Passover pleasures: enjoy a Sephardic Seder celebration with a Mediterranean flavor - includes recipes

Vegetarian Times, April, 1995 by Nava Atlas

FOOD PLAYS A MAJOR ROLE in the rituals of Passover, the joyous holiday commemorating the end of Jewish slavery in Egypt. Passover, which literally refers to God's exempting, or "passing over," the Israelites during a plague that killed firstborn sons, starts with the Seder, a celebratory meal for which families gather to recount the story as written in the Haggadah, or Passover prayer book. Throughout the reading, friends and family sample foods symbolizing the various elements of the Passover story.

Most American Jews are of the Ashkenazic, or Eastern European tradition. But Jews from the Mediterranean, or Sephardic Jews, have some different Seder traditions in regard to food; these traditions lend themselves well to vegetarians. For instance, Sephardic tradition permits the use of legumes and grains that are not permitted in the Ashkenazic tradition, with the exception of wheat. Sephardic meals integrate earthy vegetables and spices such as paprika and cumin, which, though permitted, are not usually used in the Ashkenazic tradition. The differences are easily explained by geography and custom. Most Ashkenazic Jews lived in a harsher climate, so they relied on the food that was available. Most Sephardic Jews lived in a temperate climate, and had more to choose from.

These differences also appear on the Seder plate, which holds the symbolic foods of the Passover. Both traditions include roasted, hard-cooked eggs (baytzah in Hebrew) to symbolize renewal and rebirth, mourning for the Jews who lost their lives crossing the Red Sea during the exodus, and the grieving for the loss of their temple. (Vegans often substitute a potato or avocado pit for the egg.) Both plates also include haroset, a condiment made of apples and nuts, which symbolizes the mortar used by Jewish slaves to build Egyptian cities, but the Sephardic haroset contains dried fruit, usually dates and raisins. Both tables are graced with matzos in memory of their ancestors who fled Egypt in such haste that they had no time to wait for bread to rise.

The parsley or celery leaves (karpas) that Ashkenazim use to symbolize springtime and renewal is replaced in the Sephardic tradition by romaine lettuce or another mild green. Unlike the Ashkenazim, who dip the egg and karpas in salt water, Sephardic Jews use vinegar; both liquids symbolize the tears shed by the Jewish slaves. The bitterness of slavery, symbolized by the maror, or bitter herb, is traditionally represented by horseradish for Ashkenazic Jews; a bitter herb or green such as escarole or endive on the Sephardic Seder plate represents it. (Sephardim often include two kinds of maror.)

Both traditions place a shankbone on the plate to represent the lamb that was traditionally sacrificed to God. Obviously this would be omitted in a vegetarian home; many vegetarian Jews substitute a roasted mushroom or beet.

The recipes that follow--such as Spinach and Potato Matzo Pie, Turkish Eggplant Stew and Moroccan-Style Matzo Soup--represent traditional Sephardic Seder dishes.

Sephardic Date Haroset

HAROSET is a spread for matzo made from fruit, nuts and wine; it symbolizes the mortar used by the Jewish slaves to build ancient Egyptian cities. Sephardic harosets are made in various ways, but usually contain dates.

1 cup pitted dates

1/2 cup raisins

1/2 cup walnuts

1 medium apple, peeled and diced

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. ginger

3 to 4 Tbs. Passover wine (see

glossary)

30 MINUTES OR LESS

COMBINE ALL INGREDIENTS in food processor; process until finely chopped. Pat into a serving container and cover until serving. Makes about 3 cups.

PER TABLESPOON: 25 CAL.; 0.9G PROT.; 1G FAT; 4G CARB.; 0 CHOL.; 0.9MG SOD.; 1G FIBER. VEGAN

Long-Cooked Eggs

In this recipe, eggs are baked overnight, which prevents scorching and results in a creamy, rich flavor and beautiful brown color.

1 dozen eggs

Water

PREHEAT OVEN to 225 degrees. Place eggs in casserole. Add water to cover, about double the volume of the eggs. Bring to a simmer on stovetop, then cover tightly and transfer to oven. Bake at least 8 hours or overnight. Drain and serve.

PER EGG: 82 CAL.; 7G PROT.; 6G FAT; 0.9G CARB.; 276MG CHOL.; 61MG SOD.; 0 FIBER. OVO-LACTO

Moroccan-Style Matzo Ball Soup

Matzo balls aren't usually a part of the Sephardic tradition, but a Turkish friend of mine remembers them from his childhood Seders. They'd be sorely missed at any American Seder, so here's a vehicle for them: a rich vegetable soup. Unlike Ashkenazim, Sephardim eat legumes during Passover; you can omit them from this soup and still have a tasty dish.

2 Tbs. olive oil

1 medium onion, minced

2 large or 3 medium leeks, white

parts only, quartered

lengthwise and chopped

2 medium potatoes, peeled and diced

2 medium white turnips, peeled and

diced

3 medium carrots, sliced

3 medium stalks celery, diced

1/2 lb. mushrooms, chopped

8 cups vegetable broth or water,

or a combination

1 tsp. paprika

1 tsp. ground cumin

1 lb. can garbanzo beans (chickpeas),

drained and rinsed (optional)

Salt and pepper to taste

2 cups frozen peas

Matzo Balls (see recipe, this page)