Passover Seder Staples

CHAROSET

This charoset is Ashkenazi (Eastern European) style.  There are many, many varieties of Sephardic style charoset, reflecting regional ingredients, but Ashkeanzi charoset tends to be apples, nuts, wine, and spices.  This simple recipe uses honey, too.

Ingredients:

2 large sweet apples, peeled, cored, and diced
2/3 c walnuts
1/4 c Passover wine (sweet red wine)
1-2 tsp honey (to taste depending on sweetness of apples)
1 tsp cinnamon
dash each nutmeg and allspice

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in food processor and process until coarsely pureed, scraping down sides as needed. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator until used.

BEETS

We vegetarians obviously don’t use a shankbone on our seder plates. Some omit it but I choose to use a beet to represent zoreah. Beets always come in a bunch, so you’ll need a recipe for the rest of them.

Warning: beets make GREAT dye which means you need to be careful as you cook, slice, and eat them.

RUSSIAN STYLE BEETS WITH DILL

This Russian inspired recipe is fresh and light. My matzo ball soup recipe uses dill so I like that I can incorporate dill into other recipes during Passover week (e.g. I make omelettes with dill once or twice in the morning, and I used dill for this salmon entree.

Directions: Clean beets well (wash under cold running water using a vegetable scrubber.) Trim off both ends. Place beets in saucepan and cover 1″ over top with cold tap water, then bring to the boil. Turn heat down slightly and boil beets until fork-tender (cooking time depends on thickness of beets; if yours are very large, slice the ones you are going to serve to eat in smaller pieces for even cooking.)

Drain water (be careful of brilliant pink splashes!) and let beets cool completely. Skin should slide off easily (if it doesn’t, slice it off with a sharp knife.) Cut in 1/4″ slices and drizzle with vinaigrette of your choice. Serve chilled.

DILL VINAIGRETTE (FOR BEETS)

Decide how much vinaigrette to make. Use a 2:1 oil to vinegar ratio.

Pour olive oil into your favorite white wine vinegar in a thin, steady stream while continually whisking. (Set a slightly damp kitchen towel beneath the bowl to keep it from moving.) You can also substitute fresh lemon juice for half of the vinegar.

Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add seasonings of choice: 1 clove minced garlic; dried or fresh thyme; fresh minced dill. Shake in jar with lid or cruet to incorporate seasonings.