Ah, the pervasive theme of Jewish holidays...and the food for this one is particularly yummy!
(I think that's because, for us, it's a once-a-year endeavor.)
Whatever the reason, this year's seder was marvelous! We combined wonderful family and friends with delicious food, flowing wine and lively story-telling....the recipe for a successful festival celebration!
-Our Menu-
Noshes:
-Hummus w/Carrots
-Olives
-Deviled Eggs
(Traditional) Starters:
-Gefilte Fish
-Chicken Soup w/homemade Scallion-Dill Knaidlach (aka matzah balls)
Main Attraction and Co-Stars:
-Grilled Greek Lamb
-Deep-fried Artichokes and Lemons
-Potato Gnocchi Squares
-Roasted Asparagus
-Arugula Baby Spinach Salad w/Pignoli and dressed w/homemade Sherry Vinaigrette
Sweet Endings:
-Pecan Farfel Brittle
-Fresh Strawberries
-Candy, Candy, Candy (Assorted boxed Passover specialties that few of us eat, but are as intrinsic to the seder as the matzah...think jellied fruit slices.)
And lotsa wine...
OK, I hope I don't lose ya with all this...
There are a lot of dishes broken down below in varying degrees of detail...
As always, feel free to email me or post a comment if you'd like specifics or have questions.
Details?
Here goes:
Deviled Eggs
-Mash hard boiled egg yolks (about a dozen) with about a half c light mayo, 1 t dijon mustard, seasoned with salt, ground white pepper and a sprinkle of granulated garlic...after filling into their little eggy half shells, sprinkle smoked paprika on top for decoration and hightened yumminess.
Scallion-Dill Knaidlach
-Thinly slice 8 scallions and combine with 6 oz schmaltz (rendered chicken fat...comes frozen in a small 7 oz tub, so use most of it and let it thaw first) in a bowl and micro on high for 25-30 seconds.
-In a med-large bowl, whisk 8 eggs, a half c minced fresh dill, 4 T seltzer, almost 1 T salt, a half t each ground ginger and white pepper, the schmaltz/scallion combo and 2 c matzah meal to form batter.
-Cover and refrigerate overnight.
-When ready to cook, make T-sized dumplings from batter and gently place each into simmering soup...When they float on the top, they're done.
[This makes about 32 soft ones...'cuz I like my matzah balls soft...]
Grilled Greek Lamb
[I doubled this for the 12 of us and had plenty, but not too much, left over...that could be due to the 2 Who Don't Eat Meat at the table...]
-In a 2-lb zip-top bag, marinate ... a 5-lb butterflied leg of lamb, trimmed of fat, in a half c olive oil, juice from a lemon (tossing the lemon into the bag), 4 minced garlic cloves, 1 T dried oregano, 2 t salt and 1 t ground black pepper ... in the fridge over night, up to 24 hours...
-When ready to cook, pitch marinade and on med-high heat, grill (about 8 mins a side depending on thickness) to an internal temp of 125...and let it carry-over cook until 135 for med rare.
Deep-fried Artichokes and Lemons
See the Decisions, decisions entry for the basics on this... (and yes, that's a link over there...cool, huh?) This time I trimmed 5 gigunta artichokes and sliced them rather thinly, stem to tip.
Roasted Asparagus
Easy peasy...and again, I doubled this...
-Heat oven to 375 and spread a trimmed bundle of fresh asparagus in one layer on sheet tray...sprinkle with 2 t olive oil and salt and pepper to taste...roast for 15 mins. C'est tout!
Potato Gnocchi Squares
After the trial...the fixes made this dish Rock! This too I doubled...
-Preheat oven to 400.
-Prepare half sheet pan: Line with parchment paper and lightly coat with olive oil.
-Boil 3 large baking potatoes (about 2 lbs) that have been peeled and cubed in salted water until fork tender.
-Rice them (or mash 'em if you don't have a ricer) into a large bowl.
-Mix in 4 T butter, salt and ground black pepper, minced leaves from 1 sprig fresh rosemary, 2 T minced chives or 1 finely chopped scallion, and 4 beaten eggs.
-Pour mixture on to lined, oiled sheet pan and bake for 25 mins until crusty and brown.
-Cool thoroughly and cut into squares. Can reheat in 350 oven for 10 to 15 mins.
Salad
-Top bag o'arugula/baby spinach mix with a quarter c pignoli (pine nuts) and dress with:
-1 part sherry vinegar to 2 parts olive oil (to make about a third c), salt and ground black pepper to taste...and whisk to combine.
Pecan Farfel Brittle
-Heat oven to 350 and toast 2 c matzah farfel (small, cereal-sized, pieces of matzah) on a sheet pan for 25 mins until goldish. Pour into bowl to cool and line pan with Silpat.
-In a heavy pot, combine a half c water with 2 c sugar and a pinch of salt on med-high heat. Stir with wooden spoon until dissolved, then boil - Without stirring, swirl ONLY - until caramel colored. (Don't leave this alone; once it starts to color, it can burn in a flash!)
-Immediately cut the heat and add farfel and 1 and a half c chopped pecans (you can chop 'em while the sugar is working...and spray spoon with oil). Mix to combine and quickly dump onto Silpat, smoothing into one thinish layer.
-Sprinkle on about 1 t (finishing) sea salt and cool completely before you break up into chunks.
Jewish philosophy seems to always temper the good stuff with a little bitter; the awful stuff with lots of sweet; remember those you've vanquished; and retell the stories so the memories don't die. Works for Passover and life in general...Hope your holidays are as sweet!
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