Sukkot Still the ‘Season of Our Joy’

The religious calendar waits for no one; despite the political turmoil, violence and ever-present threat of more terrorist attacks and suicide bombers, Jews here and throughout the world are in the midst of celebrating Sukkot, an eight-day harvest festival (seven in Israel) known alternately as the “The Season of Our Joy,” and the “Festival of the Ingathering.”

Coming just after the Days of Awe-the period from Rosh Hashana (the Jewish New Year) and Yom Kippur (The Day of Atonement)--Sukkot is actually the most important festival of the agricultural and spiritual year. Just as that other eight-day festival, Passover, is the “season of our liberation,” so Sukkot, which began Monday evening and lasts for a week, is the time we joyously celebrate the true end of the Judgment period and the chance for a new beginning.

Like Thanksgiving, Sukkot is also a time to celebrate the bounty of our fields and orchards before the first rains and the winter season set in. In ancient times Sukkot was an “in-gathering” in another sense as well, for like Passover (and Shavuot), it was a pilgrimage festival. Tens of thousands of ancient Israelites would gather on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem for the holiday and its culminating joyous water libations--waters that the prophet Zechariah envisioned flowing out from Jerusalem to redeem the world.

So last week, if you happened to notice a Jewish neighbor nailing boards together and gathering branches for a transient-looking shack in his backyard, he wasn’t in the doghouse (or even building one). He was merely observing the Biblical commandment found in Leviticus: “In booths [ sukkot ] ye shall dwell seven days ... that your generations may know that in booths I made to dwell the children of Israel, when I brought them out from the land of Egypt.” If you’ve also noticed that same neighbor walking around with a fragrant yellow fruit (the citron or etrog ) and a bunch of tall leaves (the lulav ), don’t be surprised, either. These too are part of the Sukkot holiday. On the first day of the holiday the Bible instructs, “You shall take the product of goodly trees, branches of palm trees, boughs of leafy trees, and willows of the brook, and you shall rejoice before your God.”

These “Four Species,” to which many mystical meanings were attached, were another part of the festival ritual thousands of years ago at the temple, and are today part of holiday prayers--particularly those for rain. (In Israel, just as in Southern California, this is the end of the long dry season that evokes hope for vital winter rain.)

Building a sukkah is usually not a last-minute task; often the devoted start working right after the Days of Awe to construct the makeshift huts from wooden poles and a roof of palm fronds. In Israel, building a sukkah is not so hard--many towns and cities have a local fair where you can buy various types of frames to make life easier, along with decorative panels and accessories to embellish your sukkah as your budget will allow.

Many American hardware chains--especially those in Jewish neighborhoods--carry everything you’ll need to build a sukkah as well. In Tel Aviv, even Tel Aviv’s municipal gardeners are enlisted to distribute already-cut palm branches at local drop-off points for sukkah -building on rooftops, balconies and backyards. In sister-city Los Angeles, neighborhood synagogues also make the materials for the sukkah easily available.

Sukkot is also associated with beauty; the Talmud suggests decorating the shelters, through whose roof one must be able to see the stars at night, with “handmade carpets and tapestries, nuts, almonds, peaches, pomegranates, branches of grape, vines ... wreathes of ears of grain.”

Within the sukkah, Jewish people eat their meals, study, sing, relax, and in modern versions of kabbalistic tradition, invite holy symbolic guests--the beloved matriarchs and patriarchs of the Bible, as well as great men and women of the past who are important to us.

From a culinary standpoint, there are no “Sukkot standards,” such as the potato pancakes and jelly doughnuts for Hanukkah or three-cornered hamantaschen cookies for Purim.

Traditionally, Sukkot fare is supposed to reflect the rich bounty of harvest, with an accent on seasonal fruits and vegetables. In Israel, it is just after the grape harvest and the fig season, but there are also fresh dates, pomegranates and the beginnings of fresh-pressed olive oil as in Biblical times--as well as a plethora of exotic modern-day fruits such as cherimoyas, kiwi and litchis The guideline in planning a Sukkot menu is convenience-dishes that can be transported easily from home to hut without much ado, such as hearty soups or casseroles. Among Ashkenazic Jews, it’s another opportunity for chicken soup with kreplach (in keeping with the tradition of stuffed foods, symbolizing God’s “covering us in loving kindness”), while Sephardic Jews use it as another excuse to enjoy couscous. Vegetarians of all persuasions can feast on stuffed vegetables, pumpkin-or spinach-stuffed ravioli, or even a hearty lentil soup, accompanied by salad and an earthy bread.

Zucchini Tea Bread With Cinnamon and Nutmeg

Active Work Time: 25 minutes * Total Preparation Time: 1 1/2 hours

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1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups whole-wheat pastry flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 cup oil

2 eggs

1 cup brown sugar, packed

1 cup granulated sugar

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

3 cups grated zucchini, drained

1 cup chopped walnuts

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Powdered sugar, for dusting, optional

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 12-cup bundt pan and set aside.

Sift together the all-purpose and whole-wheat flours, the baking soda, nutmeg and cinnamon. Set aside.

Beat together the oil, eggs, brown and granulated sugars and vanilla until creamy. Add the flour mixture and mix well. Stir in the grated zucchini and nuts and pour into the pan.

Bake the bread until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 50 to 60 minutes. Let cool in the pan 10 to 15 minutes, then run a knife around the edges of the pan to loosen the bread. Turn it onto a rack. Dust the top with a little powdered sugar passed through a strainer, if desired. Serve warm.

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12 servings. Each serving: 491 calories; 118 mg sodium; 34 mg cholesterol; 26 grams fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 61 grams carbohydrates; 7 grams protein; 3.77 grams fiber.

Chicken Casserole With Dates and Almonds

Active Work Time: 20 minutes * Total Preparation Time: 1 hour 20 minutes

Serve this with rice.

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1 (3-to 3 1/2-pound) chicken, cut into serving pieces

3 tablespoons flour

1/4 cup olive oil

2 onions, coarsely chopped

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon turmeric

1 (14 1/2-ounce) can kosher chicken broth

2 tablespoons lemon or lime juice

Salt

Freshly ground pepper

1 cup pitted and quartered dates

1/3 cup whole blanched almonds

1/2 cup chopped cilantro, for garnish

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Dust the chicken lightly with the flour. Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat and cook the chicken in two batches, turning, until golden brown on each side, about 5 minutes a side.

Return both batches of chicken to the pot and add the onions. Mix together the cumin, coriander, ginger and turmeric and sprinkle over the chicken, distributing evenly. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring to prevent burning. Pour in the broth and lemon juice, and salt and pepper to taste.

Bring to a boil over medium heat, then reduce the heat slightly and stir in the dates and almonds. Cook, covered for 20 minutes. Uncover and simmer until the chicken is very tender, 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Let the chicken sit about 5 minutes, then skim off the excess fat. Add the cilantro, cover, and let stand 5 minutes more before serving.

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4 servings. Each serving: 777 calories; 543 mg sodium; 143 mg cholesterol; 43 grams fat; 9 grams saturated fat; 49 grams carbohydrates; 52 grams protein; 6.44 grams fiber.

Spiced Red Lentil Stew

Active Work Time: 30 minutes * Total Preparation Time: 1 1/2 hours * Vegetarian

A classic dish for Succot, this stew can easily be made into a soup by adding extra water to make the desired consistency and a few small potatoes cut into cubes. Bring this to a boil and cook until the potatoes are tender. Serve the stew as a side dish or with a salad and toasted pita bread as a vegetarian main course.

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1 cup red lentils, picked over

1 carrot, coarsely chopped

1 onion, coarsely chopped

2 cups peeled and cubed butternut squash

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

2 small cloves garlic, crushed

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

1 to 2 teaspoons chopped parsley or cilantro

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Cover the lentils with water in a bowl and stir.Drain, rinse and repeat the process until the water is clear. Drain.

Place the lentils in a pot with 3 cups of water and bring to a boil, skimming off any foam that develops on top. Reduce the heat and add the carrot, onion, squash, salt, cumin, garlic and turmeric. Partially cover and cook over low heat until the stew is thick and the lentils are soft, 45 to 60 minutes. Garnish with the parsley or cilantro and serve.

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4 servings. Each serving: 125 calories; 848 mg sodium; 0 cholesterol; 0 fat; 0 grams saturated fat; 27 grams carbohydrates; 6 grams protein; 5.33 grams fiber.

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Madras platter, on the cover, and casserole from Village Gourmet, Studio City.