When I was a kid growing up in Lowell, Massachusetts (when winters were really cold and the snowdrifts were over my head), we had a summer cottage on a very small lake about 15 minutes from home. In the winter, we’d bundle up, get our skates and drive out to the lake and go ice skating.
After the cold got to be too much, we’d sit on shore, rosy cheeked, and sip hot cocoa from an old fashioned thermos.
Funny how it’s the little things that make the most indelible memories. Continue reading
As the weather warms, we look for food that takes little effort and is light to counteract the heaviness of a summer day.
Soup is always a good starter. There’s gazpacho (Fit for the Fourth, 5/5/17), cucumber soup (Cool as a …, 8/1/19) , cucumber gazpacho (Summertime and the Cooking is Easy, 7/26/18) and cucumber pineapple soup (Cool Food for a Hot Day, 6/17/17), of course. But even easier is this versatile gluten and dairy free zucchini soup discovered by Beryl Hiller on the Allrecipes website. Continue reading
From Captain Shirley Grill
A rainy night was brightened with a nutritious and innovate meal created by Chef Lynne Kurzweil! We had 24 guests on site and an additional three take away meals.
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From Captain Lynne Kurzweil:
Tuesday evening we welcomed 21 grateful guests and wished everyone good health and improved circumstances in 2020. Chef Lynne planned a seasonal menu centered around a generous contribution of organic produce from Judy Wildman and Ken Bannerman including winter squash, potatoes, parsnips and cabbage.
From Captain Lynne Kurzweil:
On a festive Tuesday evening, our Shomrei building was filled with warmth, joy and many happy, grateful people. In addition to our 21 MESH guests (plus 4 takeaway meals), we prepared and served a holiday feast for Shomrei’s 15 IHN guests.
Gabriel scoops tuna salad
From Captain Aileen Grossberg:
On a cold, post snowstorm night, 24 guests including a five year old child, were warmed by the hospitality at the Carol Starr MESH Cafe.
After consulting with co-chair and kiddush planner, Aileen Grossberg, chef Lynne Kurzweil with expert help from sous chef Beryl Hiller, cooked a delicious meal of fresh-yes, FRESH, not canned- tuna salad accompanied by grape leaves, grape tomatoes, cucumber and crackers, baked tilapia with Israeli salad repurposed into a Mediterranean tapenade, rice, roasted broccoli and carrots, roll and butter, and finally a healthy dessert of pineapple and berries served with a chocolate chip cookie.
Our guests applauded the meal, enjoyed seconds, and left barely a scrap on the serving platters. When Captain Aileen went around asking people if they enjoyed their meal, faces beamed. Even our youngest guest loved this decidedly adult meal.
From Captain Sarah Kravits:
On Tuesday night the MESH guests enjoyed a pre-Thanksgiving meal courtesy of chef Aileen Grossberg and chef’s assistant Beryl Hiller. After a whirlwind of preparation in the kitchen — directed by Aileen and captain Sarah Kravits and facilitated by volunteer Cheryl and teen helpers Amalia, Jake, Delia, Lauren, and Leah — guests enjoyed a starter of butternut squash soup with ginger followed by a mixed green salad with homemade balsamic dressing, an entree of turkey meatloaf with cranberry chili sauce glaze accompanied by roasted baby potatoes as well as roasted butternut squash with Brussel sprouts and cranberries, plus rolls with margarine and a side of cranberry sauce. The meal finished on a high note with apple pie and non-dairy ice cream. Guests went home with a snack bag of a clementine and trail mix. Everyone was satisfied! Continue reading
From Captain Linda Ariel:
It seems like ages since I’ve shared recipes with the Shomrei community. Travel, Passover, Kiddush prep got in the way. Finally here are some new ones to try. By plan or coincidence they are all vegan friendly.
But first I must rhapsodize about the delicious paella I sampled in Barcelona. There are probably as many versions of paella as there are cooks. However, traditionally, paella is a mixture of seafood, poultry, perhaps sausage, and seasoned with saffron and other herbs and spices. It’s served over rice which often has green peas mixed in. Not the dish for kosher or seafood avoidant diners.
But I had the most delicious asparagus and mushroom paella at a friendly restaurant on the beach. It was as good as any could have been, well-seasoned, easy on the eyes and the tongue. What follows is an approximation of what I was served on that rainy evening by the sea. Continue reading
