Bathsheba's Crispy Baked Potatoes with Rosemary

8 small new potatoes, quartered

4 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

1 long sprig fresh rosemary, finely chopped

salt and pepper to taste

a sprinkle or two of Balsamic vinegar

radicchio leaves as needed

With starch, spice, and sweetness, Bathsheba's Crispy Baked Potatoes with Rosemary has all the makings of a great potato dish.

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Place potatoes, olive oil, and rosemary in large bowl; put a dinner plate over the bowl and toss, shaking up and down a few times until well-mixed. Arrange potatoes on large baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt and pepper; bake, turning occasionally, about 45 minutes, or until golden brown. Before serving, baste with Balsamic vinegar and place on a bed of radicchio for a fine presentation.

Yield: 8 servings

The Text

39b Then David sent word to Abigail, asking her to become his wife.

His servants went to Carmel and said to Abigail, “David has sent us to you to take you to become his wife.”

She bowed down with her face to the ground and said, “Here is your maidservant, ready to serve you and wash the feet of my master's servants.”

42 Abigail quickly got on a donkey and, attended by her five maids, went with David's messengers and became his wife.

I Samuel 25:39b-42, New International Version

A jug of olive oil was representative of the feast of kings, as the ancient Hebrews believed that olive oil was capable of restoring health and adding longevity.

Biblical Passage Notes

The Bible does not provide us with any words about the preparations for David's marriages, but there seems to be a long history associated with a wedding feast in the House of David. The imagery is seen over and over again in the Song of Songs, where some scholars and a longstanding tradition identify the male protagonist, the lover, as Solomon, David's son and successor. In addition, the parable of the wedding feast in the Christian gospels (Matthew 22:1–14, Luke 14:15–24) is rooted in a Jewish understanding of the marriage of a great king. The stories surrounding David were undoubtedly on the minds of the gospel writers as they related the teachings of Jesus, who himself was said to be a descendant of David.

The Preparation

What would a feast for such a great king look like? In modern-day Israel, one will come across more than a few sites pitching “King David's Feast” (such as Genesis Land just outside of Jerusalem) to the tourist trade; and many of the cookbooks of the last seventy years have a recipe or two that imagine some glorious confection worthy of the Jerusalem court. We've attempted a fair cross section of both offerings, while adding in a few recipes we think would make an 11th-century b.c.e. royal meal complete. If you're going to try the whole menu at one sitting, make sure you have left yourself a lot of preparation time and that you've invited lots of friends and family with hearty appetites!