A New Year, a New Menu

A few years ago my husband and I bought our first home. Along with the mortgage we acquired the responsibility to negotiate hosting duties for holidays. For the most part, we're content to celebrate at the homes of our family members who've been hosting for years. Only in the case of Thanksgiving did our home even become an option, and we're now in the rotation to host Thanksgiving perhaps every four years.

Last week we hosted our first Jewish holiday. As parents of young children we felt, as I imagine many do, that it was time to establish some roots of our own. Who knows how to put down community roots? For us, part of that meant finally committing to a synagogue by joining one. Once the hard work of choosing the right place was done, we felt it was important to see what that place was all about, and not just on Tot Shabbat. So with High Holy-Day tickets on their way (yeah, tickets. Weird.), we began to plan the menu for the first meal of the holiday season.

After perusing a number of cookbooks--that number being three, we settled on a menu that seemed traditional enough that people would eat the food, but new enough that it wouldn't be boring to either make or eat. Never one to shy away from a kitchen adventure (just ask my 3-year-old how many times we've cleaned up flour), we ultimately decided on three new recipes:
Rice Pilaf with Mushrooms*
Snap Pea, Asparagus and Turnip Ragout
and
Honey Mustard Glazed Cornish Hens*
*from Kosher By Design

I actually really enjoy cutting vegetables, and this counter-full of prep bowls made me smile.

Snap Pea, Asparagus and Turnip Ragout
from Alice Waters' Chez Panisse Vegetables book
Ingredients
2 cups snap peas
3 spring onions (I used large scallions)
20 asparagus spears
10 baby turnips
2 carrots
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp unsalted butter
salt and pepper
1 1/2 tsp chopped garlic
1 c vegetable stock or water
1/2 lemon
I know it looks simple, and it is easy to make. But it's so much yummier than you might think.
Directions
1. Trim and peel vegetables. Slice so all are about the same size, about 1/4 inch thick. Asparagus, snap peas and carrots can all be sliced on the diagonal.
2. Parboil carrots for a minute in salted water.
3. Heat a large saute pan and add olive oil and 1/2 of the butter. When oil is shimmery-hot start adding the vegetables: turnips first, then snap peas, onions, asparagus, carrots. Toss regularly. Cook each briefly before adding the next. Add salt and pepper. Taste for doneness and seasoning. Vegetables should be just tender. Add garlic. Continue tossing, and when you begin to smell the garlic, remove vegetables from pan.
4. Deglaze the pan with stock or water and add remaining butter and a squeeze of lemon juice. Let sauce reduce by 1/3 and pour it over the veggies.

Dig in folks, for a sweet new year.