The underground Seder

Another name for Pesach is the holiday of Passover. Literally, the holiday commemorating G-d passing over the homes of the Jews (identified by the blood smears on the door posts) when smiting every first born in Egypt. Jews are instructed many times to try and act in G-dly ways. With that in mind, I suggest we, too, Pass-over. Let's pass-over the heavy starchy side dishes Pesach is famous for and go a different route.

So we’re working on the Seder meal, trying to lighten up the matzoh meal load. What can we serve next to the brisket that will not be so heavy we won't be able to stay awake long enough to open the door for Eliyahu Hanavi?

The simplest and most logical are salads. Pesach is a spring holiday. New and wonderful produce starts to appear in the market. 

Unfortunately, we don't all live in Israel, and some years there is a thin layer of snow on the ground when we open the door for Eliyahu.

Fine, we'll make use of the winter vegetables. If it grows underground, it goes on the table. What grows underground? Carrots, Parsnips, Turnips, Celery root, Jerusalem artichoke, Yams, Potatoes, Radishes, Kohlrabi, Beets, Jicama.

1. Beets - cook beets (or use canned if you're pressed for time, but know that it won't be as good). You can boil or roast the beets (unpeeled) a day or two ahead of time and keep in the fridge; they need to cool off anyway. Peel and slice thin. Dress with olive oil, lemon juice, crushed garlic, fresh chopped parsley, salt and plenty of freshly ground black pepper. Toss very gently (or not at all). If you make it the day before, add the parsley no more than 2 hours before the meal.

2. Carrots – make your favorite tzimmes. I don’t, because my family does not eat carrots unless the are very well disguised. If your family eats tzimmes, I am officially jealous. 

3. Jerusalem artichoke, parsnips, Turnips, yams and potatoes (all or some) roast – cut Jerusalem artichoke into very thin slices and everything else into 1 inch cubes. Toss with a generous amount of olive oil, spice it up with plenty of salt, pepper, paprika, cumin, granulated garlic, Italian seasoning, chopped fresh rosemary and/or any other spice you like (really, this is a very accommodating dish). Spread in a large baking pan and roast (425F) for 30-45 minutes or until everything is fork tender. Stir occasionally.

4. Radishes and new potatoes – see my post from 1/26/12 (“Plague it again, Sam”) for a recipe of this very refreshing salad.

5. Root vegetables Medley - In their uncooked state root vegetables are surprisingly refreshing. Here is an excellent way to keep annoying people out of your hair erev Pesach ("annoying" defined as "guests who show up ahead of time and you need to entertain them instead of finishing your preparations"). Teach these people a lesson: sit them down with a sharp knife, a cutting board and a good sized bowl. Give them a mountain of root veggies (daikon, kohlrabi, carrots, turnip, celery root, jicama) and tell them to julienne the whole thing. I have a theory that French chefs invented the method of julienne as revenge on the rest of the world for our pathetic attempts to speak French. At any rate, once everything is sliced into thin matchstick-like pieces, toss the whole thing with a light tart dressing (lemon based). Garnish with chopped fresh parsley.
(Of course, if no 'slaves' are available, you can julienne the vegetables yourself, hopefully using a mandolin or a food processor)

6. Lest we forget - onions (white, sweet, red), garlic, shallots and leeks also grow underground. Each of these (or all of them) will enhance any roasted dish. Just chop or slice and add them to the mix. You can even have a dish of just members of the Allium family for the brave of heart. Peel, wash, slice or chop as needed, toss with oil and seasonings and roast until soft and brownish. Yum.

  

You can, of course, also cook veggies that are not strictly “underground”:

1. Butternut squash – is amazing roasted (see roasting method as described in #3 above).

2. Zucchini – saute cubes (or round slices or long slices, depending on your patience and preference. Cubes are the easiest), in a large skillet (preferably not non-stick) with a few tablespoons of olive oil (extra virgin is the way to go here, you need the flavor) in which a garlic clove or two (crushed) was first allowed to cook slightly. Cook until zucchini is lightly browned and very soft (the cooking time depends on how much zucchini you have and the size of the skillet). Stir often and you can lower the heat and cook, covered, if the zucchini seems to brown too fast without softening. Once it’s ready, add salt, pepper and a splash of lemon juice. Yes, it really IS that simple.

3. Broccoli – cut into florets, cook the same as the zucchini except do not cook beyond the "tender-crisp" stage or the broccoli will lose its bright green color.

4. Cauliflower – cut into florets, toss with olive oil, crushed garlic, chopped fresh rosemary (optional but highly recommended), salt and pepper. Roast at 400F for 20-30 minutes until just tender and edges start to brown a little.

Please note: There is not one crumb of matzoh or matzoh meal in any of the above dishes. 

Next time: salads.