Seven-Fruit Haroset From Surinam

Combine everything except the jam and wine in a pot. Cover with water and simmer over low heat. Periodically, add small amounts of water to prevent sticking. Cook at least 90 minutes. When it is cohe sive, stir in the jam and let stand until cool. Add enough sweet wine to be absorbed by the haroset and chill. Makes 5 cups. NOTES : _The Jewish Holday Kitchen_, Joan Nathan. Schocken Books, New York: 1988. Many Sephardic Jews relocated to Holland at the time of the Inquisitions. From there, some went to Dutch colonies, often engaging in the sugar and spice trade. Mrs. Abraham Lopes Cardozo (nee Ro bles) is a fine cook who makes an effort to preserve for her family and friends her Surinam culinary heritage. She is the wife of the chazan (cantor) of Shearith Israel Congregation in New York City; he is the former minister of the Sephardic Congregation in Surinam. At Passover, Surinam customs are quite unusual. Mrs. Cardozo explained, for instance, that matzot were a rarity in Surinam. Because they had to be imported from Holland (and later, the US), cass ava (a kind of potato) meal was often used instead to bake sweet breads for Passover. The potato was first grated and washed, then dried in the sun for weeks. Once dried, it was ready to be mixed wit h other ingredients, much as we use matzo cake meal. Recipe by: Joan Nathan Posted to MC-Recipe Digest V1 #536 by "Master Harper Gaellon" <gaellon@inch.com> on Mar 22, 1997