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Rising up on a kibbutz, I ate most of my meals within the communal eating corridor, however typically my mother, Pnina, cooked for our household. These days, I prefer to make her signature recipe — a zucchini casserole — for Shabbat dinner with my household.
In NYC, life hardly ever slows down, however my husband, Ilan, our daughter, Ella, and I all the time make area for Shabbat and attempt to re-create the sense of group. I really feel fortunate to have associates who make New York a house, and we regularly spend Shabbat collectively — taking our time over the meal and consuming wine whereas the children run round excessive on sugar.
Shabbat meals don’t have to be formal to really feel particular. When the climate is good, I flip dinner right into a picnic and lay a blanket down on the grass subsequent to my house constructing on the decrease East facet or in one of many metropolis’s many parks.
Zucchini Pashtida
6 to eight servings
Much like a crustless quiche, pashtida is made with eggs, usually combined with greens and cottage cheese; within the Nineteen Eighties, it was very of the second in Israel. We’ve come a good distance when it comes to cooking since then, however this dish remains to be a part of my household’s repertoire.
I’ve tailored my mother’s recipe a bit — and typically I prefer to swap a number of the all-purpose flour for chickpea flour, which lends the dish a nutty high quality. Be sure you select slender, agency zucchini for one of the best texture. In case your squash is a little more mature and seedy, salt the slices for about 10 minutes after which wipe off the salt and pat them dry earlier than utilizing. The dish is finest when the zucchini is sliced very skinny, so use a mandoline when you have one.
You’ll want:
Further-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons panko-style or dry breadcrumbs, plus extra for the pan
1 massive onion (about 10 ounces/280 g), finely chopped
1 to 1¼ kilos (450 to 560 g) zucchini (2 to three), sliced into skinny rounds
Kosher salt
3 massive eggs
¾cup (190 g) plain whole-milk Greek yogurt
½ cup (50 g) plus 2 tablespoons finely grated onerous cheese, resembling Parmesan, kasseri, or kashkaval
¼ cup (60 ml) entire milk
¼ cup (30 g) all-purpose flour
Freshly floor black pepper
2 to three tablespoons chopped recent dill or flat-leaf parsley, or a mixture
Place a rack within the higher third of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9-inch (22.5 cm) pie pan with olive oil. Mud the pan with breadcrumbs and faucet out any extra crumbs.
In a big skillet, warmth 3 tablespoons olive oil over medium warmth. Add the onion and cook dinner, stirring sometimes, till very smooth and aromatic, 8 to 10 minutes. Switch the onion to a big plate or tray and put aside.
Improve the warmth to medium-high, and if the pan appears dry, add one other ½ tablespoon olive oil. Add the zucchini, sprinkle with salt, and sauté till the zucchini slices have softened a bit however are usually not fully cooked by, about 5 minutes. Switch the zucchini to the plate with the onions and let cool for about 10 minutes.
In a big bowl, stir collectively the eggs, yogurt, the ½ cup (50 g) grated cheese, and the milk till easy. Stir within the flour and season the combination with 1 teaspoon salt and some twists of black pepper. Fold within the dill, onion, and zucchini, mixing effectively.
Pour the combination into the ready pie pan, smoothing the floor so the zucchini slices lie flat. Sprinkle with the two tablespoons breadcrumbs and the remaining 2 tablespoons cheese.
Bake the pashtida till agency and golden brown, 55 to 65 minutes. When you like, activate the broiler and cook dinner for just a few extra minutes for a crispy golden-brown floor. Take away from the oven.
Let the pashtida cool for a couple of minutes earlier than serving heat, or let cool fully and serve at room temperature.
Naama Shefi is the writer of the Jewish Meals Society’s debut cookbook: The Jewish Vacation Desk: A World of Recipes, Traditions & Tales to Have fun All 12 months Lengthy, which got here out this week. It’s a vibrant assortment of 135 recipes and tales from various Jewish households all over the world.
Get pleasure from! Congratulations in your stunning new cookbook, Naama.
(Photographs by Penny De Los Santos. Excerpted from The Jewish Vacation Desk by Naama Shefi and the Jewish Meals Society (Artisan Books). Copyright © 2024.)
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