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Summer Barley Salad

One summer I created this recipe combining herbs in my garden with store produce.

Ingredients

2 cups of water or low salt vegetable broth

1⁄2 cup pearled barley

1⁄2 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

2 medium cucumbers

1 medium crookneck squash

1 medium zucchini

2 scallions

Dressing:

1⁄2 cup mayonnaise

1 clove of garlic, finely minced

1–2 Tablespoons tarragon vinegar or balsamic vinegar

1⁄4 cup finely chopped fresh tarragon, Mexican mint marigold, or basil

Finely grated zest of 1⁄4 lemon

Pinch of kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Watercress or arugula for garnish

Spring Barley Risotto with Asparagus and Lemon

On Tu BiSh'vat it is customary to eat foods from these seven species: wheat, barley, grapes, figs, pomegranates, olives, and dates.

This recipe is more nutritious than typical risotto and has that same risotto consistency, plus the natural starch in the barley grain adds creaminess to the dish. The use of saffron mimics the classic Risotto Milanese, which some connect to the Venetian Jewish community.

Ingredients

2 3⁄4 cups vegetable broth or water and 1 vegetable bouillon cube

1⁄8 teaspoon saffron threads, slightly crumbled

10 medium asparagus stalks, tough ends removed

2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, diced into 1⁄4 inch dice

2 cloves of garlic, finely minced

1 cup pearled barley

1⁄2 cup white wine, Sauvignon Blanc or Viognier

1⁄2 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste

15 grindings of black pepper, or to taste

Finely grated zest from 1⁄2 lemon (about 1 teaspoon)

1⁄2–3⁄4 cup grated fresh Parrano or Parmesan cheese

1⁄4 cup toasted, slivered almonds (1 Tablespoon removed for garnish)

Mustacchioni - Miniature Chocolate Almond Tortes

Miniature Chocolate Almond Tortes for the Jewish Holiday of Tu Bishvat

Almond cultivation was among the primary occupations of Mediterranean Jews, and it was the Spanish Jews who first replaced flour with ground almonds in baking their tortas.

Ingredients

7 ounces dark, bittersweet chocolate

1 cup of lightly roasted slivered almonds

3 eggs

1/2 cup sugar

2 Tablespoons orange liquor (Hallelujah from Israel or Grand Marnier)

Tu BiShvat

1654 Barley Salad

This recipe was created in 2005 in celebration of the 350th anniversary of Jews in America – inspired by gardening techniques practiced in Plymouth, MA.

Ingredients

4 cloves of garlic, finely minced

1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro

24 red grape tomatoes cut in half horizontally

1/2 cucumber, peeled, seeded, and diced

1 teaspoon minced (or 1/4 teaspoon dried) fresh rosemary

1 teaspoon ground cumin

Pinch of cloves

1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely diced

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/2 teaspoon coarse kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

2 cups frozen yellow corn, defrosted

1 cup frozen cut green beans, defrosted

3 scallions, finely sliced

1/4 cup roasted red pepper, jarred or fresh, diced

1 15-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed

3/4 cup barley

4 cups water

Additional salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Wine Jelly & Frosted Grapes

What better way is there to relax on a hot summer’s night than with a cheese board, wine jelly (a wonderfully sweet counterfoil to strong and earthy blue-veined or chevre cheeses), and a good bottle of wine (preferably from the wine country in northern Israel)?

Ingredients

2 cups of red wine (preferably Shiraz or Zinfandel)

4 whole allspice berries

1 3-inch stick of cinnamon

3 cups of sugar

1 3-ounce pouch of liquid fruit pectin

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