Cooking on the Nine Days. The Meatless/Vegetarian Gourmet

Posted on 23rd of July, 2012 by Lévana

We all observe a sort of frenzy that sets in right before (and right after) a holiday that is marked by some food restrictions. Like hoarding in prevision of a period of austerity. Let’s start with the most egregious example: Pessach. I recently attended a cook-off event for a famous Kosher Food Company, which for their own sake will remain nameless, where the CEO (yes the CEO) declaimed excitedly about how before they came out with their full-blown food mixes line, all of us poor Jews had to eat during the Passover week was matza and hard-boiled eggs. So, does this brazen statement infuriate you as much as it does me? Likewise, we see lines around the block for pizza and sushi the day before, and the day after, Pesach.

The other time of year where it looks to many of us as though we are going into a period of penury is before the Nine days that lead to Tisha Be’Av. We gorge on barbecues as if meat was going out of style and we will never see it again. Instead, we could be enjoying all those wonderful fish and vegetarian dishes we might have been neglecting. To make my point in full, I am offering here two totally pareve menus, one of them 100% vegetarian and all-Moroccan. I promise you won’t miss the meat for a minute: The following dishes have too much Taam going for them, to say nothing about nutritional value, and ease of preparation! So: How will we be getting on without meat? Brilliantly, thanks for asking!

Menu #1

Tilapia with Tehina Sauce

Italian Pasta with Brussels Sprouts Zucchini in Tomato Sauce

Chilled Minted Escarole Pea Soup

Endive Waldorf Salad

Apple Crumb Pie

Menu #2

Swiss Chard Tajine with Chick Peas and Raisins

Summer Vegetable Couscous with Harissa

Semolina Soup

Fennel, Radish and Orange Salad

Chick-Pea Sesame Cookies