simanim salad

This dish has become a Rosh Hashanah staple, as it includes many of the simanim, or omens, the foods we eat on this holiday to symbolize the blessings we hope to receive for the new year. There are many versions of this salad, as every cook seems to have their own take. This is mine. I hope you enjoy it as much as my family does.

There’s always a fish course at my Rosh Hashanah table, as the head of a fish is one of the symbolic foods of the holiday. We have an even mix of vegetarians and omnivores in our group of family and friends, so there needs to be a vegetarian offering at the same time. Since black eyed peas are a vegetarian substitute for the fish (like the “eyes” of God looking down upon us with mercy, the eyes of a fish are always open), this salad comes to the table at the same time as the fish. The first course, laid out after we’ve filled our bellies with challah, honey, and apples, will also include a dish with beets, which represent the removal of obstacles from our path.

The dressing for my Simanim Salad is the same one that I use for my Seven Species Salad, because it incorporates some of the symbolic foods and because it works equally well, here.

If you’re looking for more of a “salad” salad, feel free to serve this on a platter that’s lined with the greens of your choosing.

The amounts listed for the salad ingredients is not a hard science. Feel free to add more or less of any of them to suit your preferences.

Simanim Salad

Ingredients:

For the Salad

• 2 cups black eyed peas, cooked until tender (but not mushy)

• 2 cups farro, cooked until tender

• 2 apples, any variety

• the juice of ¼ lemon for the apple

• 1 cup diced butternut squash, roasted (or other hard winter squash, such as pumpkin, acorn, etc.) *see below for how to roast squash.

• ½ cup pitted dates, sliced in rings or roughly chopped

• 2 stalks celery, peeled and sliced, larger slices halved

• 2 scallions, sliced, both white and green parts

• ½  cup pomegranate arils

• ½ cup flat-leaf Italian parsley leaves

• 1 teaspoon whole cumin seeds

• 1 teaspoon whole coriander seeds

For the Dressing

• ½  cup pomegranate juice

• ¼ cup  apple cider vinegar

• ¼ cup  honey

• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

• 1 tablespoon whole grain mustard

• 1 clove garlic

• ½ cup extra virgin olive oil

• Kosher salt

• Freshly ground black pepper

Method:

• Heat a dry skillet over medium heat and add in the cumin seeds and coriander seeds. Move the pan back and forth over the burner to toss the seeds, toasting them until they give off their aroma, for about one minute, and then set them aside.

• Peel, core, and dice the apple, and then toss the pieces in a bit of lemon juice to keep them from turning brown.

• Combine all the ingredients for the salad in a bowl, reserving a handful of pomegranate arils and a little of the parsley for the top.

• There’s no need to mix the dressing in a separate bowl. Just add all the ingredients right into the bowl and gently toss the whole shebang with your hands. I prefer using my hands to a spoon because each bit will better absorb the dressing.

• Serve the salad at room temperature or chilled from the fridge.

  *To roast squash: Preheat the oven to 375°.

• Cut the squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds and stringy parts. Peel the squash using a vegetable peeler. It might be easier to do this if you cut the squash into smaller pieces first.

• Once peeled, cut the squash into ½”—¾” dice.

• Toss the squash cubes in just enough olive oil to coat them and toss them with a bit of salt, pepper, and sugar—white, brown, turbinado—any kind is fine. This will help them to caramelize

• Spread them out in a single layer, on a parchment-lined baking sheet.

• Slide the pan into the oven and roast until tender and caramelized on the edges, about 20 minutes. The time may vary according to the type of squash you’re using and its age, so be sure to test it every now and again.