I’ve decided to write a column about food. Good food. Easy food. Sort of seasonal. Pretty cheap. Mostly good for you.

Why am I qualified to do this? Well, I love food. Not just eating it, although that’s pretty fun… But the whole thing. Chopping the vegetables. Mixing stuff with my hands. The way the kitchen smells while the food is cooking.

I don’t know if I’m a particularly good cook; I’ve made my fair share of flat biscuits. But I thought it might be fun to have a different recipe every week, which I hope fits the mood of the week.

I hope you try some of these, and don’t hesitate to let me know if you liked it or not, or if you have any ideas about a subject for my column.

This week’s recipe is for a dish called tzimmes. The idea is that you combine yams, carrots, dried fruit and some other stuff, and then bake it for a good long time.

Maybe you haven’t heard of this, perhaps because it is traditionally made by and for Jewish people, of whom I count myself one. Although my mother is Jewish and I grew up in a culturally Jewish environment, I’m not as good with the technicalities of the religion. One thing my mom and I are good at is the food.

Tzimmes was usually served at holiday gatherings such as Rosh Hashanah. I’ve always liked it because it’s very sweet without having any sugar, and it has a nice tartness that balances it out. It’s a great side dish, especially served warm during the winter. I chose it as my first recipe because it reflects the goals of this column: Easy, cheap, seasonal, good food.

This beautiful dish feeds a lot of people; it’s good for bringing to potlucks or to keep in the fridge and eat for a few days.

5 yams and/or sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced into 1-inch cubes
2 large carrots, peeled and sliced
1 unpeeled apple, sliced
1 onion, chopped
2 cups chopped dried fruit (apricots, raisins, craisins, prunes)
Juice from one lemon
2/3 cup orange juice (about 2 oranges)
1 cup apple juice
1 tsp. salt
½ tsp. ground cinnamon
½ tsp. ginger powder
¼ tsp. nutmeg
¼ cup fine bread crumbs or matzoh meal (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Place all ingredients (except for the bread crumbs, if you’re using them) into a big bowl and toss them all together.
3. Empty the bowl into a big casserole or baking pan. Sprinkle with bread crumbs over the top. Cover with foil. Bake for 1 ½-2 hours, or until everything is tender and cooked through.