Recipes for Rosh Hashana

Toby Stolar once catered for Sinatra and Sting and now feeds 1,500 clients at a dozen Broward, Fla., social service agencies. So doing Rosh Hashana dinner at home for 22 is no sweat.

Her menu never varies. “Chopped liver, carrots and celery and olives, challah, chicken soup, matzoh balls, the apples and honey, brisket for sure, the mashed potatoes, the tsimmes, meatballs and cabbage, turkey, dilled cucumbers, ratatouille, carrot and apple molded pudding, strawberry shortcake, cold lemon souffle, angel food ice box cake. We always have some kind of chocolate; the kids always have ice cream if they want,” she says.

Here are a few of Stolar’s recipes:

TOBY’S FAVORITE BRISKET

1 (4- to 5-pound) first-cut brisket

Kosher salt

6 garlic cloves, minced

1 large onion, sliced thin

Salt, pepper and paprika

1/2 cup ketchup

4 carrots, peeled and sliced

Heat oven to 325 degrees.

Pat brisket dry and sprinkle generously with salt. Let meat sit for 45 minutes; rinse well and pat dry again.

Place brisket fat side up in a large glass baking dish or a roasting pan. Spread garlic evenly over the meat. Top with onion slices and sprinkle with salt, pepper and paprika to taste.

Carefully spread on ketchup, completely covering the top of the meat. Tuck carrot slices around the sides and pour 1/2 cup of water on top. Cover pan tightly with foil. Roast for 3 hours, until tender, adding a little more water if pan seems dry.

For best slicing, cool and refrigerate overnight. Discard congealed fat and slice meat thinly against the grain. Gently reheat, covered, at 325 degrees in the sauce formed during cooking. Makes 8 to 10 servings.

DILLED CUCUMBERS

3 large cucumbers

Salt

2 tablespoons sugar

1/4 cup white vinegar

1 teaspoon minced fresh dill or more to taste

Freshly ground pepper

Peel cucumbers and score sides lengthwise with a fork, creating a pattern of ridges. Cut into quarter-inch slices.

Place cucumber in a large, shallow bowl and toss with 2 tablespoons salt. Press a plate down on the slices, and let them sit for an hour. Drain off the liquid and rinse away any salt. Drain well.

Place slices in a small bowl, and toss with sugar, vinegar and dill. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Season to taste with salt and pepper before serving. Makes 6 servings.