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