Tsimmes Terrine

Tsimmes is a combination of sweet foods. It's eaten at Rosh Hashanah as a symbol of sweetness in anticipation of a sweet year.

Ingredients

4 whole	leeks
3	carrots
2 medium	sweet potatoes
1/4 pound	chicken fat (or margaine)
1/4 cup	brown sugar
1/4 cup	apple cider
1/2 tsp	cinnamon
3 large	onions
1 1/2 cups	water
6 large	eggs
6 large	white potatoes
12 oz.	pitted prunes
18 thin	asparagus spears

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375° F.
2. Cut the leeks down the center and clean the grit from them. Blanch the leeks by plunging them into boiling water then placing them in iced water. Remove the leeks and dry very well.
3. Place the carrots and sweet potatoes into a baking pan. Add the chicken fat (or margarine); brown sugar; cider; salt and pepper (to taste); lemon juice and cinnamon. Bake at 375° until the carrots and potatoes are soft (about 1 hour). Puree the mixture.
4. Dice the onions and suate in margarine until the onions are translucent. Puree the onions and add up to about a cup of water a little at a time until the mixture has reached the texture of whipped cream.

5. When the carrot and sweet potato mixture is cool, mix in 3 eggs and 1 cup of the onion puree. Set aside.
6. Boil the potatoes then mash until smooth. Add the remaining onion mixture. Add salt and pepper to taste. When cool, add the remaining 3 eggs and fold in well.
7. Heat the prunes in about 1 inch of water for minutes, drain and puree.
8. Cook the asparagus in boiling water for about 2 minutes and then plunge into ice water. Dry.
9. Grease two loaf pans. Lay the dry leeks across the bottoms of each pan, alternating tops and bottoms from one side to the other so that the ends overlap the top by about 2 inches.
10. Add 1/4 of the carrots and sweet potato mixture to each pan. Spread a thin layer of prunes then add half the white potato mixture. Cover with the remaining carrots and sweet potato mixture.
11. Fold the leeks over the top then cover each pan with foil.
12. Place the pans in a bain-marie (a larger pan filled with water) and back for 1 hour at 375°.
13. Let the pans cool completely in the bain-marie outside the oven. Weight down the tops of the loaves with heavy cans or dishes and place in refrigerator for 1 day. Using a very sharp knife, slice while chilled. Warm the slices slightly in the oven before serving.