Purim is in the air, and although I am personally booking out to my mother-in-law’s (thanks, Ima!), many of you are facing the insane task of, well, Purim.

You will be preparing and delivering impeccably packed and color-coordinated mishloach manos packages all over the neighborhood, including several to your children’s teachers that have receiving hours at the EXACT SAME TIME on the opposite sides of town, while at the same time reassuring your 6 year old that it doesn’t matter that her princess tiara broke and that she really, really, really still looks like a beautiful princess, and also the hole where the rhinestone used to be is really not a hole but was there the whole time.

You’ll be telling your 8 year old that cap guns break, because that’s what cap guns do, while trying to figure out how the kid got the cap gun in the first place since you have a strong no-guns policy in the house but when you try to ask your husband about it he will get a weird and sudden inability to make eye contact.

You will likely be ushering groups of weirdly dressed, acne-ridden teenagers through your house, trying to get them in and out of the place without them breaking something, stepping on any of your kids, or raiding your alcohol closet, which is something you are pretty sure you can go to jail for, and if you are going to jail it is NOT going to be for a bunch of teenagers that you do not know. And about halfway through the day, your husband will ride off on one of your kids bikes across the front lawn diagonally, mumbling something vague about visiting the Rabbi, wearing your Shabbos wig and only one shoe.

ALL OF THIS, and then you’ve got to put a beautiful meal on the table for family and friends.   Stress not, my dears, I am here to help.  Each of the beautiful salads in this post does better when made advance.  24-48 hours is perfect, as the flavors blend and brighten over time. You can make these guys, slam ‘em in the fridge, and forget about them until your husband rides off across the lawn.

Farro is a species of hulled wheat that is slightly chewy when cooked, with a slight nutty flavor. This salad was inspired by a dish that we were served recently in Baltimore, where my family was graciously hosted by the Neuberger family. A curried grain salad was served, and, well, let’s just say I might have eaten all of it.  When we got home, I started playing around, and this is the final result. So far, 3/3 tasters have gone nuts, so I’m pretty sure we have a home run on our hands.

The beet salad uses sumac, which is a Middle Eastern spice that is the building block for spice blends such as za’atar. The sumac plant is mid-sized shrub with red flowers – the color is absolutely spectacular. The fresher the sumac spice, the brighter the color will be.  The flavor of sumac is tart and lemony – we use it here toasted, which heightens the earthy notes of the spice.

The minted pea salad is adapted from Michelle Obama’s cookbook, American Grown: The Story of the White House Kitchen Garden and Gardens Across America.  This version incorporates some raw techina (tahini) paste, which adds creaminess to the dressing without making it heavy.   You guys know from earlier posts how I feel about fresh peas, so it should be no surprise to you that I’m featuring them again here. Also, now it’s officially spring, so, umm. Peas. Spring. Whatever.

Happy Purim!

Curried Farro Salad

PARVE • PREP: 10 minutes• COOKING TIME: 45 minutes•  SERVES: 8

INGREDIENTS:

• 1.5 c. uncooked farro
• 1 c. boiling water
• ½ c. sliced almonds
• 1/3 c. light olive oil or canola oil
• 1 tsp. curry powder
• ½ tsp. salt
• ½ tsp turmeric
• ¼ tsp. allspice
• ½ c. yellow raisins (can use more if you are partial)

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Cook farro according to package directions until al dente (if there are a range of minutes for cook time, cook until the lower end of the range). Drain and rinse.
2. Soak the yellow raisins in boiling water for 15 minutes until plump.  Drain.
3. Mix the oil, curry powder, salt, turmeric, and allspice together in a small bowl.
4. Add the farro, raisins, and sliced almonds. Mix well.

Beets with Sumac and Parsley

PARVE • PREP: 10 minutes• COOKING TIME: 0 minutes• SERVES: 8

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 lb. beets, cooked (approx. 4 medium)  and diced into 1/2 inch squares – I buy them pre-cooked and vacuum packed, these are especially good
• 1 tsp. dried sumac – shameless plug: my hubby has a spice company, so buy ZING! You can buy his here or at your local kosher grocer.
• 1 small shallot, sliced thin
• Juice of ½ a large lemon
• 1/3 c. fresh parsley, chopped

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Heat a small skillet over medium/high heat.
2. Add the dry sumac, mix for 1 minute until pungent. Remove sumac from skillet into large bowl.
3. Add beets, lemon juice, and parsley, mix.

NOTES:

• If you are using fresh beets, peel the beets (with gloves on, they stain!) and cut in quarters. Place in a large pot of cold water, bring to a boil, and boil covered for approx. 45 minutes until a fork pierces the beets easily. Lots of uses for the cooking liquid- it makes a wonderful, non-chemical food dye and, well, borscht.

Minted Fresh Pea Salad with Tahini

PARVE • PREP: 10 minutes• COOKING TIME: 2 minutes• SERVES: 8

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 ½-3  cups shelled fresh green peas
• 1 small shallot, peeled
• 1/2 cup shredded fresh mint leaves
• 1 small leek, cleaned, white part only, thinly sliced
• Zest and juice of 1 lime
• 1/4 c. extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tsp. tahini paste- I use this one
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. black pepper, to taste

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Heat 4-5 quarts of water over high flame until boiling.
2. Prepare a large bowl of ice water.
3. Pour peas into the boiling water, and cook for 2 minutes only.
4. Strain the peas into a colander, then plunge immediately into the ice water.
5. In the bowl of a food processor, combine the shallot, ¼ c. of the blanched peas, the lime zest and juice, the olive oil, and tahini paste.
6. Blend until smooth.
7. Mix the dressing, peas, mint, and sliced leeks.

NOTES:

• You can substitute a lemon for the lime in this recipe, no biggie.