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Cold Asparagus with Walnuts | Cucumber Salad (Ugorkasalata)
Egg Barley (Tarhonya) | Tongue in Wine Sauce

Cold Asparagus with Walnuts

750 gr. fresh asparagus
1 cup walnuts, chopped finely
6 Tbsp. sugar
1/4 cup each soy sauce and vinegar
1 - 2 Tbsp. walnut or sesame oil
pepper to taste

Tie the asparagus in serving bunches and stand in a high pot with several inches of salted water. Bring to the boil, cover and let cook just until tender (6 - 8 minutes). Drain well and arrange on a serving dish. Mix together the remaining ingredients and pour over the asparagus, lifting the asparagus so the dressing penetrates. Sprinkle with pepper, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Remove from the refrigerator 15 minutes before serving.

Serves 4-6.

Cucumber Salad (Ugorkasalata)

4 cucumbers, peeled and thinly sliced
1/4 cup wine vinegar
2 Tbsp. sugar
1 clove garlic, mashed
generous pinch of red paprika
black pepper to taste
1/2 tsp. crushed cumin seeds
parsley, chopped, for garnish

Place the sliced cucumbers in a glass bowl and sprinkle liberally with salt, stirring. Let stand for 1 hour and then drain the accumulated liquids. Dry the cucumber slices on paper toweling and then return to the bowl. Combine the wine vinegar, sugar, garlic, paprika and pepper and mix well. Pour over the cucumbers, tossing well. Sprinkle the cumin and parsley over the top. Serve lightly chilled or at room temperature.

Serves 4-6.

Egg Barley (Tarhonya)

For the Egg Barley:
10 heaping Tbsp. flour
1 egg
1 tsp. oil
1/2 tsp. salt

For cooking:
1 cup butter*
1 tsp. paprika
chicken stock as required
salt and pepper to taste

Put the flour on a large pastry board and make a well in the center of the pile.

Lightly beat together the egg, salt, oil, and 1 Tbsp. water. Drop this mixture into the well and work the mixture with the hands, folding the four over the egg mixture until the dough can be rolled into a ball. Knead this mixture by folding the dough over towards the body. Press with the heel of the hand and give a slight turn. Fold, press and turn again and continue this process until the dough is smooth and elastic.

Divide the dough into 2 balls and let stand, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Then grate the balls on the coarse side of a grater, letting the gratings fall on a clean towel. Continue to move the grater so that the dough spreads to one thin layer over the entire cloth. Let stand and dry for 6-8 hours.

Melt 3/4 cup of the butter in a large skillet. When thoroughly hot, add the grains, stirring with a wooden spoon to brown evenly. The finished grains should be barely browned. Add the paprika, saute for 2 minutes longer and then just cover with stock. Cover and simmer until the grains are soft (30-40 minutes). Drain whatever liquids remain. Add the remaining butter, toss, season to taste with salt and pepper and serve at once.

Serves 4-6.

* Note: If serving the egg barley with a meat-based meal, substitute parve margarine for the butter.

Tongue in Wine Sauce

1 pickled beef tongue, about 2 kgs.
3 cups beef stock
8 bay leaves
10 whole peppercorns
2 tsp. dill
1 cup port wine
1 Tbsp. parve margarine
1 tsp. sweet paprika
1 Tbsp. cornflour

Remove the fatty end of the tongue (and reserve for future use in soup or stew). Place the tongue in a large kettle, add the stock and then add enough water to cover. Add 5 of the bay leaves, the peppercorns and the dill. Bring to a boil, reduce the flame and cook until the tongue is soft (about 2 hours). Peel under cold running water and let cool.

In a saucepan, boil the wine with the remaining bay leaves until the wine is reduced by half. Remove from the flame, add the margarine and the paprika, mixing well. While the sauce is still hot, sprinkle over the cornflour, mix well and continue to mix until the sauce thickens. Slice the tongue thinly and heat the slices in the sauce. Serve hot.

Serves 4-6.

Sources: Embassy of Israel; Israeli Foreign Ministry; Ruth's Kitchen; Manischewitz; Rogov's Ramblings- Reprinted with permission.

Daniel Rogov is the restaurant and wine critic for the daily newspaper Ha'aretz. He is also the senior writer for Wine and Gourmet Magazine and contributes culinary and wine articles to newspapers in Europe and the United States.

Regional Jewish Foods: Hungary