Food Celebrations! Two holidays, one week, one menu. ANNABEL COHEN Special to the Jewish News N ext week is quite a week. On Tuesday evening, May 25, we begin the festival of Shavuot. Hot on its heels is our American holiday of Memorial Day. Shavuot means "weeks" — in this case seven, the number of weeks the holiday comes after Passover — and refers to the date when Jews received the Ten Commandments at Mount Sinai. The word Shavuot also means "oaths" and suggests the covenant between God and the Jewish people. Shavuot is also a harvest holiday, which is significant to its celebration. Like Sukkot, homes are festooned with fruits, flow- ers, branches and greenery. And for many reasons, it's long established that dairy foods are served during this holiday. Because Memorial Day is a time for families and friends to gather, it becomes the unoffici l opening day of the summer entertaining season. For many, barbe- cues are fired up for the first time for mass feeding. How do these holidays relate, foodwise? They don't, really. Although many of the recipes that are appropri- ate for Shavuot are suitable for a Memorial Day gather- ing. Beyond blintzes and cheesecake for Shavuot, are the many salads, side dishes and desserts which can be prepared and that include dairy ingredients. a MARINATED GOAT CHEESE APPETIZER 1 log (about 10 oz.) soft goat cheese, such as . Chevre 1 t. coarse ground black pepper 1 t. red pepper flakes 1 T minced garlic 1 t. dried thyme 1 t. grated lemon peel 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil Place the cheese log in a small, attractive, glass or ceramic baking dish and mash cheese down with a spoon (do not smooth it). Sprinkle the pepper, pepper flakes, garlic, thyme and lemon peel over the cheese. Drizzle the olive oil over the cheese. Cover the dish with plastic wrap and marinate for up to five days. To serve, preheat oven to 400F. Remove the plastic wrap and bake the cheese for about 20 minutes, or until it is bubbly and hot. Serve as a spread for gour- met crackers or French bread rounds. Makes 8 servings. CHEESY CHUNKY POTATOES 4 pounds new or redskin potatoes, quartered if small and cut into eighths if larger 2 cups half-and-half 1/2 cup chopped mild onion, such as Vidalia 2 T. minced garlic 1 t. salt 3/4 t. ground white pepper 3 cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese Preheat oven to 375F. Place potatoes in a large bowl. Add remaining ingredients and toss well to coat. Transfer the potatoes to an attractive baking dish. Cover the dish with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil from the potatoes and bake another - 30 minutes or until the potatoes are tender and the potatoes are golden and bubbly. Serve hot. Makes .8-12 servings. PASTA SALAD WITH FRESH MOZZARELLA AND TOMATOES AND CAPERS . 1 pound dry pasta shape (penne and gemelli are good) or 2 pounds tortellini (stuffed with mush- rooms, cheese or spinach) 1 pint grape tomatoes, halved lengthwise 1-2 roasted red peppers (jarred is fine), chopped 2 cups diced fresh Buffalo or fresh mozzarella 1 cup (packed) fresh basil leaves 1 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese 1/2 cup chopped sundried tomatoes (packed in oil) 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar 1/4 cup olive oil 1/4 cup mayonnaise 2 T. parsley flakes 2 T drained capers 6 anchovy fillets, chopped (optional) salt and pepper to taste Cook pasta or tortellini in large pot of boiling salted water according to package directions until al dente (do not overcook — the pasta should not be mushy). Drain well and rinse with cold water to stop the cook- ing. Transfer the pasta to a large to large bowl, add remaining ingredients and toss well. Cover with plastic wrap until ready to serve, up to one day in advance. Adjust salt and pepper before serving. Makes 16 side- dish servings. GRILLED VEGETABLE SANDWICHES WITH ASIAGO CHEESE 1 medium eggplant (about 1 pound), sliced vertically 2 bell peppers, any color, halved, stem and seeds removed 2 zucchini, cut in half lengthwise 1 large or 2 smaller portabella mushrooms, stems removed 1 large onion, sliced into thick rings (do not separate) 2 medium carrots, peeled and halved lengthwise olive oil for brushing on vegetables 1/4 cup lightly toasted pinenuts salt and pepper to taste Balsamic vinegar to taste 1 French baguette 2 cups shredded Asiago cheese 1 cup fresh basil leaves Heat grill to medium-high. Brush the vegetables very lightly with olive oil and place on the grill. Grill until the bottom side of the vegetables in well marked with grill lines and turn over. Grill other side of the vegeta- bles until tender. (Note: The carrots take a long time, but the zucchini cooks very quickly. The vegetables should be tender/crisp, not mushy). Remove from the grill and cool to the touch before cutting all the vegetables into strips and/or small pieces. Toss the vegetables with pinenuts, salt and pepper and vinegar to taste. Cut the baguette lengthwise, but do not cut through. Sprinkle the cheese and basil leaves along the inside length of the baguette. Stuff all the vegetables into the baguette. To serve, cut the baguette into sandwich lengths (4 to 8), securing the sandwiches with long toothpicks or skewers, if desired, and serve. Makes 4-8 servings. QUICK PIZZA WITH GARLIC, BLUE CHEESE, RED PEPPER AND ONIONS 1 premade pizza crust (such as Boboli) extra virgin olive oil for brushing the crust 1 cup thin sliced red onion, or more to taste 1 red bell pepper, sliced into very thin strips 2 T. rough chopped garlic 1 cup shredded brick cheese 1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese, any variety (or more to taste) 1 t. dried oregano fresh ground pepper to taste Preheat oven to 400E Brush crust lightly with olive oil. Arrange the onions, bell pepper and garlic over the crust. Sprinkle the cheeses over and season with oregano and black pepper. Bake the crust directly on the oven rack (or grill if you like) and bake for 10-15 minutes, until the cheese is bubbly. Makes 8 wedges. BERRIES WITH MASCARPONE CHEESE Alternately, you may serve the berries and Mascarpone sauce over pound cake wedges. 4 pints (4 cups) fresh berries, any variety, rinsed (cut strawberries in half or quarters if large, plus extra berries for garnish 1 cup chilled whipping cream 8 oz. mascarpone cheese 1/4 cup powdered sugar 1 berry liqueur or lemon extract Divide berries among eight individual dessert bowls or wine glasses. Set aside. Whip cream in a cold bowl with cold beaters until soft peaks form (do not beat until stiff). Fold in the remaining ingredients and spoon the mixture over the berries and serve garnished with a few berries and a fresh mint leaves, if desired. ❑ More Shavuot recipes at vvvvvv.detroitjewishnews.com J14 5/21 2004 97