Harvest Food to Celebrate Sukkot

Sukkot starts on the evening of October 9, and to celebrate this annual agricultural festival, Jews build sukkahs and enjoy their holiday meals in them.

James Beard Award-winning Israeli chef Alon Shaya has vivid memories of Sukkot from his childhood. “I remember feeling a sense of excitement – not really about the holiday itself – but mostly about the food it brought to me,” he said.  

The restaurateur behind Saba, Safta, and Miss River and author of “Shaya: An Odyssey of Food, My Journey Back to Israel” recalled lots of fruits, vegetables and dishes like tzimmes and stuffed cabbage.

“I always was obsessed with food even as a young child, but that holiday was my first experience with celebrating a harvest.”
– Alon Shaya

“I always was obsessed with food even as a young child, but that holiday was my first experience with celebrating a harvest,” he said. “It was probably my first time connecting food with a specific season of the year, as opposed to the story-driven meals of Passover and Hanukkah.” 

Shaya calls his Apple and Fennel Salad with Candied Pecans “fun to eat” in fall and winter. It’s crisp and fresh with striking flavor combinations. 

“Candied pecans are, hands down, better than pretty much anything else,” he said. “But if you don’t have the time to make them, they can be replaced with simple toasted nuts. The  dressing’s got enough flavor to pull its own weight, helped along by the scallions and pink pepper.”

Apple and Fennel Salad with Candied Pecans

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients:
1 egg white
2 tablespoons sugar
1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt, divided
½ teaspoon Aleppo pepper
1 cup pecan halves
3 tablespoons orange juice
1 tablespoon apple-cider vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 large apples, preferably Pink Lady or
another sweet-tart variety
1 large fennel bulb, with its fronds
4 scallions, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons whole pink peppercorns

Recipe:

1. Heat the oven to 325°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a large glass or metal bowl, beat the egg white until it’s frothy enough to hold soft peaks. Mix in the sugar, ½ teaspoon salt and Aleppo pepper, then fold in the pecans until they’re evenly coated. Spread this mixture over the prepared baking sheet, and bake on the center rack for 20 to 25 minutes, rotating halfway through. You’ll know the nuts are done when they smell great and the coating has completely dried. Keep in mind that if you taste one while it’s still hot it will be a little soft; the nuts become crunchy as they cool, so go by sight and smell rather than texture.
3. Combine the orange juice, vinegar, honey and remaining 1 teaspoon salt. Whisk vigorously while you stream in the olive oil, mixing until it emulsifies into a smooth dressing. Set aside.
4. Core the apples, and thinly slice them into half-moons. Pull the fronds from the fennel, remove its stems and halve the bulb; thinly slice the bulb, and chop or tear the fronds.
5. Toss the fennel and fronds together with the scallions in a large bowl. Add the peppercorns, crushing them between your fingertips as you add them.
6. Pour in all the dressing and delicately toss to combine. Add the nuts just before serving.

One of the first recipes Samantha Ferraro learned to make from her Sephardic mom was stuffed grape leaves, which are perfect for Sukkot.

Ferraro, author of “The Weeknight Mediterranean Kitchen” and founder of The Little Ferraro Kitchen, said the recipe is a process that’s well worth the effort.

“Typically, we fill our [grape leaves] with a combination of ground meat and rice and simply steam the stuffed rolls with lemon and water,” Ferraro said. “Simple as they are, the briny leaves flavor the mixture, and [tasting them] is one of my fondest memories.” 

Over the years, she’s adapted different recipes and tried different fillings. Her Vegetarian Stuffed Grape Leaves are full of bright flavors. 

“The filling is stuffed with a bounty of fresh herbs and chickpeas, lemon zest and rice and rolled into a tight and flavorful package,” she said. “These can be enjoyed hot or warm and even at room temperature, making them a great recipe to make ahead of time and to be enjoyed throughout the holiday.”

Vegetarian Stuffed Grape Leaves

Ingredients
1 jar grape leaves
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 onion chopped finely
1 1/2 cups uncooked basmati rice
1 can garbanzo beans, drained and roughly chopped
2 medium tomatoes, grated
1 tablespoon dried mint
Small bunch of parsley, finely chopped
Small bunch of fresh dill, finely chopped
Few sprigs of fresh mint, finely chopped
1 lemon juiced and zest + 1 lemon, sliced
2 cups vegetable stock or water
Salt and pepper to taste

Recipe:

1. Start by removing the grape leaves from the jar and separating the leaves. Give each leaf a good rinse under cool water and place them in a colander while you make the filling.
2. Place a skillet over medium heat and drizzle with olive oil. Add the chopped onions and sauté for about 2-3 minutes until the onions become translucent. Add the basmati rice and toss with the olive oil, making sure all of the grains are lightly coated with the oil, for another minute.
3. Add the sautéed onions and rice to a bowl, along with the grated tomato, chickpeas, fresh herbs and lemon zest and juice and season with salt and pepper.
4. Line the bottom of a large pot with any broken leaves and lay a grape leaf flat in front of you, shiny side down.
5. Cut off the thick stem and place a small teaspoon amount of the mixture towards the bottom of the leaf. Then roll half way up, tucking the sides in until all rolled up.
6. Place the grape leaf seam side down into your pot and finish rolling the rest.
7. Once all the stuffed grape leaves are rolled, top with leftover torn leaves and lemon slices.
8. Add the water or vegetable stock and cook on low for about 45 minutes, until the rice is cooked through. Add more liquid if needed.
9. Once done, serve grape leaves with extra lemon wedges.