This Friday night, my Tu B'shvat menu will once again try to incorporate all Shivas HaMinim, the seven species listed in the Torah as being special to Eretz Yisroel.
I will enumerate them here and notate how they will be incorporated into my dinner menu:
- Wheat - challah
- Barley - baked barley and mushrooms
- Grapes - wine and grapes on the dessert platters
- Figs - on the dessert platters
- Pomegranates - pomegranate juice
- Olives - condiments with the meal
- Dates - on the dessert platters
There will of course be many more delicious fruits and nuts, both fresh and dried, in abundance throughout the course of the meal. Almonds are customary as well because although they are not one of the seven, they are the most visible sign of the arrival of Tu B'shvat in Israel.
The almond trees' pink flowers are ubiquitous on the hillsides of Israel at this time of year.
Stay tuned for photos of how the decorations turned out as well!
Did you take this photo of the almond tree? It is gorgeous!
ReplyDeleteRickismom -
ReplyDeleteDon't I wish!!!
It is pretty though, isn't it?
YOU are lucky enough to see the real thing. I have to be content with photos.
What about wheat kernels? This is eaten Zecher L'Mon which looked like grains. I found an old cookbook belonging to my Mother-in-law O"bm which has a recipe for a Schalet made with wheat kernels & pears for Schabbos Schiroh of Alsatian-Jewish origin.
ReplyDeleteThis is why the good yekkes probably have the minhag to eat Grunkern soup (probably the ground version) especially on Shabbos Shirah. Hint, hint (I'll settle for the whole ones).
ReplyDeleteAvram -
ReplyDeleteHint taken.
If you procure the ingredients, I'll oblige.
With Joey off to Yeshiva again, there's nobody to finish off the cholent leftovers (I shudder at the mere *phrase*....) anyway.
What do wheat and barley have to do with Chamishah Asar B'shvat? While Shivas Haminim, they are not produce of Trees (as in Rosh HaShana L'ilanos). To Avram, As to the Shabbos Shira aspect, Guess we'll be moser nefesh and have to be yotze with the barley and Kishke (wheat) in the cholent as the sitings of grunkern in the midwest is quite rare if non-existent. Oh well...
ReplyDeleteI need some recipes! Do you have any good ones you can share? I was thinking of making pomegranate chicken, or some kind of barley soup....I dont know.....
ReplyDeleteIM CRASHING .......YUMMMMMMM
ReplyDeleteDid you not say that a recipe for Grunkern was up and coming? (ground and whole please :)
ReplyDeleteYDL -
ReplyDeleteLOL! Did I?
If Avram buys the ingredients this week, I'll bli neder chronicle the process (though with salami as the meat of choice in my house, it's so unhealthy that I'm almost embarrassed to post the recipe) :D
Thanks for the lovely ideas - maybe I will make an effort to put some fruit on the table this year, since Tu B'Shvat was nice enough to coincide with Shabbat.
ReplyDeleteleora! kosher groceries make it so easy nowadays to provide fruits for tu bishvat!
ReplyDeleteI will admit that as a child the only fruits we got were the ones given out in school.
when I got married was the first time I heard of having 15 on tu bishvat. but it is such a lovely custom and just another way our children feel the beauty of some or our mitzvos
You can also make wheat berry salad with things like dried cranberries and citrus. Here's a good place to start with recipes using wheat berries. http://www.epicurious.com/tools/searchresults?search=wheat+berry&x=0&y=0
ReplyDeleteChamisho Osor Beshvat was instituted for the Jews of the Diaspora to remember Eretz Yisroel and its mitzvos (telyuous baaretz). That is the focus as you enjoy your fruits. Its interesting to note that a lot of German Rabbonim wrote perushim on the Yerushalmi Zeraim.
ReplyDeleteturkey necks work well in gruen kern soup, too. not quite that heavy oily meaty taste, but still yummy. or you could use (what is called here in frummyville) Shabbos Bones.
ReplyDelete