Neil was in his teens when he met his mentor, Dr. José Nessim. Dr Nessim was a renowned obstetrician/gynecologist, who delivered generations of babies and treated women from many backgrounds, including the wives of the Saudi royal family. He was also the visionary founder of the Sephardic Educational Center, with its mission to preserve the wealth of Sephardic knowledge and culture and to empower the next generation. For his whole adult life, Neil has been dedicated to preserving his legacy and ensuring the continuation of the many projects of the SEC.

One of the most practical lessons that I learned from our beloved Doc was his mantra on the importance of eating a salad with ten different colors every day. As encouragement, he would say “You will live a long life!”

Most days, I take salads to work. I chop lettuce and add Persian cucumbers and cherry tomatoes. I buy bags of shredded carrots and purple cabbage. I add chicken or fish leftover from dinner. Or I add canned tuna or salmon. Or I’ll open a can of garbanzo or white beans and add some to my salad. If I’m lucky, my daughter will have made quinoa and I add a little for extra protein. Kalamata olives and roasted nuts always add interest and flavor.

My favorite add in for salads are roasted vegetables, especially roasted cauliflower and roasted butternut squash. The caramelized sweetness of the roasted veggies plays perfectly against the fresh, crispy greens.

Last week, Sharon hosted a family celebration with a beautiful grazing table artfully crafted by her talented cousin Daniella (@eventsbyella2). There was a creamy tomato soup, cheesy quiche, a huge pavlova covered in bright berries and Alexandra’s fresh cream and pastel pink frosted chocolate cake.

Among the cheeses and crackers and exotic fruits, a warm winter quinoa salad called my name. I went back for seconds twice and I told our friends that they had to try it.

The salad was such an unexpected mix of nutty quinoa, creamy, roasted sweet butternut squash, crunchy, salty mixed nuts and sweet cranberries, with a tangy ginger dressing.

My kinda salad!

Sharon is a master salad maker. At her Shabbat table, she serves lots of beautiful salads as the first course—her southwestern bean and corn salad, her Asian noodle salad garnished with roasted broccoli, her purple cabbage and fennel salad studded with ruby red pomegranate. No wonder Neil always stops eating after the first course. 

—Rachel

Before I was a Sephardic Spice Girl, guests would randomly anoint me “Salad Queen”. It’s a title I wear with pride because salads are my favorite thing to make. For me, it’s like creating an edible masterpiece, a work of art.

Great salads have the perfect balance of textures and flavors —crispy greens, creamy avocado, crunchy nuts, soft tomatoes. They have a harmony of color—black beans and yellow corn contrast with orange pepper & green cucumber; purple cabbage with shaved green Brussels sprouts and dark red cranberries; red, green, orange and yellow heirloom cherry tomatoes glisten nestled in bright green, Italian parsley, flecked with soft lilac purple onion.

Dressings should always have a touch of fat (extra virgin olive oil, mayo), a splash of acid (fresh lemon juice, red wine vinegar), a dash of heat (garlic powder, mustard, chili) and of course, salt and pepper.

Let your imagination run wild.

Last week, my guests were practically at my doorstep and my cousin Daniella was getting nervous that my salads weren’t ready (in my defense, salads are always better freshly prepared).

My daughter Alexandra was agonizing over the texture of the frosting for her cake. Then Daniella urged my daughter, Gabriella to be more aggressive in stirring the iced tea in the beautiful glass urn. Sure enough, the strong stirring with a metal spoon resulted in a crack in the glass and a flood of sticky tea all over my kitchen floor. And I still had to do my hair and make-up!

Needless to say, this warm winter quinoa salad was thrown together really quickly.

For this week’s recipe, I sautéed a small bunch of sage to add a citrusy, minty depth and I subbed the cranberries with fleshy Medjool dates for extra caramel sweetness.

The winter flavors and the indulgent ingredients of the salad are enhanced with a sweet, salty, spicy sesame oil and ginger dressing.

We’re pretty sure that when you make this delicious salad you won’t have any leftovers. But if you do, they’re just perfect to take to work the next day. 

—Sharon 

Warm Quinoa Salad

Sesame Ginger Dressing:

1/3 cup sesame oil 

1/4 cup maple syrup

1/4 cup soy sauce

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp ginger powder 

Salt and pepper, to taste 

Whisk ingredients together.

For the Salad: 

3 cups cooked quinoa

2 cups butternut squash, peeled and diced into 1″ cubes

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 Tbsp maple syrup

1 Tbsp extra 

virgin olive oil

12 sage leaves 

1 cup roasted, salted almonds

1/2 cup roasted, salted pistachios

1/2 cup roasted sunflower seeds

1/3 cup dates, pitted & chopped 

1/2 cup scallions, thinly chopped 

Preheat oven to 425°F.

Cook quinoa according to package directions. 

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Arrange squash in a single layer and drizzle with olive oil and maple syrup.

Roast squash for 10 to 15 minutes, until fork tender and edges are golden brown. 

Warm olive oil in a small frying pan over medium high heat, then add Sage leaves and sauté until slightly crispy. Set aside. 

In a large bowl, add quinoa, roasted, butternut squash, sage, almonds, pistachio, pumpkin seeds and green onion. 

Serve warm or cold.

Sharon Gomperts and Rachel Emquies Sheff have been friends since high school. The Sephardic Spice Girls project has grown from their collaboration on events for the Sephardic Educational Center in Jerusalem. Follow them
on Instagram @sephardicspicegirls and on Facebook at Sephardic Spice SEC Food. Website sephardicspicegirls.com/full-recipes.