Going with the grain

You may have noticed that our biblical ancestors (wise people) did not travel very far unless it was absolutely necessary. Some people say it was because traveling was a difficult, dangerous business in those primitive days. But we know better. The real reason people tended to stay home was then, as it is today, the terrible quality of travel food.
  
There's a lot of traveling in this coming Shabbat's Torah portion. Yosef's brothers travel back to Kna'an. Ya'akov and his whole household travel to Egypt. Yosef travels to Goshen to meet his father after years of separation. Ya'akov travels from Goshen to (presumably) the capital to see Pharaoh. Then he travels back to Goshen. Everyone in Egypt keeps traveling to see Yosef as the famine does not let up year after year. Even the animals travel as Ya'akov brings his cattle with him and the Egyptians end up selling theirs to the state in return for food.

So there is plenty of back and forth going on. And much of it has to do with food (or lack thereof). What do they eat on the way? We know that Ya'akov is taken care of. Yosef sends food with his brothers specifically to support them on their way to and from Kna'an. What does everyone else eat? Probably not much seeing as the whole point of their travel was to find food.


What do we eat when we travel? Many people are traveling this week. My Mother in law and both sisters in law (and their families) are traveling to Israel. I know they will eat really well once they get there. Fresh pitas, plump and warm from the oven. Street vendor's falafel, with all-you-can-stuff-in-your-pita salads and pickles. Wonderful produce. Really awesome dairy products. Shawarma. Yum.


But what will they eat on the way? We may feel sorry for the poor Egyptians of old (personally, I feel sorry for Egyptians right now, too), starving as they travel the land in search of food. But at least they did not have to put up with airline food, vending machines, rest areas' fast food stands and all those additives and preservatives. Granted, starving is worse, but, a case can be made, not by much.

If you must travel - pack you own food if you can. And do not pack chips and candy. They make you (and your kids) sick and grumpy. Get fresh fruit, baby carrots, grape tomatoes, dried fruit, simple roasted or raw nuts (not the sugared or heavily salted ones) and water, water, water. I know you can't get this stuff unto an airplane but check with your airline to see if you can bring small packages of dried fruit and nuts. You can also get packages of dried vegetables (surprisingly delicious) at whole food stores. Bring an empty water bottle and fill it up at the water fountain beyond the security check point. And yes, it is worth the trouble. You'll arrive less dehydrated and without a sugar crash.

Of course, if you want good food, the best way to go is stay home and make it yourself. This week's Torah portion talks about grains. The famine caused a lack of grains. Everything else stemmed from that initial lack. How many types of grains are in your pantry right now? How many do you use on a  regular basis? Having a vegetarian child forces one to explore strange new foods. Some interesting stuff comes out of it.


Really simple Quinoa dish

In a medium bowl mix:

 2 cups cooked quinoa (cook according to package instructions, cool and fluff grains)
1/3 cup dried cranberries
one half avocado (cubed)
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro (or parsley)
2 tablespoons minced red onion
1/3 cup slightly toasted almonds (or pine nuts).

Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Add a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil (you can add another tablespoon if the end result is too dry for your taste but if you add too much, the dish will become gummy and will not keep for more than a day). Mix gently. Serve cold or at room temperature.
This will keep for 2-3 days in the fridge but why keep it? we eat the whole thing as a main course.



Wheat berry and pomegranate salad

I really should not give out this recipe since it is one of my best sellers, but what the heck, let this be my gift to you for a healthy new year.

You can buy wheat berries in whole food stores, in bulk. Cook them in plenty of water with a little salt until they are soft but keep their shape (an hour, maybe). Drain and let cool. You'll need 4 cups of cooked berries so start with about one and a half cups uncooked).
Meanwhile, separate the seeds from one medium pomegranate. You will need about 1 cup of seeds.

Mix in a large bowl:

4 cups wheat berries
1 cup fresh pomegranate seeds
1 cups sliced scallions
1/2 cup dried cranberries,
1/2 cup toasted sunflower seeds

For dressing, mix:

7 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
6 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1/4 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon pomegranate syrup (optional)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Combine salad and dressing and mix well. Serve cold or at room temperature.

This makes 7 cups of salad.