Recipes: Wine-Braised Pot Roast and more Rosh Hashana dishes

Wine-Braised Pot Roast

Serves 6 to 8.

Note: The active cooking time is mere minutes, but the reward is tender meat and saucy vegetables, perfect for your holiday table. Ask your butcher to tie the roast for you. To make the make the meat in a slow cooker, follow the searing instructions for the meat and vegetables, then transfer them to a slow cooker, add the remaining ingredients, and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours. The pot roast is best if made at least a day before you plan to serve it. To serve, reheat in a 300-degree oven until desired temperature is reached. Adapted from "The Jewish Cookbook" by Leah Koenig.

• 3- to 4-lb. boneless beef chuck roast, preferably tied

• 1/2 tsp. kosher salt, plus more as needed

• Freshly ground black pepper

• 4 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, divided

• 2 large yellow onions, halved through the root and thinly sliced

• 6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

• 2 bay leaves

• 2 tsp. onion powder

• 1 (28-oz.) can whole peeled tomatoes

• 1 c. beef stock

• 3/4 c. dry red wine

• 1 lb. new potatoes, halved if large

• 2 large carrots, halved lengthwise if thick, and cut into 1/2-in. chunks

Directions

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees; position the rack in the middle.

Thoroughly pat the roast dry and season generously all over with salt and pepper. In a Dutch oven or other large ovenproof pot with a lid, heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the roast and sear, turning until browned on all sides, 3 to 4 minutes per side.

Transfer the seared roast to a cutting board. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons oil to the pan, followed by the onions, garlic and bay leaves and cook, stirring often, until the onions soften and start to caramelize, 7 to 10 minutes. Add the onion powder and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Add the tomatoes with their juice, stock, wine and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Gently break up the tomatoes with the back of a spoon and bring the mixture to a boil. Nestle the seared meat into the sauce, spooning sauce on top.

Cover the pot with a piece of parchment paper, followed by the lid, and transfer to the oven. Cook for 2 hours; then remove from the oven, uncover and carefully flip the meat over. Add the potatoes and carrots, tucking them into the sauce. Re-cover with parchment and continue to cook until the vegetables are soft and meat is fork-tender, about 2 hours.

Transfer the meat to a carving board, drape loosely with foil, and let rest 10 to 15 minutes before slicing. Arrange the sliced meat on a serving platter and surround it with the potatoes, carrots and any large pieces of tomato. Discard the bay leaves. Set the pan over medium-high heat and boil, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is reduced by a third, about 10 minutes. Spoon the sauce over the meat and vegetables and serve warm.

Nutrition information per each of 8 servings:

Calories480Fat27 g

Sodium300 mgCarbohydrates20 g

Saturated fat10 gTotal sugars5 g

Protein36 gCholesterol1115 mg

Dietary fiber3 g

Autumn Salad With Farro, Apple and Roasted Persimmon

Serves 4 to 6.

Note: Here is a delicious side to go with your brisket or pot roast. With roasted persimmon (or the stone fruit of your choosing), apples, pomegranate and walnuts, it's a salad that's loaded with flavor and makes for a filling vegetarian course. Silan can be found at Middle Eastern markets or online; farro can be found with grains at the supermarket or at food co-ops. The dressing, farro and roasted fruit can be made up to 2 days ahead and refrigerated until needed. Adapted from "Shuk: From Market to Table, the Heart of Israeli Home Cooking," by Einat Admony and Janna Gur.

• 1/2 c. walnuts

• 1/2 tsp. kosher salt, plus more as needed

• 1 c. farro, barley or wheat berries

• 3 large or 4 small Fuyu persimmons, peeled, quartered and pitted, or not-too-ripe peaches or other stone fruit

• 4 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, divided

• 2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice, or more as needed

• 2 tsp. silan (date syrup) or honey (see Note)

• 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper, or more as needed

• 1/4 small red onion, finely diced

• 1 Granny Smith apple or other tart apple, cored and cut into tiny dice (leave the skin on)

• 1/2 c. pomegranate seeds (arils)

• 1/4 c. roughly chopped fresh dill sprigs

Directions

Toast the walnuts in a small dry skillet over medium-low heat for several minutes until fragrant and lightly browned, shaking the pan to avoid scorching. Cool completely before using.

Bring a medium pot of water to a boil, season generously with salt and add the farro. Boil the farro until fully tender but not mushy, 12 to 15 minutes. Drain thoroughly, spread onto a large plate or tray and let cool. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees; position the rack in the middle.

Toss the persimmons with 1 tablespoon oil and a light sprinkling of salt. Spread the persimmons on a rimmed baking sheet and roast, about 20 minutes, until tender and lightly browned. (If using stone fruit, roast for about 10 minutes, until slightly caramelized but not mushy.)

Roughly chop half the walnuts and then very finely chop the other half.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, silan or honey, 1/2 teaspoon salt, the black pepper and the remaining 3 tablespoons oil.

In a large bowl, toss the farro with the finely chopped walnuts, the onion, apple, pomegranate and the dressing. Taste and season with more lemon juice, salt and/or pepper, if desired.

Arrange a bed of the farro mixture on a large platter, top with the roasted persimmons, and finish with the roughly chopped walnuts and dill. Serve at room temperature.

Nutrition information per each of 6 servings:

Calories300Fat16 g

Sodium95 mgCarbohydrates38 g

Saturated fat2 gTotal sugars7 g

Protein6 gCholesterol0 mg

Dietary fiber5 g

Tahini Salted Caramel Tart

Serves 8 to 10.

Note: If you want a dessert that looks complicated but comes together fairly easily, this is it. Silan can be found at Middle Eastern markets or online. Labneh is yogurt cheese (strained yogurt). In the whipped cream, it provides a tangy, fresh counterpoint to the rich caramel and crust. Adapted from "Sababa: Fresh, Sunny Flavors From My Israeli Kitchen," by Adeena Sussman, and described therein as "the Gal Gadot of tarts."

For the chocolate shortbread crust:

• 8 tbsp. (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened

• 1/2 c. powdered sugar

• 3/4 c. flour

• 1/3 c. unsweetened cocoa powder, plus more for serving

• 1/4 tsp. fine sea salt

• 3 tbsp. sesame seeds, plus more for serving

For the tahini salted caramel:

• 1/2 c. granulated sugar

• 3/4 c. heavy cream

• 1/2 c. lightly packed light brown sugar

• 6 tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into 6 pieces

• 3 tbsp. silan (date syrup) or light honey (see Note)

• 3/4 tsp. fine sea salt

• 1/3 c. tahini

For the labneh whipped cream:

• 2/3 c. heavy cream

• 1/2 c. labneh (yogurt cheese) or Greek yogurt (see Note)

• 1 tbsp. powdered sugar

Directions

To make the crust: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees; position the rack in the middle. In a large bowl, combine 8 tablespoons butter and 1/2 cup powdered sugar. Using a handheld mixer on medium-high speed, beat the two together, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes.

Add the flour, cocoa powder, 1/4 teaspoon salt and sesame seeds and beat until just incorporated, about 40 seconds. If the dough seems crumbly, press it with a silicone spatula while still in the bowl until it becomes a cohesive, somewhat sticky dough. Gather the dough and press it into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Using a fork, prick the dough all over, and place a piece of aluminum foil over. Freeze for 10 minutes.

Remove from the freezer and top with baking weights; bake for about 25 minutes, until the crust is flaky but still soft. Transfer to a wire rack, remove the weights and the foil, and let cool completely.

To make the caramel: While the crust is cooling, place 1/2 cup granulated sugar in a clean medium saucepan with tall sides and sprinkle with 3 tablespoons water. Turn the heat to medium, bring to a boil, then increase the heat to medium-high and boil until the sugar turns syrupy and the color of light caramel, and smells like burnt sugar, about 7 minutes. (Be careful: The caramel can easily burn, so take it off the heat a few seconds early if you're in doubt, and swirl gently — do not stir — if one area begins to darken more than others.) Remove the caramel from the heat, then immediately add 3/4 cup cream, brown sugar, 6 tablespoons butter and silan (or honey) and stir until the butter is melted. The mixture will sputter, then may harden in parts, but don't worry.

Place the saucepan back on the stove over low heat and bring the caramel to a low simmer until the caramel is a deep mahogany color, 11 to 12 minutes.

Remove from the heat, whisk in 3/4 teaspoons salt and then the tahini until smooth, and pour into the baked tart crust. Cool slightly, then chill until the tart is set, at least 4 hours and preferably overnight.

To make the whipped cream: Just before serving, in a large bowl, using a handheld mixer or a whisk, whip the cream until soft peaks form, about 2 minutes if using the mixer. Add the labneh and 1 tablespoon powdered sugar and whip until soft peaks return, about 1 minute if using the mixer.

Remove the tart from the refrigerator and top with the whipped cream, and more cocoa powder and sesame seeds before serving.

Nutrition information per each of 10 servings:

Calories500Fat34 g

Sodium260 mgCarbohydrates44 g

Saturated fat22 gTotal sugars25 g

Protein5 gCholesterol90 mg

Dietary fiber2 g