Jewish Italian Apple-Apricot Crostada
 

• 4 Granny Smith or other good cooking apples

• ½ cup sugar

• 2 sticks unsalted butter or pareve margarine

• 2 large egg yolks

• 1 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour

• Pinch of salt

• 1/2 cup apricot preserves

Directions:​

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees and grease a 10-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom.

2. Peel, core, and slice the apples into crescents about a fourth to an eighth of an inch thick. You should have about 24 pieces.

3. Place the sugar, butter, egg yolks, flour, and salt in a large bowl and press everything together with your fingers or combine the ingredients in a food processor fitted with a steel blade and process until the dough forms a ball. Either way, do not overwork the dough.

4. Take the ball of dough in your hands and flatten in the center of the tart pan. Working with your fingers and a cake knife or wide spatula, spread the dough evenly around the pan and up the sides. The dough should be about 1/2 inch thick on the sides. Press the dough into the flutes and spread it evenly across the bottom of the pan, then trim and flatten the edges with a knife. Starting on the outside and working toward the center, lay the apple slices in an overlapping, concentric circle.

5. Place the apricot preserves in a saucepan and heat over a low flame until it has liquefied. Using a pastry brush, glaze the apples and the visible crust.
 

6. Place the tart pan on a cookie sheet and bake in the middle of the oven for 15 minutes. Reduce the oven to 350 degrees and continue cooking until the crust is deep golden brown, about 45 minutes. Bring to room temperature, unmold, and put on a platter or serving dish.



 

Carciofi alla Giudia (Artichokes Jewish Style)
 

• 12 small artichokes

• Juice of 2 lemons

• Olive oil for deep frying

• 1 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

• ½ cup fresh basil leaves

• 2 teaspoon sea salt or to taste

• ½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper

• 10 cloves garlic, crushed

• Matzoh meal or flour for dredging

Directions:​

1. Trim the tops off the artichokes, working around the globe to retain the shape. Halve the lemons, juice them, and cover with cold water. Soak the artichokes in this lemon water until ready to use, then drain dry.
2. Hold the artichokes by the stems and bang them a little against the countertop to open
the leaves.
3. Combine ½ cup of the olive oil, the parsley, basil, salt, pepper, and garlic and sprinkle the mixture between the leaves. Roll each artichoke in matzo meal or flour.
4. Heat a large pot, wok, or Dutch oven with a cover, filled with about 3 inches of oil, to sizzling. Deep-fry 2–3 artichokes at a time for about 10 minutes, turning occasionally with a tongs; they will puff up as they cook. Serve hot, sprinkled with additional sea salt.
Yield: 6 servings