It’s been over two weeks since the war began, and like many of you reading, I am still feeling the weight of it all. I think about, and pray for, Israel on a daily basis, and I get physically ill when I think about the hostages still held captive in Gaza. I pray for their return home, for the end of the agony to their mothers and brothers and sisters and fathers. Despite the pain and the fear, I am doing my best to continue living, and I am finding great comfort in doing everything I can to be present, and part of, the Jewish community, despite the great amount of fear that it currently comes with to show up.
I worry when I drop my child off at her Jewish school, but under the fat cap of fear, I feel pride that she goes to a Jewish school. I worry about my Shabbat candles being lit, clearly displayed from my window, but I feel proud to light Shabbat candles. I fear for my safety when attending Jewish events, but I attend and host them, nonetheless.
I also feel immense pain when I see the majority of the world, hundreds of thousands of people, turning our massacre into an opportunity to push their own political agenda. I read the comments on social media, discrediting our right to exist, our right to defend, our right to demand the hostages be returned, and even our right to mourn or grieve. I feel physically ill when I recognize that yet another generation of Jews will have to live with this trauma. I will have to live with this trauma. My children will have to live with this trauma.
I’m also getting messages from many friends about changing my name in the Uber app. I’m seeing posts about removing mezuzot from our doors. I’m reminding a friend to tuck in her Magen David necklace on the “Global Day of Jihad.” Yes, that was a real thing that happened. I’m considering drawing the shades when the candlesticks are lit. Tell me, what kind of world are we living in? Is this Germany in 1939 or America in 2023? How can this be real?
I know you are tired of reading about this topic. I am tired of writing about this too. But what choice do I have? If we forget, if we move on, if we get desensitized, who will speak up for us? I wish I knew. It’s up to us, people. It’s only in our hands.
This week, for the first time this month, I’ll host Shabbat dinner at my house. I can’t wait to be warmed by the candlelight and distracted by the smell of fresh challah coming out of the oven. I can’t wait to feel a little bit tipsy from a rich red wine from the kiddish cup and close my eyes to the sound of my daughter singing Shalom Aleichem. I hope that our rituals can bring us comfort, community, and pride, even and especially during our darkest hours.
And now, for a recipe that will surely bring you comfort and warmth this week, a silky confit made of leeks, garlic, jalapeño, and a medley of dried fruits.
This recipe is one of those stupendously easy, very impressive dishes that always goes first. It came to me by way of our Rebbetzin Mushky Hecht, from Chabad of Windsor Terrace, who found the recipe via Busy In Brooklyn. I tweaked the recipe just a little, doubling the leeks and adding in raisins, apricots, and prunes. I love that the golden raisins are perfectly plump and a nice small shape, whereas the apricots and prunes get mushy and infuse the oil with their flavor.
For the dried fruits, I personally love stocking up once a month at nuts.com. I find the quality to be INSANE and the prices are very reasonable. If you’re gonna do a big shop, don’t sleep on the dried nectarines, the currants (for scones), or the cubed dried fruit, which is perfect for cooking and mixing into sauces without having to chop dried fruit. This is not sponsored in any way, I just really love their website. Oh, and they deliver at lightning speed and have great customer service.
A few things to note ahead of making this recipe:
If you’ve never used leeks before, don’t be afraid. They are a cross between onion-garlic-scallion and have a nice mild flavor. One thing to note is that they do get very dirty, so it’s imperative to clean them well. To do this, slice and soak in cold water while you prep the rest of your ingredients.
This recipe calls for one entire jalapeño pepper. The pepper does not typically add much heat, only a little warmth. You don’t need to remove the seeds or the ribs, just slice the pepper whole and throw out the top part of the stem. If you like things spicy, you could finely mince some fresh jalapeño and stir it in just before serving. Start with 2 tbsp and taste, adjust as necessary. You could also use two peppers instead of one.
Although you could serve this straight out of the oven with nothing else, I like a sprinkle of salt and a squeeze of lemon juice on top. The brightness of the citrus cuts through some of the richness of the confit.
You are going to need a little over a cup of oil and that might scare you. Don’t let it scare you! Most of the oil will still be there once the confit is done cooking and can be saved/repurposed for other uses. Plus, we’re using extra-virgin olive oil, which everyone knows is good for you.
I like to serve this as an appetizer alongside challah on Shabbat. However, if you make a big batch (I promise there won’t be much left…) you can also use it to amp up different dishes. It’s pareve, so you can use it for a dairy meal or a meat meal, and I think it would go really well with goat cheese. Imagine it slathered on sourdough as a base for grilled cheese? Yes, please. Imagine it served over fluffy rice with braised lamb? Yum. The options are really endless.
Leek, Garlic & Dried Fruit Confit
very slightly adapted from, and inspired by, Busy in Brooklyn
2 leeks, white and light green parts only, sliced
10 large cloves of garlic, peeled and kept whole
1 jalapeño, seeds and ribs intact, sliced
1 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup each: dried apricots + dried prunes
1/2 cup of dates, pits removed and roughly chopped
1 1/4 cups extra-virgin olive oil (plus more, if needed)
salt + pepper
optional: lemon wedge, for serving
Directions:
Preheat your oven to 325ºF.
To clean your leeks, slice the white and light green parts into thick rounds. Put them in a large bowl and cover with cold water. Zhuzz them around and let them sit in the water while you prepare the rest of your ingredients. Discard the dark green tops.
Slice your jalapeño with stem and seeds intact.
In a medium-size baking dish, add your garlic, jalapeño, dried fruits, and a very generous pinch of salt and pepper. I do not slice my dried fruit, but if you are using anything very large (like a whole date or a peach half, give it a rough chop).
Remove leeks from the water and dry them well. Add them to the baking dish and cover completely in extra-virgin olive oil.
Place in the oven and bake for about 75 minutes, or until the leeks are golden and everything is soft and jammy.
Pull from the oven and allow to cool completely. Once cool, use a small slotted spoon to separate the cooked ingredients from the oil. The cooked ingredients are what you will serve immediately or store in the fridge for up to 1-week!
Pour the extra-virgin olive oil into a clean jar and store it in the fridge. You can use this oil for anything: roasting vegetables, another batch of confit, mashed potatoes, etc.
Shabbat Shalom!