Light up the bonfire and let’s have a picnic!

Passover is long gone. A half-filled box of matza still sits on my dining room table; we promised we would finish it, but neither my husband nor I have any intention of eating it right now.

The week that seemed to last so long also seemed to speed by, merely another blip of time as we move towards the quick succession of spring holidays that culminates with Shavuot, the most joyous of them all.

As we count each day leading up to Shavuot, we are reminded to think of each one as a year, a decade, many decades, that the Jews wandered enroute to the Promised Land that had been promised to Moses as they left Egypt. Survival in the desert was a monumental feat for Moses and the many who were in search of a place to call home. A generation would pass in that desert before our homeland became a reality.

The weeks between Passover and Shavout are a time of mourning and reflection on those decades. No weddings or celebrations may take place and even simple things, such as haircuts, are prohibited. The specificity of the counting, ticking off each day, reminds us of the link between the beginning of Passover, the first steps toward freedom, and the many dark years spent wandering in uncertainty, until Moses delivered G-d’s law, the Torah, to us on Shavuot. Freedom from slavery and our redemption was not complete until Moses brought those Torah scrolls down the mountain. The intervening days were filled with darkness and despair. We commemorate those days as we count each one with deliberation and reflection.

There is, however, one bright light in this dark time — Lag B’Omer, or the 33rd day of the counting of days. It is the one day during which we can hold celebrations, listen to music and rejoice before we resume counting the days up to Shavuot.

Lag B’Omer is typically a day of outdoor activities, sports events and picnics, a day of play and joy, marked, in Israel, by giant bonfires and great food, and in America by outdoor activities and, also, great picnic food. Enjoy the beautiful spring weather with a picnic and some delicious food on Lag B’Omer.

Asian Honey Drumsticks (Meat)

This is a great dish for a picnic. It is a bit sticky, though, so bring lots of packaged wet cloths for clean-up. Great cold!

2-6 cloves garlic

1 tsp. paprika

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. dry mustard

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1/2 to 1 tsp. ground ginger

1/2 cup tamari sauce

1/2 cup honey

1/2 cup canola oil

1/2 tsp. toasted sesame oil

20 to 30 chicken drumsticks

Place the garlic in a food processor and pulse to finely mince. Scrape down the side and add the dry spices. Pulse once or twice. Add the oils, honey and tamari sauce and pulse to mix completely. Scrape as needed. Place the chicken legs in a large glass bowl, pour the sauce over the chicken and toss to coat. Marinate for about 30 minutes, turning once.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking dish with heavy aluminum foil. Spray with a non-stick spray. Put the chicken pieces in the pan place in the oven. Pour the remaining sauce into a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Boil for about 1 minute and turn off the heat.

Bake for 15 minutes. Baste with additional sauce, turn and bake for another 10 to 15 minutes. Baste again and bake for an additional 10 to 15 minutes. Sprinkle with Sesame seeds. Serve immediately or, to take on a picnic, let cool, transfer to a container that has a tight fitting cover, drizzle with any remaining sauce, cover and refrigerate. Makes 30 drumsticks.

Really Garlicky Falafel (Pareve)

Bring containers of shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, pita pockets, the falafel balls and tahini sauce and let everyone make their own falafel pockets.

6 to 8 cloves garlic

2 large onions

1/2 cup fresh parsley, finely minced

4 cups canned chickpeas, rinsed and drained

1/2 tsp. baking powder

6 Tbsp. breadcrumbs

1 to 2 tsp salt, to taste

1/2 to 1 tsp. ground cumin

Dash cayenne pepper

2 eggs

1 small bunch scallions, thinly sliced

Canola oil for deep frying

Place the garlic and onions in the bowl of a food processor and mince. Add the parsley and process until finely minced. Add the chickpeas and process until finely ground, about 25 to 35 seconds. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the baking soda, breadcrumbs spices and eggs. Process until smooth, scraping the bowl as needed. Add the sliced scallions and mix by hand. Set aside for about 3 minutes.

Heat a large skillet. Add about one-half inch of oil and heat until shimmery. Form the falafel into small round balls or little patties and set gently into the oil. Fry until golden and each patty easily releases from the pan. Turn and fry the other side. Remove to paper towels to drain excess oil. Makes 20 to 30 pieces.

Cold Eggplant Salad (Pareve)

2 large eggplants

2 to 3 Tbsp. kosher salt

3 to 6 cloves garlic, (more to taste) minced or put through a garlic press

1/8 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 can (28 oz) chopped tomatoes, drained

1 small can (3 oz) tomato paste

2 to 3 Tbsp. sun-dried tomatoes in oil, minced

salt, to taste

freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley

OPTIONAL: sliced black olives

Peel the eggplant and slice into 1/4 inch thick slices. Cut the small slices in half and the larger ones in quarters. Set into a colander and sprinkle with Kosher salt. Let sit in the sink and drain for about 20 minutes. Rinse thoroughly and set aside to drain dry.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, mix the rest of the ingredients and blend thoroughly. Mix the eggplant into the sauce and place the mixture in a large, shallow glass baking dish. Bake, uncovered, at 375 degrees for about 30 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 and bake until well done and the liquid has reduced. Mix well and, if you like, mash a bit. Cool and refrigerate. Serve cold on crackers or pita.

Italian Pignoli Cookies (Pareve and GF)

2 (7-oz packages) of almond paste

3/4 cup sugar

Tiny pinch salt

1/2 tsp. pure almond extract

2 to 3 drops pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup finely ground almonds or almond flour
2 large egg whites

1-1/2 cups pine nuts

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

Break up the almond paste into half-inch pieces and place in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse several times until the almond paste is sand-like and grainy. It may take a few minutes. Add the salt and half the sugar. Pulse to mix completely. Add the rest of the sugar and pulse to mix well. Add the almond flour and mix well. Add the extracts and egg white and pulse until the mixture is smooth. Scrape the bowl as needed.

Place the pine nuts in a bowl.

Use lightly oiled hands and make one-inch balls with the dough. Press one side into the pine nuts and place the slightly flattened disc, nut side up, on the prepared cookie sheet.

Bake for 20 to 23 minutes or until lightly golden brown. Let cool on the pans for 5 minutes and then transfer to a rack to cool completely. Makes about 30 to 36 cookies.