Harvest of Rubies (44 page)

Some comments regarding several characters in this novel may prove helpful here. While Alogune is a historical figure, the plot involving her in this story is entirely fictional. However, archaeological records indicate that Alogune’s son, Sogdianus, goes on to murder Damaspia’s son, Xerxes II, shortly after his ascent to the throne. I felt that the plotline involving Alogune would give Sogdianus a convincing motive (besides good old-fashioned ambition) for the later betrayal of his half brother.

There is no extrabiblical record of the existence of Esther or Vashti. The only wife of Xerxes recorded in history is Amestris. This need not indicate a conflict between the Bible
and history; Persians were in the habit of only recording the names of the wives and concubines of the king who bore him children. If Esther and Vashti did not bear Xerxes children, then Persian tradition would have left their names out of public records. Some scholars suggest that Vashti
is
Amestris, but there are problems with that theory. I suggest my own theory in
Harvest of Rubies
, though it too offers certain difficulties, the most pronounced of which is the age of Amestris by the time Xerxes marries her.

Several ancient historians refer to Artaxerxes as a kind and tolerant ruler, a personality trait I try to highlight in the novel. While he was known as “the long-handed” because of a congenital defect, he had no problems with his taste buds that we know of. That was literary license on my part. Along similar lines, I was inspired to give Shushan a fake eye when I read an article on the discovery of a skeleton from around this period, which according to Iranian researchers, sported a stone eye.

Some readers have asked about the appropriate term of address for God amongst the Israelite community at this time. By the Middle Ages, the Jewish community had set themselves a narrow standard; any direct mention of
G-d
, whether orally or in written form, was seen as breaking the Third Commandment. A number of scholars believe that this practice began as an oral tradition that has much older roots. Other scholars contend that this practice was of later origin. I chose the latter, because the biblical writers address God much more freely in their prayers as well as in their teachings. If the book of Nehemiah refers openly to God, then the most accurate depiction of the time is simply to follow his example.

Although we are not certain of the exact era during which the Psalms were gathered in written form, one stream of thought suggests the Persian Period as the start of this endeavor.
Nehemiah’s gift of a collection of some of the Psalms is a reference to this significant moment in time.

I hope you have enjoyed Sarah’s and Darius’s adventures in
Harvest of Rubies
. I look forward to continuing their story in my next book as I write about Nehemiah’s journey to Jerusalem. Once again I will tackle the symbol of walls—this time the importance of building them. You can read a chapter starting on
page 357
.

u
nfortunately, no recipes survive from the Achaemenid period. However, lists of foods used for the king’s servants and retainers give us a good idea of ingredients. The Persians loved using a great variety of meats, and were extremely fond of sweets.

The following recipes are derived from current Persian cuisine. Some of these recipes have been slightly altered from their traditional form in deference to healthy eating habits. I have tried to choose dishes that use ingredients available in ancient Persia, except for one thing: rice. To the modern Persian, life without properly steamed rice is a fate almost as bad as death. But historically speaking, our earliest evidence of rice in Persia dates to the first century AD. This does not necessarily mean that rice would not have been available at Artaxerxes’ table; the king had access to the rarest foods from around the world and his cooks traveled to far-flung corners of the empire, gathering recipes and ingredients. It merely means that the average person would probably not be eating rice during this period.

(as served to Darius in
chapter 15
)

2 large seedless eggplants, washed

2 large onions, chopped

5 cloves of garlic, chopped

1 cup whey (You can purchase this in specialty stores. The Persian name is
kashk
.

Or,
you can replace whey with 1 cup Greek yogurt, strained over cheesecloth overnight.)

2 tablespoons dried mint, crushed to powder (you can rub the mint between your palms)

½ teaspoon turmeric

¾ cup vegetable or olive oil

½ teaspoon saffron

Sea salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350. Poke several holes in the eggplants and place on rack in a pan for one hour, or until eggplants are soft.

Tip
: If eggplants give you gastric discomfort, peel them, cut them into ¼ inch layers, salt, and leave for several hours. Eggplants will
sweat
a dark liquid. Wiping that liquid off will make them much easier to digest. Fry your eggplant instead of roasting it.

In a large skillet, fry onions in ½ cup oil over medium heat, reserving the rest of the oil. Stir occasionally. Make sure they are soft all the way through as well as golden. Add garlic and stir frequently until golden. Don’t allow to burn. Reserve half the mixture for topping. Add turmeric to the rest of the mix and remove from heat.

When eggplant is ready, remove skin, and using a fork, mash until eggplant is completely pureed. Replace skillet over medium heat and add eggplant to the fried onion mixture. Fry for another five minutes, until completely tender. Add salt and pepper. Serve on a serving dish.

In a skillet, add oil over medium high heat. Add powdered mint. Flash fry and remove from heat. Add saffron and spoon over eggplant mixture. Add the reserved onion and garlic mixture to the top of the eggplant. Serve with whey or yogurt. Delicious with heated pita bread or naan.

Well-made Persian rice has grains that are soft all the way through without being sticky. While more complicated to prepare than the average white rice, it is so profoundly tasty that the extra care and time are worth the effort. Serves six:

4 cups basmati rice (do not replace with other rice varieties)

9 cups water

½ tablespoon sea salt

4 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 tablespoon butter, melted (optional)

1 teaspoon saffron, powdered (optional)

Stage 1
:
Boiling
—Place rice in a deep bowl. Gently wash with hot water four or five times. Leave rice to soak in clean hot water for an hour.

Fill a large pot (nonstick ideal, but not necessary) with nine cups of water and bring to boil. Empty excess water from the soaking rice and add to pot. Reduce heat to medium high and stir a few times until water returns to boil.

Try a few grains of rice after 6–8 minutes. If rice feels soft all the way through, drain in a colander and gently rinse with cold water. Don’t overcook.

Stage 2
:
Steaming
—Add oil, ¼ cup water, and a sprinkle of sea salt to the bottom of pot and reduce heat to medium. When water comes to boil, add rice back into pot. Rice grains are fragile at this point so transfer gently, careful not to break the long grains. Sprinkle salt to taste as you are adding the rice.

Place several paper towels over pot and replace the lid firmly. This allows the rice to finish cooking through steam instead of boiling. After ten minutes, reduce temperature to low. Cook without removing the lid for an additional 30–40 minutes.

Serve rice on a platter with melted butter (optional). Add saffron (optional). See below for preparation tip. The bottom of the pot should yield a golden crispy crust of rice, a favorite in Persian cuisine.

• Tip
  : If you are using saffron, use a few grains of sugar in a pestle and with a mortar crush the saffron filaments into powder. Pour two teaspoons of boiling water over saffron. When rice is ready to serve, pour saffron on top. Its aroma and beautiful color will enhance this dish tremendously. However, avoid stains, as saffron can leave a permanent mark.
  

1 teaspoon powdered saffron (see tip above for preparation)

½ cup fresh lime juice

1 large onion, chopped

2–3 cloves of garlic, chopped

¼ cup olive oil

1 ½ teaspoons sea salt

pepper to taste

2 pounds chicken, cut into 1 ½ inch pieces. Breast, wing, and drumsticks are especially good with this recipe.

For basting: melted butter, juice of one lime, and a pinch of powdered saffron

In a large bowl mix all ingredients (except for basting mixture). Cover and marinate overnight.

The best way to cook this dish is over a charcoal grill, using skewers. Mix butter, saffron, and lime juice and baste chicken as grilling. Chicken should be ready in 10–15 minutes. Turn frequently.

To cook indoors, preheat oven to broil. Spray bottom of your pan with oil. Cook chicken ten minutes on each side if boned, less if boneless breast. Serve with basmati rice.

(served at Sarah and Darius’s wedding)

White rice is often served with a variety of meat sauces, called
khoresht
. Quince is an ancient fruit, celebrated throughout the ages for its beautiful and unique perfume.

1 pound stewing lamb, cubed, washed, and dried

2 large onions, chopped into small pieces

3 cloves of garlic, chopped

3 medium quince, washed, cored, and cut into medium wedges

¼ cup olive or vegetable oil

¼ cup lime juice

1 ½ tablespoons sugar

¼ teaspoon turmeric

¼ teaspoon ground saffron (see tip under white basmati rice for preparation)

A pinch of cinnamon

A small pinch each of ground cardamom, ground coriander seeds, and ground nutmeg (optional)

Sea salt and pepper to taste

In a large skillet, brown onion in oil over medium heat. Stir occasionally until onions turn a golden color and are caramelized. Add garlic and stir until garlic is also a golden color. Sprinkle turmeric and stir.

Add lamb, and turn heat up to medium high. Stir occasionally. When lamb is brown on all sides, set temperature on low. Sprinkle cinnamon. Add ¾ cup boiling water. Place a lid on skillet and allow lamb to simmer gently for 30 minutes.

In a separate pan, flash fry the quince on both sides quickly. Add to the lamb mixture and cook for an additional 30 minutes. Add sugar, lime juice, salt, pepper, and saffron. Allow to simmer gently another ten minutes.

Serve hot over white basmati rice.

(also known as Morrassa Polo)

This dish is not only delicious, but its stunning colors makes it a favorite for weddings.

4 cups basmati rice

1 large onion

Two large carrots, peeled and julienned finely

¾ cup fresh orange peel, julienned finely, with the white skin in the back completely removed

¾ cup barberries (specialty store) or you can replace with dried cranberries, with each cranberry cut in half

3 tablespoons slivered skinless almonds

2 tablespoons slivered pistachios

½ cup raisins

¾ cup sugar

1 teaspoon saffron

¼ cup olive oil

¼ cup butter

Sea salt

Prepare white basmati rice, above, through the end of stage one. Let it rest in colander.

Bring ¾ cup water to boil with ½ cup sugar. Add orange peel and carrots. Boil until soft, about ten minutes. Drain and set aside.

If you are using barberries, wash by placing in a bowl of water. Gently agitate and leave in water for one or two minutes. Remove barberries from water and place on paper towel to dry.

In a skillet, add half the oil and butter together over medium heat. Fry onions until golden. Add barberries with ¼ cup remaining sugar or cranberries (no sugar is needed as they are already sweetened). Stir frequently and remove from heat after two minutes.

In a large nonstick pot, add the rest of the oil and butter over medium heat. Add 4 cup water and a dash of sea salt. Bring to boil. Add a couple of spatulas of rice to the bottom of the pot gently.

Then with a spoon add a layer of the mixture of carrots and orange peel, a layer of the barberry or cranberry and onion mixture, some almonds, and some pistachios and raisins. Alternate with rice layer, until mixture is finished. Cover with several paper towels and place lid tightly. After several minutes, lower temperature to
low
setting.