Oy Gevalt: It’s time for Passover! And, I haven’t even started cooking! What a mess!
Thanks to the Pandemic, you won’t have to cook for the extended family, but, it’s time for Passover and you do have your own family to carry on the tradition. In fact, celebrating during a pandemic gives a sense of what it was like during biblical times. We are sitting in our homes hoping the Mezuzah keeps the plague at bay. And, like the Jews about to be released from slavery only to spend 40 years wandering the dessert, we are faced with multiple vaccines and the hope of escaping the pandemic, only to still be wearing masks and socially distancing until the world is ready for all people to gather together again. But, enough of that meshuggana, LET”S EAT!
Passover is a time of tradition, history, and reflection. The Seder plate contains reminders of the hardships endured by the Jewish people. The lamb bone, bitter herb, roasted egg, parsley, lettuce, charoset, and salt water along with matzah and red wine each represent a story. Then comes the meal. Traditionally, it starts with Matzo ball soup, goes into a fish course (usually gefiltefish), then onto the main course. This is usually a Brisket or roast chicken. Dessert is an issue, because flour is forbidden. Consider Gluten free alternatives. Of course, we aren’t going to adhere to the traditional here. But, we are going to try to stick to things that are meaningful to the occasion.
It’s time for Passover. Here’s The Menu
Our menu combines some traditional items with a little twist, as well as, some more modern and unexpected dishes.
- Vegan Herbed Matzo Ball soup with Wild Mushroom
- Balsamic Glazed Salmon with Braised Red Cabbage, Micro Greens and Baby Radish
- Grain Mustard Crusted Lamb Rib with Rosemary Demi Glace accompanied by Sweet Potato Latkes with Cinnamon Apple Sauce and Asparagus Bundles
- Lemon Coconut Flan with Candied Zest and Pistachio Brittle
About the courses
The traditional Matzo soup is a chicken soup. By making it Vegan, it is more respectful to mother earth.
Gefilte Fish is usually served as the second course. Some people like it. But, it’s an acquired taste. If you are going to eat fish, why not make it something a little nicer? The inclusion of radish and cabbage reminds us of Maror and Chazeret. The microgreens are reminiscent of Karpas, and, vinegar is an alternative version of the salt water for the tears.
I chose lamb as the main dish because it makes more sense than brisket or chicken. The traditional sacrifice in the bible was a lamb, not a chicken or cow. If you are sacrificing an animal, why would you let it go to waste? Sweet Potatoes accent the lamb better than traditional potatoes, so we put them into latke form here. And, he asparagus bundles can be symbolic of what the former slaves carried with them into the dessert.
After a heavy entree, a lighter dessert is soothing. Since flour and dairy are not allowed, we use coconut milk in this flan. The addition of lemon brings back the stinging acidity of the oppressed.