by Jeffrey Nathan
with Kelly Siegel-Ritchie
April 24, 2008

There are a great mix of old and new customs in our celebration of Passover. Covering our seder table year after year are matzot, Elijah’s cup, and the seder plate, filled with the symbolic foods that help tell the time-honored story of the Exodus.

Over the last 3,300 years, newer customs have also been added to the traditional seder table, broadening our understanding of the holiday. Next to the wine of Elijah’s Cup sits Miriam’s Cup, full of water. This newer custom recognizes Moses’ sister Miriam, whose ability to find fresh water sources was one of the Israelites’ greatest survival skills while crossing the desert.

Hand-made shmura matza brings us back — visually — to the old days of celebrating the holiday, but in truth, my kids prefer the taste of the newer chocolate covered matza. They believe that it’s been around since manna, but in the great realm of other traditions, most of us would consider chocolate matza something new.

There are really just a few rules during this holiday. Nothing leavened, no legumes (for the Ashkenazi) and no hametz (non-kosher-for-Passover products). Modern manufacturing processes have allowed companies to produce foods that imitate what has been prohibited. When it comes to cooking for the holidays, I prefer to stick to the basics. I try to avoid the newer kosher-for-Passover replications of the foods we’re not permitted to eat. We really can’t have breakfast cereal or pasta. I’m comfortable with that, but companies that produce these items make a lot of money as they try to convince us that we can’t do without them, not even for eight days.

I get around the need for hametz by getting fresh: fresh fruits and vegetables have never been more highlighted than at Pesach. The timing, I might add, is perfect, as new produce of the spring season are ripe and bursting with flavor and promise.

We’re open for business during Passover at Abigael’s on Broadway. Our customers might be surprised that we serve a near-regular menu. We omit all hametz, we kasher the kitchen, and we start cooking. Our guests arrive looking for the golden secret, the answer to all their Passover frustrations. I let our foods do the talking…keep it simple and keep it fresh.

And at home, we can stick to the basics, too. Whether it’s roasted, fried, or fricasseed, one of my favorites at home and at work is Chicken Roulade. A roulade is anything that is rolled, and it’s easier than you think. Using a mallet, pound a boneless chicken breast until it gets somewhat larger and thinner. Fill the center with a saute of wild mushrooms, matza farfel, and chicken broth, and season with your favorite herbs and spices. Roll the chicken, drizzle with oil; roasted in the oven it is a delicious Passover (or not) meal. This dish will vary from kitchen to kitchen depending on the combination of mushrooms and seasonings used. The more variety to your ingredients, the more complex flavor you can expect.

With the arrival of Passover comes warm weather and one of the first things I do is fire up the grill. An easy meal is grilled chicken. Snatching a cold chicken leg out of the fridge is a childhood pleasure I just can’t give up. Of course there are other foods to grill besides chicken…burgers, sausages, or a grilled rib steak are also superb. And pairing them with colorful fire-roasted yellow squash and zucchini doesn’t have me wishing for rice or pasta at all. Marinating these vegetables in herb-scented olive oil and lemon kick starts the season.

And speaking of vegetables…. Green beans are off the list for this week, but bok choy, spinach, swiss chard, beet greens, turnip greens, mushrooms, and broccoli rabe are all “allowed” during the holiday. As a rule of thumb, all these vegetables can be prepared by sauteing in garlic and olive oil. The leafy greens are all similar, but have their own flavor nuances. Spinach can also be tossed as a salad. Combined with strawberries and toasted almonds in a light vinaigrette, it’s an elegant addition to the table. Simmered in pot liquor with garlic, onions, and pastrami, any one of these hearty greens creates a rustic Southern side dish. You’ll have your guests inviting themselves back for a hol hamo’ed meal tomorrow night, too.

Passover is a time to reintroduce the potato. “Smashed” potatoes is a fun dish to serve, if only for the name. Boil small, red new potatoes. As soon as they’re out of the water, smash each one. Just slightly. No need for excess strength here, the back of a spoon will do fine. The potatoes are porous while still hot, so pour on the caramelized onions dripping with extra virgin olive oil and fresh herbs. Jazz it up even more with sea salt, cracked black pepper, and shaved arugula for the most flavor a potato could possibly hold. Serve this dish warm or at room temperature.

Of course, mashed potatoes are always a welcome dish. If you’re looking to do something different and spectacular, do a little work with fractions. Combine three-quarters mashed potatoes with one-quarter of something else: carrots, butternut squash, or cauliflower all add a nuance, a slight mystery of taste to standard mashed potatoes. If you’re intrigued, try the butternut squash first, as it adds incredible sweetness along with a gentle color.

When fish is on the menu, it’ll be a treat to bring in the dairy. Whip the potatoes with warm heavy cream and butter, feta cheese, and basil. Another variation to mashed potatoes is to substitute sweet potatoes.

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Recipes

Grilled Salmon with Honey Scented Fruit Salsa
Serves six
6 6-8 oz. skinless salmon filets
vegetable oil
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper

Coat the salmon filets with oil on both sides. Season each filet with sea salt and pepper. Place the filets on a preheated grill or oiled grill pan for 10–12 minutes, and cook over medium heat until desired doneness is achieved.

Fruit Salsa
Yield: 2 cups
1 cup mango, diced small
1 cup pineapple, diced small
1/4 cup strawberries, diced small
1/3 cup red bell pepper, diced small
1 Tbsp. jalapeno, minced
2 Tbsp. cilantro, chopped
1 Tbsp. honey
1/4 cup orange juice
2 Tbsp. lime juice

In a medium bowl, combine the mango, pineapple, strawberries, and red bell pepper. Add jalapeno and cilantro. Pour in honey, orange, and lime juices. Gently mix until evenly combined. Allow to sit for at least 20 minutes before serving. The salsa can be made up to one day ahead.

Strawberry Vinaigrette
Yield: 1 1/2 cups
1/2 cup strawberries, quartered
1/4 cup pineapple, rough chopped
1 Tbsp. honey
1/4 cup orange juice
2 Tbsp. lime juice
pinch of kosher salt
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 Tbsp. cilantro, finely chopped

In a blender, combine strawberries, pineapple, and honey. Puree until smooth. Add orange and lime juices and a pinch of salt. With the blender turned on, slowly add oil. Taste and adjust the honey, lime juice or salt as necessary. Remove the vinaigrette from the blender and stir in the cilantro.
To assemble: Place the salmon on individual plates, top with two to three tablespoons of the salsa and drizzle with the strawberry vinaigrette. Serve the salmon hot or at room temperature.

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