Basic Passover

My family has come to love celebrating Passover as we work through this week building up to Easter. After a simplified Seder with a retelling of the exodus of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt, we eat a simple meal inspired by the traditional Seder plate, to remember Jesus' Last Supper and as a gesture of unity with those yearning for freedom everywhere.

And now that daughters are away during this time of year, they've asked that I post the  basic recipes our family has come to love so we can be united even from a distance.

(For more authentic Passover menus,
please look at Epicurious)

Seder Plate
sprigs of parsley
salt water
horseradish
radicchio pieces
charoset
lamb shank (which is not eaten by modern observant Jews, see more info)
3 matzah bread wrapped in a napkin

This year I think we'll try making chicken soup with matzoh balls (which is traditional) and griddled eggs (which are not) though salted hardboiled eggs are. But the following are the recipes that have lasted our several years of experimenting.

Barley and Lamb
(2 hours in oven)

Roasted lamb is not kosher for Passover
ever since the temple in Jerusalem was destroyed,
but would have been included in Jesus' historical meal.
Barley is not kosher for Passover, especially cooked wet like this,
but Passover was timed to coincide with the barley harvest.
Butter is dairy, so never kosher with meat.

We still like this.

It's nice that it can finish unattended in the oven
while we go through the lengthy
Passover festivities before the meal.

2 Tablespoons butter
1 cup barley, rinsed and drained
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 cloves garlic
2 medium onions, chopped
1 pound lamb stewing meat, boneless and trimmed of fat, cut into bite-sized pieces
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
1 tablespoon olive oil
6 cups chicken stock, divided

1. Preheat oven to 350 ̊.
2. Brown barley in butter. Set aside in 2-quart casserole dish.
3. Saute garlic and onion mixture and add to barley.
4. Generously sprinkle lamb with salt and pepper.
5. Brown lamb in olive oil then place atop barley mixture.
6. Pour 3 cups chicken stock over the meat. Cover casserole dish and bake for approximately 1 hour.
7. Add the last 3 cups of chicken stock, recover, and bake for 1 more hour.
8. Dish is done when the lamb is tender with some chicken stock remaining. Season with salt and pepper as desired.

Parsley, Radicchio, and Napa Cabbage Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette

This was surprisingly tasty -- we loved the lemony dressing. 
Honey was my change from the original found in Gourmet 2003.

1½ Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon finely grated fresh lemon zest
¼  teaspoon honey
¼  teaspoon salt
¼  teaspoon black pepper
⅓ cup plus 1 tablespoon olive oil
6 cups thinly sliced Napa cabbage (½ lb; from 1 head)
4½& cups loosely packed fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves (3 large bunches)
2 cups thinly sliced radicchio

1. Whisk together lemon juice, zest, sugar, salt, and pepper until sugar is dissolved, then add oil in a slow stream, whisking until emulsified.
2. Just before serving, toss cabbage, parsley, and radicchio in a large bowl with just enough dressing to coat, then season with salt and pepper.

Charoseth (spicy)

Also spelled haroseth, a dried fruit and nut paste 
that symbolizes the mortar Israelite slaves used 
when they labored in Egypt. 
Used as a condiment, rather like chutney, 
this very spicy version is from Yemen. 

⅔ cup dried Mission figs (6 oz)
⅔ cup dried apricots (6 oz)
⅓ cup pitted dates (4 oz)
1⅓ cups walnuts (4 oz), finely chopped, and cooled
¼ cup kosher grape juice (part can be balsamic vinegar for more zing) 
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon cayenne
⅛ teaspoon ground ginger

1. Chop together figs, apricots, and dates. 
2. Mix with walnuts, juice, and vinegar.
3. Sprinkle spices evenly over mixture and stir until combined well. 
4. Can be made 3 days ahead and kept, covered, in the refrigerator.

 I'm very fond of this pan-Mediterranenan Sephardic version
based on a recipe by Adeena Sussman,
Epicurious March 2006.

Charoseth (banana)

20 pitted dates (preferrably Medjool) 
3 bananas
½ cup golden raisins, chopped 
¼ cup kosher grape juice (part can be balsamic vinegar for more zing) 
3 Tablespoons date syrup (silan) or honey  
½ cup walnuts, toasted
½ cup unsalted shelled pistachios, toasted
½ cup whole almonds, toasted
1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground allspice
½ teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground cloves

1. In food processor, purée dates until smooth.
2. Add bananas, raisins, grape juice, and honey and process to combine.
3. Add walnuts, pistachios, almonds, allspice, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves and process until smooth.
4. Keep covered, in refrigerator, until ready to serve.

Or if you want something more tame, try this traditional
Ashkenazi version based on a recipe by Adeena Sussman,
Epicurious March 2006. 

A pinch of salt is sometimes desirable.  

Charoseth (traditional)

3 medium Honeycrisp, Gala, or Jonathan apples, peeled, cored, and finely diced 
1½ cups walnut halves, lightly toasted, cooled,and coarsely chopped
½ cup kosher grape juice ((part can be balsamic vinegar)
1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
½ cup raisins, chopped (or more)
zest from one orange (optional but sensational)&nbsp

1. Mix everything together.  
2. Keep covered, in refrigerator, until ready to serve. 

In addition, we usually serve honey or vanilla yogurt 

with pomegranate mixed in, if available. 

Otherwise,  just the yogurt with chopped mint. 

And then, of course, dessert . . .
which we have decided over the years simply must be
  Almond Pomegranate Thumbprint Cookies.

Carlie's Incomparable Crisp

This is my friend Carlie's recipe and a standard at our house

when a quick dessert is desired.

Also good made with home-canned peaches. 

⅔ cup butter

1 cup flour

1 cup oatmeal

2 teaspoon cinnamon

½ teaspoon allspice

1½  cup brown sugar

6-8 large tart apples (or 6-8 fresh peaches)

1. Mix all ingredients but apples with fork or fingertips.
2. Peel and slice apples and put in 9”x13” pan. 
3. Sprinkle topping over apples.

Bake at 375° for 25-30 minutes.

Apple Pie (with three variations)

The first pie I ever made was apple pie with streusel topping.

I still like it.

And I had always thought I hated apple pie.

The secret is: good apples. Fresh. Tart. Mix and match.

crust:

2 cups chilled flour

1 teaspoon salt

⅔ cup chilled leaf lard or shortening

2 Tablespoons chilled butter

¼ cup ice water (+1 teaspoon – 1 Tablespoon more if needed)

filling:

3 Tablespoons flour

½ teaspoon finely grated fresh lemon zest (optional)

½ teaspoon cinnamon

¼ teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg

⅛ teaspoon salt 

⅔ cup sugar

6+ cups tart apples, peeled, cored, wedged

1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice (optional)

1 teaspoon vanilla (optional)

1 ½ Tablespoon butter

1. prepare crust: Sift together flour and salt.
2. Combine lard and butter.  Cut ½ of lard mixture into the flour mixture with pastry blender until it has grain of cornmeal.  Cut remaining half coarsely into the dough until it is pea size.
3. Sprinkle dough lightly with ice water, pushing wetted dough away to one side of bowl as you sprinkle.  When you can gather dough into a ball, stop handling it.
4. Refrigerate until 1 hour before use: allow it to come to room temperature.  Pinch off just enough dough for one pie shell and press it into approximate shape needed.  Roll as lightly and as little as possible.
5. prepare filling:  Preheat oven to 425°F.
6. Whisk together flour, zest, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, salt, and sugar.
7. Gently toss with apples and lemon juice until well-coated.
8. Place in layers in pie shell.  Dot with butter.
9. Bake pie 20 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 375°F and continue to bake until crust is golden and filling is bubbling, about 40 minutes more.
10. Cool pie to warm or room temperature on a rack, 2 to 4 hours

variations:

1st.    Autumn Apple:

Make ½ crust recipe.  For top crust, cut leaves and acorns from left-over dough with cookie cutters.  Scatter over top of pie, overlapping as desired.  (If desired, paint with beaten egg tinted with food-coloring in autumn colors.)

2nd.    Streusel:

6 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
6 Tablespoons firmly packed brown sugar
6 Tablespoons flour (or rolled oats)

1 teaspoon cinnamon
¼ cup chopped walnuts (optional)

3rd.   Cheesy Apple:

Substitute 1 teaspoon of fennel or anise seed for other flavorings.  After baking, sprinkle 1 cup shredded sharp cheese and place briefly under a broiler to melt.

Brussel Sprouts from a Medieval Forest

On a whim, I tried combining a few Northern European late autumn-ripening foods. These tastes are meant to be eaten together. The red apple peel is especially pretty against the bright green of the lightly sauteed sprouts.
Clean and cut in half:

• 1 - 2 stalks of brussel sprouts

Heat in a pan:

• 1 - 2 Tablespoons goose fat (or butter)

Saute brussel sprouts with:

• 1 onion, thinly sliced
• 1 - 2 apples, unpeeled but chopped small
• ¼ - ½ cup fresh walnuts, shelled and quartered
• Salt and pepper to taste

When sprouts turn bright green and onions soften, remove from heat and sprinkle with

• 1 - 2 Tablespoons walnut oil
• 1 - 2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar

Adjust salt and pepper before serving.

Two Salads: Bosc Pear, Blue Cheese, Lettuce + Cinnamon Apple Mesclun (week of Oct 12-18)

Bosc Pear, Blue Cheese, Sweet Lettuce 

A classic combination. Simple. Simply delicious. (makes 5 individual salads) Wash and spin dry:

• 1 small head of mild lettuce, tinged red,

laying a leaf or two on each salad plate.

Slice thinly:

• 1 perfectly ripe, firm, golden brown Bosc pear,

so that there are 5 slices per salad, and fan slices out on the lettuce leaf.

Divide among the salad plates and sprinkle over the lettuce and pear:

• 1 - 2 oz. blue cheese, in 1/4-inch slices
• 1 scallion (I used the tender green sprouting tips of a yellow onion from my pantry cupboard), minced fine
• 1 Tablespoon walnut oil
• salt
• plenty of freshly ground pepper

Cinnamon Apple and Mixed Greens 

Crowd pleaser. The cinnamon is surprisingly subtle and warm. (makes a large bowl of salad) Wash and spin dry:

• mixed greens including red and green lettuce, radicchio, mizuna, etc.

Toss with:

• 1 - 2 Tablespoons walnut oil
• 1 or 2 Gala apples, chopped small
• 1 scallion (or the tender green sprouting tips of a yellow onion), minced fine
• salt and pepper, to taste
• cinnamon, to taste