Passover Menu

Passover is fast approaching, and I'm running out of breath just trying to keep up with my own menu. It isn't often that I host a seder, because I have the dinkiest dining room known to man. However, this year, the planets aligned, and I am hosting a seder at my gracious in-laws' house while they are snow-birding it in Florida. We'll be 18 people plus two babies, so a pretty good size crowd.

As is often the case, my guests will be guinea pigs. I get too bored making the same thing too often (or more than once), so I'm making up some new recipes (heavy on the roasting this year, for some reason). My family is somewhat in the middle about Passover kashrut observance. That is, we observe most of the Passover food restrictions, but we do allow eating seeds, which some Jews do not. With my long list of current food restrictions, I'll take all the allowances I can get!

Given that most of the menu is not tried and true, I will not post recipes until after-the-fact. Please forgive me ... but remember that next year, you can use these for you own seder, and if you celebrate Easter, you might still be able to use some of these this year!

Here is a sneak peak at the menu:

Soup course – Chicken Soup with matzah balls (and oat matzah balls)

Salad/Fish Course – Cod fish fritter on a bed of bitter greens (dandellion greens, daikon greens, frisee) with shaved raw chioggia beets, shaved raw daikon, and sauteed wild mushrooms, with a horseradish dressing

Main course –
BBQ organic pasture-raised brisket
Roast free-range duckling with apricot honey balsamic glaze
Roasted rosemary fingerling potatoes
Quinoa and grilled asparagus salad with chopped, toasted hazelnuts, parsley, and currants
Roasted carrots and pistachios with fresh mint
Sesame kale

Desserts –
Chocolate almond chia mousse
Chocolate walnut cake with mocha coconut frosting
Date almond balls
Fruit contributions from guests