Zion's Seven Layer Salad with Labne Poppyseed Dressing Recipe

 

Finally, summer is within reach! Barbecues, Shabbat picnics, and backyard dinner parties are just around the corner, and that means it’s the perfect time to hone in on your salad game. That’s the way I see it, anyway–every picnic needs salad, so why not make it a showstopper?

This seven layer salad is far from the cheese, olives, and iceberg lettuce chopped salad from back in the day. Packed with fresh, local produce and Israeli flavors, this one’s bursting with texture in every bite. In short, it’s bound to be the main event.

My approach to salads really changed after cooking my way through Yotam Ottelenghi’s “Jerusalem” and “Plenty“. In these books, herbs are used liberally, freed from the limited context of garnish. In learning how to cook Israeli salads, roasted chicken, pilafs, and tarts, I noticed how fresh herbs, particularly dill, mint, parsley, and cilantro, can go on pretty much anything. It tastes like summer, and brings a hint of sweetness and tinge of sour to every bite.

Below this fragrant, bright green layer of greens and toasted pistachios, you’ll dig into a layer of black lentils, which are shiny little bead-like lentils that hold their shape remarkably well. They’re also known as black beluga lentils for the caviar they resemble. Below that, you’ll find red cabbage, paper-thin slices of carrots, chopped sugarsnap peas, and cubed mango, all inspired by the locally-grownflavors of Israel.

Dig in!

Ingredients

For the salad:

1/2 cup pistachios, toasted and chopped
1/2 cup chopped mint
1/2 cup chopped dill
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1/2 cup chopped parsley
1 cup dried black lentils (aka beluga lentils)
1/2 head of a medium-sized red cabbage, chopped thinly
4 carrots, sliced thinly into rounds or grated
2 cups chopped sugar snap peas
2 mangos, peeled and cubed

For the dressing:

3/4 cups labneh
Juice of 1 lemon
Zest of 1/2 lemon
1/2 Tbsp honey
1 clove garlic
1 tsp kosher salt
fresh black pepper to taste
2 Tbsp poppy seeds

Directions

First, bring 4 cups of water to boil in a pot. Rinse the lentils under water and add to the boiling water. Cook for 10-12 minutes or until tender. Drain and set aside to cool and place in the refrigerator.

Meanwhile, make the dressing. In a food processor or blender, blend together labne with the juice of one lemon, garlic, honey, salt, and pepper. When you've reached the consistency you prefer (if you want it thicker, add more labne and if you want it thinner, try adding more lemon juice or a splash of vinegar), transfer the mixture to a bowl and mix in 2 Tbsp. of poppy seeds. Set aside.

Next, assemble your salad. In a clear, large bowl, add a layer of mango to the bottom. Then add sugar snap peas, slivered carrots, shredded cabbage, cooled black lentils, chopped herbs, and toasted pistachios.

When it's time to eat, let guests serve themselves the salad, making sure to get a little bit of every layer. Invite everyone to top with labne poppyseed dressing, and enjoy!

Shavuot in Zion.... Some Perfect Cheesecakes Recipes

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You know Shavuot is coming when you begin to see cheesecakes everywhere. Countless variations in the bakeries and supermarkets. Endless numbers of recipes in the media. Cheesecake is the iconic Shavuot dessert, as sacrosanct as a Hanukkah latke or Passover matzah ball.

Unfortunately, cheesecake is one of those deceptively simple recipes, the kind that requires some tips and techniques to get right. Also, not everyone agrees on what makes a cheesecake perfect. Some like it dense, others, fluffier. Purists say it should be simple, but lots of people prefer it fancy, with flavors, textures and toppings.

Long ago I created a basic batter that works for almost any type of cheesecake you can imagine. In our family we prefer a dense, rich, creamy version so I use all cream cheese. But sometimes I make a slight change to lighten it up (using one cup of ricotta cheese to replace 8 ounces of the cream cheese in my recipe). We like it slightly tangy too, so I usually include sour cream (or unflavored Greek yogurt). But if I don’t have either of those in my fridge I substitute with an additional 1/2 cup of cream and add a tablespoon of flour to bind the batter together better.

This basic batter is amazingly versatile. You can use it to concoct all sorts of fabulous variations – strawberry-topped or chocolate or pumpkin and even elaborate versions such as “turtle” cheesecake. Here are some of my favorite adaptations:

Chocolate Cheesecake: add 10 ounces melted, cooled semisweet chocolate to the batter.

Half-and-Half Cheesecake: add 5 ounces melted chocolate to half the batter, spoon the chocolate batter into the pan, then carefully spoon the vanilla batter on top.

Pumpkin Cheesecake: replace white sugar with brown sugar; omit the sour cream and replace with 3/4 cup mashed pumpkin (canned is fine); stir in 1-1/2 tsp ground cinnamon, 1 tsp grated nutmeg, one teaspoon ground ginger and one tsp grated orange peel to the batter.

Berry topped cheesecake: place whole berries on top of cooled cake, brush with melted apricot preserves or currant jam.

“Turtle” cheesecake: omit the graham cracker coating for the pan. Instead, make a bottom crust by combining 1 cup crushed graham crackers with 1/4 cup brown sugar, then work in 4 Tbsp butter until crumbly. Press into the pan and bake (no need for the second pan yet) for 10-12 minutes. Spoon in the basic batter and bake as in the basic recipe. Let the cake cool.

For the top: heat 1/4 cup cream until hot, add 3 ounces chopped chocolate and stir until melted. Let cool slightly and spread over cool cake. Scatter 2 Tbsp chopped nuts on top. Optional: pour caramel sauce on top of cut slices of cake.

Basic Cheesecake Recipe

Ingredients

1-1/2 tsp butter or margarine
1/3 cup graham cracker crumbs (approximately)
1-1/2 pounds cream cheese (3-8 ounce packages)
1 cup sugar
1-1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup dairy sour cream or unflavored yogurt
1/3 cup cream (whipping cream or half and half)
4 large eggs

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spread the butter on the bottom and sides of a 9-inch springform pan. Sprinkle the inside of the pan with the graham cracker crumbs. Shake the pan to coat the bottom and sides of the pan completely.

Beat the cream cheese in the bowl of an electric mixer set at medium speed for 1-2 minutes or until the cheese has softened and is smooth. Gradually add the sugar and beat for 2-3 minutes or until the mixture is smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl occasionally with a rubber spatula. Add the vanilla extract, sour cream and whipping cream and beat for one minute or until the batter is smooth.

Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition to incorporate them. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.

Place the springform pan inside a larger pan. Fill the larger pan with enough hot water to come at least 1-inch up the sides of the baking dish.

Bake the cake for 65-75 minutes or until the top of the cake is tanning lightly. Remove the springform pan from the water and let the cake cool in the pan. When the cake has reached room temperature, refrigerate it at least 4 hours or until it is thoroughly chilled. Remove the sides of the pan to serve.