Passover Menus

Would anyone care to share their Passover menus? I'm in charge of a vegetable and making a savory potato kugel. Would love to read any and all traditional/untraditional ideas. FYI - My family makes traditional Ashkenazi food.

sexyLAMBCHOPx
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19 Comments

Nancy March 24, 2015
To the ongoing question of Passover menus & especially the subset of green vegetables:

Early in the haggada, there us the blessing if karpas (usually celery or parsley). Some people now use this as the place (perfectly fine, even for the most traditional) to serve all sorts of crudites. It staves off hunger, but doesn't kill your appetite for the big meal.

And if you''re in an area that has them, and they''re in the markets, serve fiddleheads as a sign of spring.
 
sexyLAMBCHOPx March 19, 2013
Opps here the basic cucumber salad recipe: http://theshiksa.com/2011/07/08/crunchy-pickled-salad/
 
sexyLAMBCHOPx March 19, 2013
Hi All - Do you think this salad would work with The Girl and her Pig's Lemon Caper Dressing?
 
Aliwaks March 19, 2013
I too agree with the sad lack of veggies, how about making a play on Bitter & Fresh Greens (Maror/Charzet & Karpas) ...which as we know were traditionally eaten and most likely savored since they were the first greens of spring esp by Ashkenazim..Passover coincided with the first green buds peeking out of the snow, they must have been gobbled up with great enthusiasm... to that end I've made a watercress & endive salad which covers both fronts and adds some much needed freshcrunchiness to the table and can also be snuck in as a bed for gefilte fish, as can barley pickled thinly sliced still crunchy beets + cucumbers + radishes with a shaving of fresh horseradish & some fresh dill, can't get more Ashkenazi than that!.

As far as other ideas:

We always had Matzoh Ball Soup, Gefilte Fish, Chopped Liver, Roasted Chicken with Oranges, Apricot & Honey one night and a Brisket the next, Potato Kugel, Carrot Tsimmes, Mushroom Farfel & inexplicably my Nanny Matty would make green bean casserole???, then Sponge Cake, Macaroons, Chocolate covered marshmallows& Raspberry Jellies.

I still make some variation of that like Cornish Game Hens with Blood Oranges, Apricots & Fennel. If I have the chance to do a big Seder I prefer make a Roast leg of Lamb over a Brisket, I sometimes veer over to the Sephardim as far as flavors basting it with Pomegranate molasses or studding it with garlic and rubbing it with cinnamon & cumin.

I've made root veg kugels, sweet potato kugel, mushroom & potato kugels, I once made a very intense potato kugel with onions carmelized in duck fat. A Zucchini Kugel is not a bad idea either or I just thought of a Ribbon salad of lots of raw veg shaved and served with lemon juice, olive oil a bit of garlic & lots fresh herbs. Something again tart & crunchy to offset all the oozy fatiness...

Though Kugel's never my favorite, though I'm a huge fan of Tsimmes!!! My grandmother's always had walnuts, prunes, carrots & sweet potatoes cooked with honey & oranges (both my grandmothers were big honey & orange fans). I still make a fairly traditional one but I add lots of ginger, candied & fresh, and occasionally a bit of cumin & sub pistachios for walnuts. Using multicolored carrots makes it even more festive.

Oh now I'm sad I'm missing my family Seder because it's far away and on a weekday and will have to cram it all into a dinner for me and my goyim husband.
 
sexyLAMBCHOPx March 19, 2013
I have a goyim husband, too - lol.
 
ChefJune March 18, 2013
I agree with you on the dearth of vegetables on the traditional Ashenazi Seder table. I always volunteer to bring veggies or a salad for that very reason. Just because "they" didn't have them is not a good enough excuse...

I have a easy oven baked dish of baby artichokes with peas, pearl onions and romaine lettuce that transports easily and is really tasty. When I can't find the really tiny artichokes I use the frozen ones.
 
creamtea March 18, 2013
It's the perfect time for baby artichokes. Would love to see your recipe!
 
healthierkitchen March 18, 2013
I know this is an ancient recipe, but if I have a crowd, I often make chicken Marbella as you can make quite a lot at once. I usually try to do roast asparagus on the side and then I also do a vegetarian entree of some kind - perhaps with quinoa.
 
sexyLAMBCHOPx March 18, 2013
Bevi, I've read through the NYT menu, and realed Passover articles - as always - great read!
 
Bevi March 17, 2013
This page will link you to great recipes: http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/subjects/p/passover/recipes/index.html

We made the entire Iranian Seder in Beverly Hills, and it was fantastic!
 
creamtea March 18, 2013
Love Iranian food. Did you any chance try the recipe for Almond Cake with Cardamom and Pistachio? I would like to try it--these are "my" flavors...
 
Bevi March 18, 2013
creamtea, I made the Almond Cake and it was delicious - moist, fragrant, and perfect!
 
creamtea March 17, 2013
I usually make roasted asparagus, the first of the season for us. I also make my potato recipe ("Greek Mahogany Potatoes":http://food52.com/recipes/14554-the-wfp-greek-mahogany-potatoes). I like your idea for the huge potato latke-kugel. I'll probably roast some chickens.
 
sexyLAMBCHOPx March 18, 2013
Creamtea, saved your recipes.
 
creamtea March 18, 2013
<3, sLx
 
drbabs March 17, 2013
I think there's such a dearth of green vegetables in traditional Passover dinners that I usually make roast broccoli or Brussels sprouts, or asparagus if I can get good ones. This is one of my favorites from Food52:http://food52.com/recipes/2625-roasted-broccoli-with-smoked-paprika-vinaigrette-and-marcona-almonds. One of my friends makes potato kugel that's really a giant latke-- she puts oil into the baking dish and heats it in the oven at high heat before pouring in the latke batter, then bakes it. Because the bottom essentially fries in the hot oil, the bottom and edges are really crispy. It's delicious,
 
sexyLAMBCHOPx March 18, 2013
Barbara - I cannot agree with you more regarding green vegetables. I beg/ask the matriach of the family about salads, green veggies, etcs and she always goes back to tradtion - "It's not what THEY had" Only exception is asparagus.
 
creamtea March 16, 2013
I make this priceless cake every year; it is so delicious the children always ask why I only make it on Passover: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Toasted-Hazelnut-Cake-103338
 
sexyLAMBCHOPx March 16, 2013
So far, I think I will be preparing these two recipes for our 20 person Seder: http://theshiksa.com/2011/07/08/crunchy-pickled-salad/ and a variation of this savory kugel http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/potato-kugel-with-fried-shallots
 
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