There are many explanations for the custom of eating dairy foods on Shavuot, but one thing is sure – all dairy farms and dairy product manufacturers stretch their imagination every year trying to invent new flavors and new ways to prepare dishes that have milk and cheese in them.For this year, Tnuva, the largest dairy producer in Israel, has published a recipe booklet that will also be available online. Here are a few of the recipes from the booklet we liked most.BAKED SALMON IN WHITE WINE SAUCE, CREAM AND LEEKSServes 6✔ 6 pieces of fresh salmon, skinless and washed ✔ Salt and pepper ✔ 50 gr. melted butter For the sauce: ✔ 50 gr. butter ✔ 1 leek sliced, white and very light green part only✔ 1⁄2 cup dry white wine ✔ 1 package 15% cooking cream (White Chef series)✔ 10 cherry tomatoes, halved✔ Salt and pepper Place fish in a baking dish. Brush with butter on all sides and season with salt and pepper. Bake at 170º for about 20 minutes.Do not overbake.Make sauce: melt butter in a saucepan, fry leeks until golden. Add wine and cook for 10 minutes. Add cream and bring to a boil. Season with salt and pepper. Add tomatoes, mix for 1 minute and remove from heat. Serve hot.PUMPKIN SALAD✔ 250 gr. pumpkin, very thinly sliced, not peeled ✔ 5 Tbsp. olive oil ✔ 1 purple onion, very thinly sliced ✔ 1 red pepper very thinly sliced ✔ 50 gr. Kalamata olives, stoned✔ 100 gr. Galil-Roquefort cheese, crumbled ✔ 1⁄2 tsp. lemon juice✔ 1⁄4 cup olive oil ✔ Salt and black pepper, coarsely ground✔ 2 Tbsp. chopped parsley
Place pumpkin on a lined baking sheet and brush with olive oil. Bake at 180º for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and chill. Arrange pumpkin slices n a plate, top with onions, peppers and olives, sprinkle with the cheese. Before serving mix dressing – oil, lemon, salt and pepper – and pour over salad. Garnish with parsley.CHEESE AND OLIVE BUNSKids would love to help preparing these with you. Make dough the night before and ask the kids to help make the small balls in the morning.✔ 1 kg. bread flour ✔ 3⁄4 package fresh yeast ✔ 2 Tbsp. sugar✔ 4 medium eggs ✔ 1 cup water ✔ 1 cup 3% milk ✔ 300 gr. butter, soft ✔ 1 heaped Tbsp. salt ✔ 3 Tbsp. dried herbs (rosemary, thyme, oregano) Filling:✔ 200 gr. (1 package) Fromez (goat cheese) cut into 35 cubes ✔ 1 cup stoned green olives ✔ 1 beaten egg ✔ 35 small disposable baking cups or a muffin pan, oiledIn the mixer bowl with kneading attachment mix flour, yeast and sugar. Add eggs, water and milk and mix until dough is smooth and homogeneous. Add butter, salt and herbs and mix 8 more minutes.Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let rise for 90 minutes, until triple in size.You can leave the dough in the refrigerator overnight. This will make handling the dough easier.Create 35 small balls from the dough.Place in the middle of each ball a small cheese cube and an olive. Close over the filling and place in the oiled baking pan with “seams” down. Brush the buns with egg and let rise for half an hour. Bake at 170º for 15 minutes or until golden brown.STUFFED RED PEPPERS WITH CHEESES Serves 10 ✔ 10 long sweet red peppers ✔ 1 “Piraeus” 5% Bulgarian cheese✔ 100 gr. Emek grated cheese ✔ 1⁄2 cup (125 gr.) 9% white cheese✔ 1⁄4 cup bread crumbs ✔ 1⁄4 cup chives or scallions, chopped✔ 4 Tbsp. olive oil✔ 1⁄2 Tbsp. fresh rosemary, chopped✔ Black pepper Boil 1 liter water.Place peppers in boiling water for 10 minutes. Remove and place in a plastic bag. Close well and leave for 30 minutes. Open bag and peel peppers. The steam in the bag will make peeling the peppers very easy. Mix cheeses, bread crumbs and scallions in a bowl. Slit each pepper and place a generous amount of the cheese mix inside.Brush peppers with olive oil, sprinkle with rosemary and black pepper and bake at 180º for 15 minutes. Serve either warm or cold.
