight. Garnish with lemons when serving.

4 servings. Each serving: 673 calories; 751 mg sodium; 148 mg cholesterol; 50 grams fat; 13 grams carbohydrates; 36 grams protein; 0.98 gram fiber.