Banners and Crests
When my husband and I were engaged, we enjoyed playing around with potential mash-ups for of our last names to create a new “family name” that we would both take once we were married. While we did not end up actually doing this, the exercise eventually evolved into imagining what our family crest would look like, if we were somehow the kind of landed gentry that had such things (we are not). We eventually came up with a very vivid image, which I hold in my mind’s eye to this day, of a brown bear downhill skiing, a red scarf flying behind him.
I love this image. I love the idea of representing our family visually in this way. I am not going to try to explain the image and its genesis here, because part of what makes a family crest fun is that it is symbolic. Much like a quilt, the different pieces represent specific things - symbols, memories - which may be apparent to some viewers, but not to all. I am not naturally inclined towards the visual arts, but I have often wished I could find a way to draw the image I had in my mind, the banner that would represent our little family as it grew.
This image came back to me as I read this week’s Torah portion, Bamidbar, which focuses mainly on taking the census, the numbers of the various tribes and the arrangement of their encampments. This line stood out to me:
The Israelites shall camp each man with his standard, under the banners of their ancestral house. (Numbers 2:2)
I could imagine it so vividly in my mind, the banners of each house waving, and somehow I could imagine our little skiing bear flying among them.
This week, I invite you to bring your children into this parasha by designing your own family crest or flag. What would you include? What would each color or image represent? You could draw it together, or make a collage. What does it feel like to see your family represented in this way? Why do you think it used to be so common to represent families or households using this kind of flag?
Sun Dried Tomato Pasta
From Pinch of Yum (which says it serves four, but we eat a lot of pasta, so I’d say more like three)
If there was a food group represented on our family crest, it would definitely be pasta. I love it, the kids love it, and let’s just say my husband never objects to it either. This pasta is a perfect signature family meal. Creamy and cozy, it comes together in a snap. It’s amazing how much the sun dried tomatoes transform this dish. You can finish making the entire sauce in the time it takes your pasta to cook, so it’s about as easy as opening a jar of spaghetti sauce, but the final result still feels like something special.
Ingredients
8 ounces (half a box) of pasta; a spiral shape is fun here, but any short pasta will work well
2 cloves garlic, minced or 1 tsp minced garlic from a jar
1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, packed in oil, chopped or 1/4 sun-dried tomatoes + 2 tablespoons olive oil
1/3 cup dry white wine or broth (I like to add about 1 tbl of apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar if using broth, to add in a little of the acidity you would get from the wine)
2/3 cup heavy cream
1 cup spinach, chopped
up to 1/2 cup reserved pasta water
a big bunch of chopped chives or parsley
salt and pepper to taste
parmesan for serving
Instructions
Cook the pasta, according to the package directions. Make sure to reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water before draining.
While the pasta cooks, heat a skillet over medium heat. Use a little bit of the oil from the sun-dried tomatoes (or the olive oil) to sauté the garlic and sun-dried tomatoes until soft and fragrant, 2-3 minutes.
Add the wine (or broth, and vinegar if using), and let it reduce.
Add the cream and spinach. Bring to a simmer, then season to taste with salt and pepper.
Stir in the pasta, adding just enough of the reserved pasta water to help coat the noodles in the sauce.
Top with chopped herbs and parmesan, and enjoy!