Coming off of an incredible 4 week marathon, I'm staring at my website. Yikes; I'm falling behind in posting recipes! Last night, at my final event before turning the kitchen for Passover next week, a reader asks when I'm updating my Passover recipes. Soon....and, thanks for reading my blog. And, thanks to all of you for hanging in there with me.

We've made some amazing things in the past weeks and this recipe is from our Moroccan themed Shabbat dinner at Hillel. The undergrads and JConnect groups are so fun to cook for; one week Moroccan and the next "Big Easy" gumbo and jambalaya. I hear I made a mean challah bread pudding. All of that coming soon. Meanwhile, I want to post this beautiful vegetable dish we served over quick and easy couscous along with salmon made with capers and olive oil.

Recently, before the mad catering schedule began, my friend Harvey and I jump into my car and start driving north on the Interstate. Just wanting a break from the city, we're a good hour out of Seattle before anything remotely looks like 'country'. We figure we'll grab a cup of Starbucks (all roads lead to Starbucks) and head back home. Before too long, we're in Bellingham. A small, progressive college town in Whatcom County nearing the Canadian border, Bellingham is a great place to stop. Parking at a meter that still requires coins, we buy ourselves time and start to wander. Happening upon a bookstore, I'm lost in the cookbooks and pick up a few Jewish/Mediterranean classics still neatly wrapped in their jackets. This recipe comes from Claudia Roden's "Mediterranean Cookery". Printed in Italy in 1987, it is a lovely book of '250 superb recipes'. What a bargain at $12.50.

Reading the recipe now, I see that I didn't do anything it says! No meat and mostly different vegetables, I think I captured the subtle and delicate essence of the broth. No matter, I thank Claudia Roden for her inspiration.

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 2 large onions, thickly sliced from top to bottom (like orange segments)
• 3 garlic cloves, sliced
• 3 quarts vegetable or chicken stock (or, mock chicken stock)
• 1/2 teaspoon saffron (yes, I use the real thing - no tumeric)
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon (or to taste - I like it subtle)
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• a pinch of cayenne if you like it a little hot (optional)
• 1 - 15 oz. canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 pound carrots, peeled and cut into lengthwise pieces
• 1 small cabbage, rough sliced
• 1 canned artichoke bottoms, drained and rinsed, cut in halves
• 1 pound small new potatoes, quartered or halved
• 1 pound zuchini, cut into thick slices
• 1 pound tomatoes, cut into chunks
• 1 cup of golden or dark raisins

Recipe suggests other options: turnips, broad beans, pumpkin, eggplant ~ so, 7 vegetables you prefer fulfill the mitzvah!

• handful of chopped parsley
• handful of chopped cilantro

Steps:

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Comments:

Gloria: Hmm, how is couscous gluten free? Something is amiss here me thinks. Explanation what type of couscous please. Gloria Oren

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Leah: Hi Gloria, I think it was a 'recipe sorting' issue. Use quinoa for gluten-free. Thanks! Leah

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Sara: This was so delicious! My sweetheart loved it too. He said it was "exquisite." It's one of our favorite things I ever made. (I did add a teaspoon of fresh lemon zest--somehow it seemed like it really wanted to be there.) thank you so much for the recipe.

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Leah: Hi Sara - thanks for telling me how much you like this recipe; well worth the effort to make! I like the lemon zest idea to brighten the dish.

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