The Farmer’s Market was Made for Sukkot

We’re up to Sukkot in the fall High Holiday stretch, and it’s a holiday that often gets overlooked. It can seem like something you did when you were a kid in Hebrew School, or something you do when you have little kids—visiting a sukkah and shaking the lulav and etrog. But the fall harvest festival is actually quite relevant to our lives today, and nowhere are those connections more evident than at the farmer’s market. 

I met up with Chef Mushka—aka @mushkainthemarket—at the Union Square Greenmarket in New York City to learn more about how we can use seasonal produce to unlock the themes of Sukkot, and make a delicious holiday meal.

“I find Sukkot to be the most farmer’s market-centric holiday,” she told me. “We have the end of zucchini season, pepper season—all very stuffable vegetables, which is a motif in Sukkot that I really love.”

Here’s my farmer’s market adventure with Chef Mushka. And below, she shares her recipe for golden zucchini stuffed with lamb. 

Golden Zucchini Stuffed with Lamb

Recipe by Chef Mushka

Serves: 10–12

Prep time: 25 min

Cook time: 45–60 min

Ingredients

For the zucchini:

• 12–16 golden zucchinis, medium-sized and straight

• 3 tbsp olive oil

• Kosher salt, to season

For the lamb filling:

• 500 g (1.1 lb) ground lamb

• 1 small onion or shallot, finely diced (about 100 g)

• 2 cloves garlic, crushed and minced

• 2 tbsp harissa paste

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• 1 tsp cumin

• 1 tsp coriander

• 1 tsp Aleppo pepper or Urfa chili

• 1 tsp kosher salt, or to taste

• ½ tsp black pepper

• 1 cup parsley, mint & cilantro

For the braising sauce:

• 800 g (about 3 cups) crushed tomatoes

• 2 cups (480 ml) chicken broth, or water

• 2 tbsp pomegranate molasses (or 2 tbsp lemon juice + 1 tsp honey)

• 3 tbsp olive oil

• 1 ½ tsp kosher salt, or to taste

Instructions

Step 1: Prep the zucchini

• Trim ends and carefully hollow each zucchini with an apple corer or small knife,

  leaving about 1⁄2 cm walls.

• Season lightly inside and out with salt and a touch of olive oil.

Step 2: Make the lamb filling

• In a large bowl, mix ground lamb, onion, garlic, harissa paste, olive oil, and spices until well combined but not dense. Do not over mix.

• Fold in herbs. The mixture should be slightly loose so the fat renders beautifully during cooking.

Step 3: Stuff the zucchini

• Fill each zucchini about 3⁄4 full — leave a bit of space for juices and steam to

  circulate.

• If there’s extra filling, roll small lamb meatballs and cook them in the sauce alongside (they’re delicious bonus bites).

Step 4: Make the sauce

• In a wide, deep pan or Dutch oven, heat olive oil. Add crushed tomatoes, broth, pomegranate molasses and salt.

• Bring to a gentle simmer and taste — it should be savory, slightly tangy, and well-seasoned.

Step 5: Cook

• Nestle the stuffed zucchinis snugly in the sauce (they should be halfway submerged).

• Cover with a lid or parchment round and simmer gently for 45–55 minutes, until

  tender and infused.

• Optionally finish uncovered for the last 10 minutes to thicken and caramelize the sauce slightly.

Step 6: Finish & Serve

• Let rest 10 minutes before plating.

• Serve with a spoonful of the tomato sauce, drizzle with olive oil, and garnish with fresh herbs or pomegranate seeds for color.

Thanks to Chef Mushka for showing me the magic of the market! You can find out more about Mushka—and book her for your next event—here.

Congratulations to Rachel Haspel, the winner of our Suzy Ultman giveaway on Instagram. Rachel won a copy of Suzy’s three wonderful children’s books, including her latest, It’s a Mitzvah. Follow us @goldaguide to get in on the fun. 

Suzy will be signing books at The Jewish Museum on Oct. 13 at 11:30 a.m. 

Let us know how you’re observing Sukkot, and any fun recipes or traditions we should know about. My four-year-old daughter Edith discovered a sukkah being built behind our building the other day, and now regularly insists we go to the “b-floor” (basement) to visit it. I was shocked to learn it’s been up every year since we moved in. It’s amazing what you discover with a bit of new perspective.

Stay GOLDA,

Stephanie