Food has always been an integral part of Jewish tradition and celebration. From challah on Shabbat to symbolic foods at the Passover seder to culturally “Jewish” foods like bagels and hummus, almost everyone has a memory linked to Jewish food. This spring, aspiring chefs and foodies can immerse themselves in one of two amazing school break experiences through Springboard, a community initiative created with the support of JUF/Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago, the Jim Joseph Foundation and a consortium of local funders.
Thanks to the staff of JCC Camp Chi and Pushing the Envelope Farm, two of our Springboard School Break providers, for their sharing two delicious recipes. Hungry for more? Reserve your spot on Breakaway or Farm-to-Table Chef's Immersion TODAY!
Chocolate 15’s from JCC Camp Chi
Ingredients:
15 Graham crackers
30-40 Chocolate chips
15 Marshmallows
Small Can of Condensed milk
Directions:
Place graham crackers into bowl and crush up into very fine crumbs.
Cut each marshmallow up into 6 pieces.
Mix the marshmallows and chocolate chips into the bowl of crushed crackers.
Slowly pour the condensed milk over the mixture and combine.
Mixture should be moist and solid. If it is too dry, add more condensed milk. If it is too wet, add more crushed graham crackers. The mixture is the right consistency if a spoon can stand up in it.
Pour mixture on to plastic wrap or tin foil. Then roll into a sausage shape.
Place in fridge for an hour or until firm.
Using a sharp knife, cut into chunky disks or pieces.
Curried Sweet Potato Latkes
Adapted from Joan Nathan’s Jewish Cooking in America by the team at Pushing the Envelope Farm
Ingredients:
1 pound sweet potatoes, peeled (scrub well if you do not peel)
1/2 cup all-purpose flour ( gluten-free is possible)
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cayenne powder (or less to taste)
2 teaspoons curry powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
2 large eggs, beaten
1/2 cup milk (approximately)(can use water or nut milk for a pareve recipe)
Peanut or light olive oil for frying
Directions:
1. Grate the sweet potatoes coarsely. In a separate bowl mix the flour, sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, cayenne pepper, curry powder, cumin, and salt and pepper.
2. Add the eggs and just enough milk to the dry ingredients to make a stiff batter. Add the potatoes and mix. The batter should be moist but not runny; if too stiff, add more milk.
3. Heat 1/4 inch of peanut or light olive oil in a frying pan until it is barely smoking. Drop in the batter by tablespoons and flatten. Fry over medium-high heat several minutes on each side until golden. Drain on paper towels and serve.
Yields 16 three-inch pancakes
As they say in Hebrew B'teavon or Dig In!