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On the 15th of Shevat on the Jewish calendar, we celebrate Tu B\u2019Shevat, the New Year of the Trees. This year Tu B\u2019Shevat falls on Shabbat, February 3rd. It is customary to eat fruits and nuts, particularly those associated with Israel. One should try to eat at least one fruit which they have not eaten that entire season.<\/p>\n
I have several friends who make a Tu B\u2019Shevat seder, although I\u2019ve never attended one. As a result of researching this article, I\u2019ve been invited to participate in one, much to my delight! So next year, I will have my own flavorful memories to share with you!<\/p>\n
A Tu B\u2019Shevat seder is somewhat similar to a Passover seder and involves enjoying the following foods:<\/p>\n
Since Tu B\u2019Shevat falls on Shabbat this year, it would be appropriate to incorporate the seder into one of the Shabbat meals, using challah as the bread. The suggested order of eating the fruits is: olives, dates, grapes, figs, pomegranates.<\/p>\n
It is traditional to drink four cups of wine:<\/p>\n
I wrote an email to my “pan-pal” Ruth Baks, who lives in Israel, asking her to share one of her favorite recipes. Although we\u2019ve never met in person, you\u2019d think we\u2019ve known each other for years, thanks to the internet! Originally from San Diego, Ruth came to Israel when she was a student and never left. She is an amazing cook, knowledgeable and extremely articulate.<\/p>\n
Ruth Baks is currently working hard writing a Shabbat cookbook and I have no doubts that it will be absolutely amazing. She was generous enough to share this recipe for Carob Fudge Balls that will be in her upcoming book, along with the following comments. She used to include this recipe when she was teaching courses in Natural Foods. Here\u2019s a tiny taste of what\u2019s to come!<\/p>\n
Ruth Baks writes: \u201cCarob, native to the Mediterranean area, has long earned a reputation as a survival food. It is said of the Tanna Hanina Ben Dosa \u201ca kav of carobs sufficed him from one Erev Shabbos to another\u201d (Gemora Ta\u2019anit 24b). Further, the famous aggadah (Gemora Shabbat 33b) relates that carobs sustained Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai and his son for twelve years while they were hiding in a cave from the Roman authorities. It was during this period that they compiled the Zohar (the Jewish mystical tradition) \u2013 high on carob!<\/p>\n
Abundantly rich in minerals, carob contains only one-third the calories of chocolate, is virtually fat free and is loaded with fiber. With a fruity, chocolaty taste, carob is not only good for you, it\u2019s really good!<\/p>\n
These delicious fudge balls take only minutes to prepare and require no cooking. They may be made in advance and frozen, but they\u2019ll probably disappear before they ever reach the freezer! One of my students related that she prepared the carob fudge and left it in a bowl in the refrigerator, planning to roll the balls later, but this never happened. Throughout the day, both she and her husband kept pinching off pieces to nibble on, until somehow, mysteriously, it all disappeared!<\/p>\n
Carob is not one of the \u201csheva minim\u201d (seven species). However, dried carob fruit is traditionally eaten on Tu B\u2019Shvat, and these yummy balls are guaranteed to delight! It\u2019s much better than breaking one\u2019s teeth gnawing on the raw material!\u201d<\/p>\n
Makes about 30 balls.<\/p>\n
Mix together:<\/p>\n
Add and mix well:<\/p>\n
(Variation: May substitute tahina sesame paste for the peanut butter, in which case add 100 grams\/3.5 ounces hulled sunflower seeds or chopped nuts for a chunky texture)<\/p>\n
Place in a small, deep bowl:<\/p>\n
(Variation: Instead of almonds, experiment with different coatings, such as shredded coconut, different chopped nuts, ground granola, ground dried banana chips, wheat germ, sesame seeds, etc. The balls are also delicious served plain, without a coating.)<\/p>\n
Roll and shake each ball until well coated, then chill. Serve in crimped paper liners.<\/p>\n
My \u201cpan-pal\u201d Judy Rin writes: \u201cHere are some ideas for recipes that I have seen at Tu B\u2019Shevat seders: fruit salad, fruit compote, nut bread, date nut bread, apple cake, pasta with olive oil, chicken with fruit, fruit strudel, stuffed dates, fig cookies, applesauce, etc.<\/p>\n
I have been to several, and after the first Tu B\u2019Shevat seder we went to, I did a few with my kids at home. We did short readings from a book between eats and drinks so the kids would stay interested. It has been primarily a Hebrew school holiday, with the children getting little boxes of raisins and a stick of carob, along with the blank form to plant a Jewish National Fund tree in Israel. When I was little, we put dimes into slots in a folder that stayed at school. When it was full, we \u201cplanted\u201d a tree. Now the trees are not $2 but $12 and I am actually the contact person for our local Hadassah chapter for almost 15 years.\u201d<\/p>\n
When I called Rose Heilbronn of Toronto to ask her to share her thoughts about Tu B\u2019Shevat, she told me that she was invited to a seder that will be held at the home of her friends, David and Naomi Tal, and then invited me to join them! (Oy, such are the benefits of being a food writer!)<\/p>\n
The Tals lived in Israel for 7 years, from 1992 to 1999. Their two children live in Israel, a married son, and their daughter, who is studying there for the year. They will be having 20 adults at their seder, as well as 10 younger children. Naomi plans to have the children do artwork, making pictures of trees.<\/p>\n
Naomi loves the idea of celebrating springtime in Israel, especially when the weather is wintery in Toronto. The seder will start with a Dvar Torah. Everyone has been instructed to bring one of the seven species (sheva minim). They will have finger foods of each of the species and talk about them. Naomi is planning on having a platter with the sheva minim. She will serve a fish dinner, including mango tuna, as well as squash and black bean soup. For dessert, she will make Jeff Nathan\u2019s recipe for Chocolate Mousse Flowerpots, sprinkled with chocolate and a tiny dried rose in each one.<\/p>\n
Naomi told me: \u201cIt\u2019s so wonderful to have a spring celebration in the middle of winter. It\u2019s a great excuse to get together, and also to eat!\u201d<\/p>\n
Here is the recipe for the muffins that Rose and Michael Heilbronn will be bringing to the Tu B\u2019Shevat seder, made with dates, one of the foods linked with Israel. Enjoy!<\/p>\n
12 muffins<\/p>\n
These freeze very well. The recipe multiplies easily.<\/em><\/p>\n 6 servings<\/p>\n This is the signature dessert at Abigail\u2019s, where it\u2019s served in small terra-cotta pots and topped with \u201cdirt\u201d made from cookie crumbs. Dig into the dessert, and you will find chocolate mousse. Sure, they\u2019re cute, but don\u2019t let that fool you. The chocolate mousse is deeply, darkly, and intensely chocolatey.<\/p>\n Pareve Variation<\/span>: Substitute 2\u00bd cups nondairy whipped topping for the heavy cream and vanilla. Use Paskesz or other chocolate, dairy-free cookies.<\/em><\/p>\n Source: Adventures in Jewish Cooking by Jeffrey Nathan (Published by Potter)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" On the 15th of Shevat on the Jewish calendar, we celebrate Tu B\u2019Shevat, the New Year of the Trees. This year Tu B\u2019Shevat falls on Shabbat, February 3rd. It is customary to eat fruits and nuts, particularly those associated with Israel. One should try to eat at least one fruit which they have not eaten<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":114,"featured_media":51110,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_cloudinary_featured_overwrite":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[7,8,138],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-10488","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-food","category-recipes","category-tu-bshevat"],"yoast_head":"\n
\nChocolate Mousse Flowerpots<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n
Ingredients<\/span>:<\/h4>\n
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Special Equipment<\/span>:<\/h4>\n
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Instructions<\/span>:<\/h4>\n
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