Rosh Hashanah 5770

Dinner for A Sweet New Year
 
Crispy Rosemary Chicken Paillard and
Grilled Apples with Truffle Honey
Israeli Couscous with Butternut Squash, Spinach, Walnuts

Israeli Couscous Side Dish
Roast cubes of butternut squash with a little olive oil, salt and pepper. Cook Israeli couscous. Add squash, baby spinach leaves, toasted chopped walnuts to the cooked couscous. The spinach will wilt in the hot couscous. Season with salt and pepper, finish with a drizzle of roasted walnut oil.

We are celebrating the Jewish New Year 5770
which began last night at sundown.

Squeeze lemon juice on sliced apples, then brush with olive oil. Grill over high heat.

Make breadcrumbs out of day old baguette, add fresh rosemary, pulse to combine.

Have you tried air-chilled chicken? During processing, the USDA requires that the carcass temperature be lowered to 40 degrees within 4 hours to retard the growth of bacteria. Usually chickens are placed in an ice bath with chlorine for about an hour. In contrast, air-chilled chickens are sprayed with a chlorinated water and laid out on a track under refrigeration. Some say this method is safer, less contamination with other chickens. The meat definitely has a different texture from not soaking in water for over an hour. And they say the skin comes out more crispy with the air-chilled birds too.

These boneless skinless chicken thighs are from Whole Foods Market. I usually prepare this dish with chicken breasts but tried thighs this time. These air-chilled chicken thighs were the best ever. So flavorful and moist.
I put the thighs, one-by-one, in a ziplock bag and pounded them with a mallet to a uniform thinness. Seasoned each with salt and pepper, dusted with flour, dipped in egg, and coated with the breadcrumb/rosemary mixture.

Sautéed until golden brown over medium-high heat in canola oil.

Truffle Honey
La BOUTIQUE de la truffe
 

The Italian Truffle Honey is made of acacia honey and white truffles 3% (tuber albidum pico). In addition to the fabulous truffle carpaccio I served with heirloom tomatoes, La BOUTIQUE de la truffe also produces this dreamy truffle honey. Drizzle the truffle honey over the chicken and apples.

“the truffle is the very diamond of gastronomy”
Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin (1755-1826)
This truffle honey gives the chicken and apples complex intriguing flavors. Simultaneously sweet and earthy and exotic. It rocks! The open jar of honey was sitting on my counter top, truffle aromas filled the kitchen.

Crispy Rosemary Chicken Thighs Paillard
Grilled Apples with Truffle Honey

Wishing You a Sweet New Year
L’Shana Tova!
To observe Rosh Hashanah, traditional foods sweetened with honey and apples are served. They symbolize sweetness, blessings, abundance and the hope for a sweet year ahead.
L’Shana Tova Tikatevu
 
May Your Name be Inscribed in The Book of Life
For a Good Year

Pumpkin Seed Crusted Goat Cheese, Fall Salad

Pumpkin Seed Crusted Goat Cheese
Roasted Beets
Green Salad with Pepitas and Walnuts
Pumpkin Seed Oil Balsamic Vinaigrette

Roasted/salted pepitas (pumpkin seeds) are ground in a food processor then mixed with panko breadcrumbs.

A peppered goat cheese medallion is dipped in egg then coated with the pumpkin seed breadcrumb mixture.

The medallion is fried in peanut oil until golden, then transferred to a paper towel while the salad is composed. Sprinkle the hot medallion with a little sea salt.

Combine equal amounts of pumpkin seed oil and walnut oil with balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard and salt & pepper for the dressing. Toss with mixed greens, roasted pepitas, walnuts, then serve with roasted beets. 
Another tasty salad using this walnut oil can be found here. This pumpkin seed oil is from the Styrian region of Austria. I seem to be on an Austrian kick lately, first with my new favorite wine,  Grüner Veltliner and now this oil. And if you visit Merisi’s blog, I’m sure you will fall in love with Austria too. 

I am submitting this dish to Lore of Culinarty blog for her Original Recipes ongoing event. I’ve made Chèvre Chaud many times but never used pumpkin seed as a coating. Very happy with the result. 
Have you tried pumpkin seed oil? I just recently found it at the market and would be interested to hear how you are using it. A terrific product for Fall, I’m excited to experiment. La Tourangelle’s website has a recipe using pumpkin seed oil with salmon sashimi. Hmmm

Roasted Walnut Oil – Huile de Noix

Organic Baby Greens, Toasted Walnuts, Kalamata Olives, Feta
Dressed with Roasted Walnut Oil and a Splash of Red Wine Vinegar
La Tourangelle handcrafts this Roasted Walnut Oil in California strictly following the 150-year-old traditional methods of its French sister oil mill. It is slowly roasted, expeller-pressed and lightly filtered.
I have to admit I was in an oil rut. Olive oil will still remain number one in my kitchen, but this flavorful roasted oil is exceptional in salads and I also look forward to using it in pasta dishes as well. I plan to try their Roasted Pistachio and Toasted Pumpkin Seed oils, too.
How do you like my fabulous new platter?
A gift from FA. Thanks FA!
It is Mikasa China, Venice Pattern, Made in Japan.
I especially like the way the food reflects off the black rim.