Jewish American Heritage Month

Posted By richards on March 27, 2015

Most cultures have traditions and rituals that herald spring. Who isn't grateful for signs leading toward a season of abundance and growth after the scarcity of winter?

Many of these traditions feature eggs, from traditional Easter egg hunts, to the Cimburijada festival of scrambled eggs in Zenica, Bosnia - where 1,500 eggs will be cooked for the town to share the official moment spring begins - to Egypt's Sham El-Nissim holiday, celebrated back to the time of the pharaohs with spring onions and colored eggs.

The arrival of spring has been marked by Jews for close to 3,000 years with the holiday of Passover, celebrated on the first full moon following the vernal equinox. Family and friends gather for tableside services called seders to read, sing and eat traditional and symbolic foods to recount the exodus from Egypt, the move from slavery to freedom.

While this holiday's most recognized food is the unleavened bread, matzo, eaten as a reminder of rushing to freedom with no time for dough to rise, seder tables traditionally include an egg and some fresh spring greens, and lamb - to symbolize, among other things, the return of spring.

Vegetarians may eschew the ritual lamb bone for a blood red beet. Meals from families with Northern and Eastern European (Ashkenazic) heritage may include goose and potatoes or veal for their seder feasts, while Jews whose ancestors hailed from North Africa, Spain and the Middle East (Sephardic) may include rice, spiced lamb and chickpeas. All avoid certain grains including wheat, barley, oats, spelt and rye.

Making recipes handed down from great-grandmothers long departed and sharing tales once recited by great-grandfathers helps to create tangible and emotional connections between the past and the future. One may never have met Great-Great Aunt Minnie, but her recipe for almond orange cake helps her memory live on.

Welcoming spring at the table in early April poses a bit of a challenge. While the air may be warming, and we have shed layers of clothing, the ground has barely defrosted, and there is little to harvest from nearby farms or gardens.

Earliest local crops will include greens such as spinach, kale and lettuces, asparagus, and radishes. Artichokes, and young green beans (for Sephardic Jews), are also delicious choices to evoke spring - a holiday splurge from farms far south or west. Young chicken, veal or lamb can all be prepared with fresh herbs and a light touch to contrast with the simmering stews we are leaving behind.

Since many seder cooks find themselves hosting a crowd, consider dishes that are easy to both cook and portion. Lamb or chicken skewers cook quickly, and are simple to serve. Festooned with colorful peppers and onions, kebabs also are surely festive. Make a few skewers with no meat for extra color and the nonmeat eaters in your crowd.

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Seder celebrations of Passover and spring

Category: Sephardic
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