TOMATOES page 106 1 tablespoon olive oil 2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano or 2 teaspoons dried Dear Friends, On behalf of the entire JCC Summer Camps arc staff, we woulc like to thank you for making this a fabulousmason! We can harcly believe summer has alreacy come arc gone. All of the wo that went into coordinating our "season of 33 change , i nducing the variety of new programs anc acci- tions to JCC Summer Camps, facilities anc staff were tmly worth the effort. As part of the J. family, we wi take with us many woncer=u1 memories to keep us warm as winter approaches. , We realize that the success Of camp woulc not have been mace possible without all of your smiling faces greeting us each cay. We feel truly lucky to have contributed to a happy, healthy anc prosperous summer for all our campers arc their families. remember to look for the newest camp highlights in the 1995 JCC Summer Camps brochure which will be out H January! Thank you again; we'll see you next year! Stan Trompeter Director JCC Summer Camps Amy Freedman Assistant Director JCC Summer Camps Steam broccoli until just crisp- tender, about 4 minutes. Dip broc- coli in ice water to stop cooking and retain bright green color. Re- move and drain. Transfer to a large bowl and cool. Add toma- toes. Place mustard in a small bowl. Gradually whisk in vinegar, then oil. Mix in oregano. Add to salad and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper. Refrigerate until serving. Serves 6. ASPARAGUS WITH TOMATO-BELL PEPPER SALSA (PAREVE) 3/4 pound tomatoes 1 cup finely chopped yellow bell pepper 3/4 cup finely chopped green onions 2 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 garlic clove, finely minced or mashed 2 pounds fresh asparagus, tough ends trimmed Blanch tomatoes in a pot of boil- ing water for 30 seconds. Drain. Peel tomatoes. Cut in half, squeeze out seeds. Chop toma- toes. Place in a medium bowl. Mix in bell pepper, green onion, cilantro, lime juice, oil and garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Steam asparagus until crisp- tender, about 5 minutes. Trans- fer to a bowl filled with ice water; cool. Drain and pat dry. May be prepared in advance to this point. Refrigerate salsa and asparagus separately. Arrange asparagus in a fan-style design on platter. Top with salsa and serve. Serves 8. O Portobello Mushrooms Are 'Hot' Items PHYLLIS STEINBERG SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS eggie burgers using fresh portobello mushrooms first became popular in the '70s, but they weren't very tasty because they were made from dried spices. Lately, however, a new class of veggie burgers has arrived. Us- ing fresh produce, unusual spices and herbs, and all kinds of grains and legumes, restaurant chefs have been revamping the veggie burger. Their versions are low in fat and have great flavor. I tried a recipe for portobello burgers in the new cookbook Veg- etarian Planet by Didi Emmons. It was delicious. This book pub- lished by the Harvard Common Press in Boston has 350 innova- tive vegetarian recipes from ap- petizers to desserts. PORTOBELLO BURGERS 2/3 cup dried lentils 6 ounces portobello mushrooms 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 1/2 cups minced onions 2 large garlic cloves, minced 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin seeds 1/2 teaspoon salt, or more, to taste Fresh-ground black pepper to taste 5 slices stale or toasted sandwich bread 1/2 cup chopped parsley 1. Bring 2 quarts water to a boil and add the lentils. Simmer the lentils for 20 to 30 minutes or un- til they are tender. Drain the lentils and let them cool off. 2. Cut the dirt-laden stem of each mushroom stem, then chop the remainder of the stems and caps fine. 3. Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat and add the onions. Cook them, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until they soft- en. Add the garlic and cook 2 min- utes more, stirring constantly. Add the chopped mushrooms and the cumin to the skillet and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasion- ally. Season well with the salt and pepper and take the pan off the heat. 4. Break the bread into pieces and whirl them to crumbs in a food processor. Transfer 2 cups crumbs to a large bowl. Put the lentils into the processor and run the machine in spurts until they are coarsely chopped and some- what pasty. Add the chopp Ne d parsley and sauteed mushrooms and onions to the bowl and mix well with your hands or a sturdy spoon. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste. Add more bread crumbs if the mixture is too wet to form a patty. Chill the mix- ture from 1 hour to a week. 5. Form the burger mixture into four 4-inch patties. Heat the remaining oil in a large skillet (not non-stick) over medium heat. Pan-fry until the undersides are a deep golden brown, about 3 minutes. Flip the burgers and cook them about 3 minutes more. Serve the burgers hot. Makes 4 burgers. JAMAICAN BURGERS 4 slices stale or toasted sandwich bread 2 tablespoons canola or corn oil 1 1/2 cups chopped onions 2 garlic cloves, minced 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger 1/2 teaspoon allspice (freshly ground, if possible) 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg