As soon as I see the first fall apples and pears hit the market, my thoughts turn to Rosh Hashanah cooking. As you read this, all my desserts and soups are sitting in the freezer, waiting for the holidays. In the days prior to the Jewish New Year I will be out of town, so I like to make as many do-ahead dishes as I can.
For me the most time-consuming course for this holiday feast is dessert. Skip it or buy it? Never. It is the most popular with my family and they would feel cheated if there was only one. Fortunately, it is also the part of the meal that can be made ahead and frozen with little compromise in flavor or texture. Every family has its favorite honey cake, and ours is particularly freezer-friendly, flavorful and moist.
Of course, a traditional chicken soup with matzah balls is a great do-ahead-and-freeze dish, but for something different this year try a zucchini, spinach and pear soup. It’s perfect for using that excess zucchini and introducing autumn pears to your table.
Here are some facts to remember when storing food in the freezer. Allow food to cool completely, then double-wrap tightly and mark a date on the package. Allow foods to defrost in the refrigerator. When freezing liquids, use airtight containers and leave about an inch at the top before sealing, as liquids have a tendency to expand. And check your freezer’s temperature — it should be 0 degrees.
Hannah’s Honey Cake
Serves 12
1 cup hot brewed coffee
2 Tbs. unsweetened cocoa
1 tsp. baking soda
1 cup honey
1 cup sugar
1⁄2 cup vegetable or canola oil
3 eggs
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. freshly, grated nutmeg
1 large apple, cored and grated
12 whole blanched almonds
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9-by-13-inch baking pan.
In a small bowl combine coffee, cocoa and baking soda. Set aside. In a large bowl, beat honey, sugar and oil until well blended. Beat in eggs, one at a time, until mixture looks homogenized. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg.
Beat flour mixture into honey mixture alternately with coffee mixture until well combined. Stir in apple. Pour batter into prepared pan. Place almonds on top of batter, to mark the center of each of 12 squares. Bake until golden brown, about 45 minutes. Cool and wrap airtight for freezing. Cut into squares when thawed.
Zucchini, Pear and Spinach Soup
Serves 6
3 Tbs. oil
2 leeks, white part only, cleaned and thinly sliced
1 Tbs. fresh chervil or parsley
4 medium zucchini, sliced
2 pears, cored and cut into chunks
4 cups chicken stock or water
1 cup fresh spinach
Salt and pepper to taste
In a medium saucepan, heat oil. Cook leeks until soft. Add herbs, zucchini and pears and cook about 5 minutes over medium heat. Add stock, bring to a boil, partially cover and simmer 20 minutes. Add spinach and cook another 3 minutes.
Purée in blender, salt and pepper to taste. Let cool completely and store in airtight container. Place in freezer until ready to use.