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By Ethel Hofman
 MERION STATION, Pennsylvania— Sukkot could aptly be named the Jewish Thanksgiving – a celebration of a bountiful Fall harvest.In ancient times, farmers built a sukkah for shelter while bringing in the Fall fruits and vegetables. The sukkah was so flimsy stars could be seen through the covering of branches. In our modern sukkahs, no matter how sturdy, stars should be seen through the trellis covering.
Today, you can buy building kits for backyard or balcony or like the Hofmans, the 2 by 4’s and trellises are stored to be used each year. These sukkahs are comfortable with tables and chairs for dining, and even cots for those who may want to sleep in the sukkah. Decorations are seasonal fruits like cranberries, apples and gourds. However, for safety from bee and insect stings which can be fatal, decorate with plastic fruits and vegetables which may be collected over the years. Kids can draw pictures on construction paper and with help, they’ll have fun stringing their artwork from the corn stalks on the roof trellis.
Feasting is the keynote during the seven days of Sukkot. With the abundance of Fall fruits and vegetables and a serious lack of time, what better way to cook than to make use of your crockpot. And because these slow cookers use little electricity, it’s the most cost effective cooking method. Besides one-dish main meals, side dishes and desserts may also be cooked in the crockpot. Just toss in the ingredients, cover and forget for a few hours.
This is Cooking 101.
Some Crockpot Cooking Tips
* Make sure the crockpot has a removable ceramic liner so that you don’t need to worry that the power cord will become wet.
* For easy cleanup, spray the inside of the crockpot with non-stick cooking spray.
* Allow the crockpot to cool completely before adding water for clean up. This prevents cracking the ceramic interior.
* Resist the temptation to open the crockpot until shortly before serving. Stirring is not required. Uncovering the pot releases heat and temperature is regained slowly.
* Root vegetables cook more slowly so place them in the crockpot first closer to the heat source.
* If you’re gone all day, cook at LOW. If you get home earlier, turn to High to complete the dish sooner.
* Long cooked dairy products curdle. Keep sauces and gravies from curdling by adding dairy products at the end of cooking time.
Hearty Wild Rice Chicken Soup (meat, serves 4-6)
Wild rice mix and canned chicken broth makes this an economical, time saver main dish.
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut in 1/2-inch pieces
2/3 cup wild rice mix
1 medium onion, chopped
2 medium carrots, thinly sliced
2 cups corn kernels
6 cups low sodium chicken broth
1 cup water
2 green onions, cut in 1/2-inch lengths
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste
2-3 cups broccoli florets
Place all the ingredients except the broccoli in the crockpot. Stir once or twice to mix. Cover and cook on Low for 8-10 hours. About 10 minutes before serving stir in the broccoli. Turn heat to High. Cover and cook 10 minutes or until broccoli is crisp tender. Ladle into bowls and serve.
Morroccan Lamb Tagine
(meat, serves 6-8)
1 1/2 tablespoons cumin
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons turmeric
1 teaspoon each salt and pepper
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2 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 pounds boneless lamb shoulder, cut in 1 1/2 inch pieces
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium onion, sliced thickly
1 tablespoon chopped garlic from a jar
2 tablespoons grated ginger root
1 1/2 cups dried apricots, quartered
3/4 cup pitted prunes, halved
4-6 dried pear halves, cut in chunks
3/4 cup raisins
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 1/2 - 2 cups low sodium vegetable broth
In a large shallow dish, combine the cumin, chili powder, turmeric, salt and pepper and flour. Add the lamb and toss to evenly coat. Pour the oil into the crockpot. Add the lamb and any leftover spice mix. Add all the remaining ingredients, stirring to mix. Cover and cook on High for 4-5 hours until the lamb is fork tender. Stir gently.
Serve with hot fluffy rice or over cooked noodles.
Beef Ragout on Polenta
(meat— serves 4-6)
Ragout comes from the French, meaning “to stimulate the appetite.” The rich meat and vegetable “stew” is served over packaged polenta which just needs to be sliced and heated.
1 large onion, cut in small chunks
1 green bell pepper, seeded and cut in small chunks
1 yellow, red or orange bell pepper, seeded and cut in small chunks
3 medium carrots, sliced about 1/2-inch thick
6 medium mushrooms, quartered
1 1/2 pounds beef chuck, cut in 1 1/2 –inch pieces
1 (14 ounce) jar meatless pasta sauce
1/4 cup dry red wine or beef broth
1 (24 ounce) package polenta, cut into 10-12 slices
1/3 cup snipped parsley (optional)
In the crockpot, layer all the ingredients, except the polenta, in the order listed. Cover. Cook on Low for 8-10 hours.
10-15 minutes before serving, heat the polenta slices as directed on the package.
To serve. Stir the ragout. Spoon over the warm polenta. Sprinkle with parsley (optional) and dinner’s ready.
Autumn Vegetable and Tortellini Stew (dairy—serves 4-6)
1 medium onion, diced
3 zucchini, halved lengthwise and cut into 1-inch slices
4 plum tomatoes, quartered
2 green tomatoes, sliced thickly
4 medium mushrooms, sliced
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, shredded or 1 tablespoon dried basil
1 cup bloody mary juice or tomato juice
3 cups low sodium vegetable broth
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, drained
1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper or to taste
1 (8 ounce) package cheese tortellini
Place all the ingredients except the tortellini, in a crockpot. Stir to mix. Cover and cook at Low for 6-8 hours. About 20 minutes before serving, stir in the tortellini. Increase heat to High. Cover and cook 20 minutes or until tortellini are tender. Spoon into bowls and serve.
Apple-Cranberry Compote (pareve—serves 6)
6 large slightly tart apples such as Granny Smith, cored and sliced
1 1/4 cups fresh cranberries
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons honey
1/4 cup orange juice
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup water
whipped cream (optional)
Place the sliced apples and cranberries in the crockpot. Sprinkle the sugar and drizzle the honey over. Add the orange juice, vanilla extract and water.
Mix gently. Cover. Cook on Low for 4-6 hours. Serve warm topped with a dollop of whipped cream (optional)
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