Passover - Seder Plate
Before the actual meal is the Seder, steeped in tradition. Charoset recipe.
Passover is a time for family traditions but there's no reason why you can't include some of your own.
Old and New Traditions
Passover is the Festival of Spring and Freedom. It's also a time for traditions both old and new. Take the seder plate, all the food Jewish people make blessings on before the main meal, each one helps to tell the story of going out of Egypt and going to the Promised Land.
Here are some traditions both old and new:
Karpas - spring vegetable dipped in salt water.
The spring vegetable is usually parsley but you could have steamed asparagus, celery, mint, basil, butter lettuce or just look around the green grocers for inspiration. Any pleasant tasting green spring vegetable will do.
Instead of salt water try freshly squeezed lemon or lime.
Matzah - unleavened bread
There's Matzah but so many different kinds, for people who have problems digesting ordinary Matzah there is the egg kind. There's even chocolate coated matzah but that's usually for dessert. For people who are allergic to all wheat products there is spelt.
Bitter Herb - Its usually Romaine Lettuce or Horse Reddish but why not use boiled dandelions greens (make sure you harvest them from a pesticide free field away from traffic) or bock choy, or lemon grass.
Charoset - Usually apples with nuts.
Traditional Apple and Date Charoset:
- 1 large or 2 small apples finely chopped or grated
- ¼ cup Grape juice or Wine
- ½ cup - ground walnuts
- ½ cup chopped dates
Put chopped or grated apples in the microwave for 2 minutes or until soft. Add grape juice or wine, ground walnuts and chopped dates. Mix together. Serve cold.
Mediterranean and Middle Eastern Jews make a paste from dates or figs. You might be able to buy this or just put them in a Cuisenaire with some hot water - use fresh not dried.
You could also mash strawberries or any kind of berry with nuts.
Here's another idea:
Modern Twist Coconut, Pineapple and Banana Charoset:
- 1 banana
- 1/4 grated coconut
- 1/3 cup crushed canned pineapple
Mash up the banana with grated coconut. Add crushed pineapple. Serve cold.
Jewish people also eat boiled eggs on Passover. Please see my blog about eggs and I also have blogs about various spring vegetables on the Seasonal Holiday main page
And if all that wasn't enough, there's also four glasses of wine. Here's an idea for the last glass. Mix peaches, or strawberries with mint in a glass of white wine overnight, serve chilled at the end of the meal.
See Passover Part 2 for the main meal.
