Portland, Oregon: Lenny and I met-up again Monday morning at PDX, after I flew-in from Burbank. We switched car keys and parking claim tickets. Our switcheroo worked out perfectly well. It could have been a disaster, but with a shuttle plane traveling ten times a day between Burbank and Portland, it is fairly safe to plan this trip. Plus, on both ends, Lenny was stuck with the longer parking fees, so it was a WIN-WIN for Bubbe.
Back to reality.
If you have been reading this blog for any amount of time at all, you know I love to cook, I have a vast collection of cookbooks, and I read a vast number of food magazines, food bloggers and cooking websites. Much of this reading gives me fresh ideas of what to prepare in my home or RV kitchen. DT and I love to try new flavors, cuisines from around the world and especially love if a recipe is easy to prepare in a miniature (RV) kitchen. Extra points if the ingredients can be obtained locally and are organic.
Since it is Rosh Hashanah, I have been cooking traditional meals, but am always looking for something new. This year, I found Roasted Chicken with Figs and Rosemary in the New York Times Rosh Hashanah cooking section. This chicken dish did not sound unlike anything I would normally make (chicken marinated in herbs and lemon), except for the addition of spicy slivered jalapenos and seasonal sweet figs. Intriguing.
Chicken, figs and jalapenos, ready to roastThis morning I came across a recipe for a salad combining roasted Delicata squash, kale and a whole-buncha-other-stuff from Love & Lemons. I had squash. I had kale. I reconfigured (and seriously pared-down) the recipe to suit the roasted chicken main course and turned the main-dish salad recipe into an easy side dish. (Especially since I hate to waste food and had these needed-to-be-used items in the fridge.)
Sometimes the planets just align.
Chicken & Figs - ready to roast - with Delicata squash and red onion in backgroundI used a very small Delicata squash - cored, quartered and sliced - and roasted the squash with slivered red onion, olive oil, salt and pepper. Instead of maple syrup, I made a dressing with white miso, pomegranate molasses (pomegranate is a very popular fruit for Rosh Hashanah), apple cider vinegar and olive oil. The hot roasted veggies were tossed with raw kale (massaged with olive oil and Kosher salt) to produce a great "hot salad" and most-excellent side dish.
A bit of grated Parmesan cheese was also included and I topped the dish with toasted pumpkin seeds. This salad is along the same philosophy as my Hot Potato Salad with Arugula - hot roasted veggies melted into greens. Both salads are also perfectly suited as a vegetarian main course. Omit the Parmesan cheese and the dish is vegan.My Driver, fresh off the golf course and most-likely starving, dove into the hot kale salad. Dave loved this side dish.
Chicken roasted with Figs and RosemaryIn the evening, we watched the Kol Nidre service (LIVE STREAMING!) from Lisa and Lenny's temple in Los Angeles. Lovely service and lovely to see again the Rabbi who signed their Kebtuba and the Rabbi who presided over Lucy's naming ceremony.
Lucy, at her naming ceremony in December 2014Super Amazing Birthday Celebration begins Thursday!
Until my next update, I remain, your Happy New Year correspondent.