Eating your way to a delicious new year

Sharon's Honey Cake

Courtesy Hewlett-East Rockaway Jewish Centre

Celebrating Rosh Hashana, the Jewish New Year, is as much about sharing a good meal with family and friends as it is about looking forward to bettering one’s life during the next year.
Five women, members of the Hewlett-East Rockaway Jewish Centre in East Rockaway shard their favorite appetizers, entrées and desserts that they make for the holiday.
Get out your pots, pans and measuring cups and use these recipes to create a delicious holiday feast.



Mom’s holiday meatballs
1 15 oz. can tomato sauce
1 T grape jelly (or more to taste)
1/3 c matzah farfel
1 14-oz. can jellied cranberry sauce
1 lb. ground beef
Pepper

Combine tomato sauce and cranberry sauce in a medium pot. Heat on medium flame, stirring occasionally until cranberry sauce is mostly melted. In a large bowl, combine ground beef, matzah farfel , pepper and 2 T sauce. Form into balls. Brown in large skillet. Drain on paper towels. Add meatballs to sauce; lower flame and simmer for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add grape jelly and cook for another 15 minutes. Serve alone or over pasta.   — Laurie Stone Brofsky

Haricot vert with tomato
(Fasoulia con Tomat)
    Fasoulia con Tomat is a favorite traditional Sephardic vegetable side dish.  Flavors heighten when served the day after preparation. Freezes well. It is a rich flavored entree when prepared with meat or chicken.

    2 T. olive plus 1 T. vegetable oil          
    1 ½ C. minced sweet onion(or more)     
    3 cloves minced garlic                           
    1/2 tsp. salt                                               
    1/2 tsp. fresh cracked pepper                    
    1 to 1 1/2 pounds haricot vert (thin baby string beans). You can use defrosted frozen of fresh not available.
    Three 14-0z. cans chopped tomatoes w. puree
    4 plum tomatoes, chopped
    1 T. paprika
    1-2 tsp. chili powder
    2 tsp. tumeric

In a Dutch oven on medium heat simmer onion and garlic in oil until translucent.  Add herbs/spices, fresh tomatoes and canned tomatoes to onion. Stir occasionally to meld flavors while simmering on low heat for 10 minutes. If sauce too thick, add 1/4  to 1/3 C. water. Gently stir in string beans.  Cover and cook on medium to low heat for 60 minutes. Stir every 15 minutes to be sure vegetables do not stick to bottom of pot. If they do, add 1/4 C. water or 1/2 C. tomato sauce.  
    Serve fasoulias with rice pilaf or Spanish rice. (1 C. rice, 1 C. water, 1 C. tomato sauce, 1 T. oil.  Simmer covered to boil then turn burner off and let sit for 30 minutes. Stir to fluff.
    To Prepare as an entrée: When adding string beans to Dutch Oven add 2-21/2 pounds of pre cooked small chunks of beef stew, cut up chicken or lamb stew. Cook for 60 minutes on low to medium heat.  While cooking, be sure ingredients do not stick to bottom of pot. Serves 8. Bon appetite!
— Sharon Gross