FOOD
P
assover is a long holiday. Eight
days of celebrating. Eight days of
a special (or restricted if you’re a
half-empty thinker) eating regime.
One way to add pizzazz is to add multi-
hued side dishes to the menu.
The following recipes
are nothing if not colorful.
They remain bright and
add Ashkenazi-flavor to
the meal. Roasted vegeta-
bles are a healthy alterna-
tive to the baked variety.
Since cold vegetables are
so often not included in
the seder meal, roasted
tomatoes add some bright fruits to the
buffet.
Try the recipes below to add colors as
well as meats and chicken to your table.
Or eat them sometime during the holiday.
You’ll have plenty of opportunity during
this week-long commemoration to enjoy
many different and rich vibrant foods.
Since most people observe seder for
two nights and the holiday lasts for a
whole week, these are rich and hearty
meal additions. And there are even sweets
for every holiday.
ROASTED TOMATOES WITH
MATZAH MEAL AND GARLIC
Ingredients
3 pounds ripe but not mushy tomatoes (any
color)
1 tsp. kosher salt
¼ tsp. black pepper
1 cup matzah meal
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan
¼ cup olive oil or extra-virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp. minced garlic
Directions
Preheat oven to 425ºF. Brush olive
oil on a baking-sheet with sides. Set
aside.
Cut the tomatoes into thick
(between ¼-inch and ½-inch) slic-
es and place them on the baking
sheet without overlapping, (you may
need two baking sheets). Sprinkle
the tomatoes with matzah meal and
cheese, if using.
Combine the olive oil with the gar-
lic and stir well with a fork. Drizzle
the mixture over the tomatoes. Roast,
uncovered, for 10 minutes. Allow to
cool before arranging the tomatoes
on a serving dish, overlapping them
slightly. Serve at room temperature.
Makes 8 servings.
KIFTA KABOBS
I remember these ground lamb
kebabs on the streets of Rabat, the
capital city of Morocco. Their aroma
filled the small streets. They were
served, stick removed, wrapped in
bread (pita works great) and sur-
rounded by a salsa made of cucum-
ber, fresh tomato, onion, olive oil and
lemon. It’s best to make these on the
thicker round skewers, the kind used
in the market’s butcher department.
If you prefer to fry or bake these, you
can also do it without the stick, form-
ing each into a “hot dog” shape.
Recipes to add color to your holiday menu.
Eight Days of
Celebrating
78 | APRIL 14 • 2022
Annabel
Cohen
Contributing writer