Did you know that the mitzvah of sukkah is one of the only mitzvahs we do with our entire body? When you enter into the sukkah, you are entirely surrounded by the mitzvah!

I'm going to show you how you can make sukkah food art, with simple everyday food. Feel free to mix and match, or experiment on your own.


Toast and Avocado


You will need:

  • 2 pieces of toast
  • ½ a small avocado

Directions:

  1. Cut the toast into long narrow rectangles—these are the walls of your sukkah.
  2. Mash the avocado. I like to mix mine with a little lemon juice and salt, but you can keep it plain or season it however you prefer. Gently spoon the avocado onto the plate as pictured—this is the sechach, the greenery atop your sukkah.
  3. When you're ready to eat your creation, you can dip the toast into the avocado (or spread it on top).

Tuna and Celery


You will need:

  • Tuna
  • Celery
  • 1 square cookie cutter

Directions:

  1. Prepare the tuna, the way you would normally eat it (for example, mash it with a little mayonnaise and salt).
  2. Put the cookie cutter on the plate, and fill with a layer of tuna. Gently pick up the cookie cutter, and you will have a square for your sukkah. You can remove some to resemble a door.
  3. Slice the celery and put on top to resemble to the sechach.

Carrots and Dill Dip


You will need:

  • 2 carrots, or a bag of baby carrots
    1. Dill dip

Directions:

  1. Cut the carrots into thin sticks. (Ask an adult to help you, if you're using a sharp knife.)
  2. Line up the carrot sticks (or baby carrots) on the plate to make the walls of your sukkah.
  3. Gently place a couple of spoonfuls of dip on top, to look like the sechach. You could also use olive dip, spinach dip or guacamole.

Note: The next three ideas require more cooking, so make sure to ask an adult for help.


Eggs and Cheesy Spinach


You will need:

  • 1 egg
  • a handful of spinach
  • 1 tsp. butter or olive oil
  • 1 tbsp. cheese
  • a pinch of salt

Directions:

  1. Cook the eggs sunny-side up, or as an omelet. Cut it into a square using either a knife and a steady hand, or a square-shaped cookie cutter.
  2. Sauté the fresh spinach in olive oil or butter and salt, then melt a little cheese through it.

Mashed Potato and Green Beans


You will need:

  • 1 cooked potato
  • 10 cooked green beans

Directions:

Mash the potato, and add some salt. Create a square of potato on the plate using the cookie cutter method (the same way you did with the tuna). Top with the cooked green beans.


Chicken Fingers and Kale Chips


You will need:

  • Cooked chicken tenders
  • 2 leaves raw kale
  • 1 tsp. olive oil
  • a pinch of salt

Directions:

  1. Line up the chicken tenders to look like the walls of the sukkah. For a similar look, you could use pretzel rods.
  2. Cut the kale into pieces, about 1.5 inches in size. You'll see that the kale leaves have a strong vein running down the center—try to cut around that part; it's very bitter.
  3. Toss the kale chips with olive oil and salt.
  4. Put the kale on a baking sheet, and bake on 275°F for about 20 minutes. When you take them out, they will be crunchy, like chips! I love the leafy look they give this sukkah.

These are my ideas, but I'm sure you'll have ideas of your own. Leave a comment and share yours, so we can all try them.

Happy Sukkot!