Cooking

A delicious recipe for Succot from Denise Phillips

For more recipes and inspiration visit my website: www.jewishcookery.com

Roasted Pumpkin, Mushroom and Black Truffle Oil Soup

The drizzle of black truffle oil adds a touch of luxury to this tasty winter warming soup. Black truffle oil is best used sparingly for maximum impact and mixed with this combination of pumpkin squash, mushrooms and chestnuts it makes an usual soup that you will want to make time and time again.

Preparation Time: 30 minutes Cooking Time: 45 minutes Serves: 8-10 people

Ingredients 1.5 kg pumpkin – peeled, seeds removed and cut into large chunks 1 200g packet vacuum packed peeled chestnuts – reserve 2 tablespoons for garnish 2 tablespoons olive oil ~ 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 large onions – peeled and chopped 3 cloves garlic – peeled and chopped 150g chestnut or button mushrooms – wiped and sliced ~ 2 litres vegetable or chicken stock 1 tin 400g chestnut puree Salt and freshly ground black pepper

To serve: 1 teaspoon Black truffle oil Roasted chestnuts – roughly chopped Sprigs of fresh parsley

Method - For the Base 1) Preheat the oven to 200 C/ 400 F/ gas mark 6. 2) Place the pumpkin and chestnut pieces onto an oven tray lined with baking parchment paper. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil. 3) Roast for about 20 minutes or until just tender. 4) Heat the second batch of olive oil in a deep saucepan. Sauté the onions, garlic and mushrooms for 3- 4 minutes. 5) Add the stock, roasted pumpkin, roasted chestnuts and chestnut puree. Bring the mixture to the boil and simmer for 5 minutes for the flavours to merge. 6) Transfer the soup to a food processor and blend until smooth. Return to the pan and heat until hot. 7) Taste and season accordingly.

To serve the stylish way: Divide the soup into 10 serving bowls. Garnish with a few drops of black truffle oil, the reserved roasted chopped chestnuts and a sprig of fresh parsley.

Entertaining at Succot

BY DENISE PHILIPS

It is customary to welcome the community and guests to dine in the succah, better known as ushpizim (Aramaic for guests). We reflect on inclusion and symbolically invite one of ‘seven revered men of Israel’ to enjoy a meal in the succah house; Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Aaron, Joseph and King David.

The inspiration for hospitality to guests goes back to our first patriarch, and the first guest honoured, Abraham. He would sit outside waiting for the opportunity to invite dusty wayfarers into the shade of his tent, and then run to prepare a meal of the choicest ingredients.

So let me share some useful tips for entertaining during this time.

Essentially, the best foods to eat in a succah should be easily transportable from the kitchen.

Soup of all flavours is typical as it normally quite cold and this provides a warming start to the meal. Butternut squash with coconut milk, carrot and roasted onion, sweet potato and chickpea, ‘creamy’ celeriac soup with toasted hazelnuts, roasted pumpkin with truffle oil are some of my favourites. A mezze platter of hummus, olives, dips and crudites, sun dried tomatoes, falafel and bourekas is also a great way to commence the feasting.

Make individual portions or recipes that are easy to spoon out for example salmon crumble, stuffed peppers, stuffed courgettes, vegetable bakes, stews, goulash, kugels and hotpots.

Salads with roasted vegetables, tomatoes, grains like quinoa, barley, wheat, cous cous and bulghur wheat are a good way to connect with the seasonal harvest at this time.

And for dessert stuffed apples, tray bakes that can be easily cut up, cakes with vegetables such as carrots, courgette, beetroot and pumpkin are a great way to link the bounty of the farm produce with something sweet. Crumbles with pears, apples, rhubarb and blackberries are delicious combinations.

I like to have a trestle table in my living room which is near the outside door leading into the succah and this gives me space to display and serve the meal.

Make sure you have a few trays for serving, lots of napkins for spillages and hopefully no rain!