By Nanette Wiser
Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, is a time to reflect on the past year – and look forward to the coming one. The holiday’s celebratory meal can include favorites like yeasty challah, honey cake, gefilte fish, matzo ball soup, classic beef brisket in a slow cooker, pot roast with thyme-glazed carrots and apples dipped in honey. One of the most popular Rosh Hashanah customs involves eating apple slices dipped in honey, sometimes after saying a special prayer. Ancient Jews believed apples had healing properties, and the honey signifies the hope that the new year will be sweet. The second night of Rosh Hashanah is time to enjoy new seasonal fruit symbolizing gratefulness for being alive such as a pomegranate (one of Israel’s seven species).
CHICKEN & TZIMMES
1 onion, 4 tbsp. oil, 2 cloves garlic crushed, salt, 2 lb. carrots, 1 medium sweet potato grated, ¼ cup raisins, ¼ cup dried cranberries, 1 orange, 1 lemon, 4 chicken thighs, 4 chicken drumsticks
Directions: Preheat the oven to 400°F. Slice the onion in half rounds. Peel the carrots and slice thinly. Pour the oil into a large frying pan (use a pot if you don’t have a large enough frying pan) and sauté the onions over medium heat until translucent. Salt to taste. Add the crushed garlic and fry for a minute. Add the grated sweet potato, carrots, raisins, and dried cranberries. Stir. Add another tablespoon or two of oil if necessary. Reduce heat slightly. Zest the orange and the lemon directly into the carrot mixture. Then cut and juice the orange and pour in the juice. Simmer for a couple of minutes until carrots are just steamed through but still firm, then remove from heat. Taste and add salt as needed.