Cyber Seder 2012

Historians Uncover Lost Fifth Passover Question:  Why is a cyber Seder different from all other Seders? The answer is when six separate food bloggers graciously offer a complete Passover Seder menu, each recipe a personal favorite, representing diverse family backgrounds and dietary preferences, that's new version Passover 2012 - Internet style.  This Passover potluck demonstrates how any type of community can come together for this special holiday meal to share the effort and share of themselves. We're so glad you could join us.

 

I grew up in Chicago, with a father of Eastern European descent and a mother from North Africa.  This was my good luck in general, but especially for Jewish holidays when each culture's culinary traditions were enjoyed in at least one meal or another.   

My contribution to Cyber Seder 2012 is the soup course, and while matzo ball is classic and much beloved on most Ashkenazim Seder tables, it's my mother's Sephardi fresh fava bean and potato soup that represents the holiday and season best to me.  It turns out our ancestors were ahead of their time when it comes to seasonality.

After I became a vegetarian, my mother easily replaced the meat-based soup stock in the original version of her soup with a veg-friendly one, and my Seder continues to be off to a very good start.  After the prayers of course.

Marie's Fresh Fava Bean & Potato Soup

1/2 cup yellow onion, diced

Faux Matzo Balls aka baby potatoes

1/2 cup fresh celery, diced                                                              

olive oil for sauteing

2 cups medium white or yellow potatoes, peeled, cut in half

1 1/2 cups fava beans, peeled/shucked

1 Tbsp. turmeric

1 1/2 tsp. saffron

1 32 oz. container Wolfgang Puck All Natural Vegetable Stock

2 cups water

Seasalt & fresh ground pepper

handful of fresh cilantro, chopped

1.  Put about 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a stockpot, and when it's hot add the onions and celery.

     Saute until the onions are golden, about 5 minutes or so.  Add the turmeric and saffron and stir to coat.

2.  Pour in the stock, water, potatoes, and fava beans, bring to a boil, and then turn heat to medium-simmer.

3.  Cook for 30 minutes then test potatoes for tenderness.  What you want in the finished soup is some potato chunks and some mashed.  Adjust seasoning, and continue cooking until potatoes reach the right consistency.  The longer this soup cooks the better it tastes. 

4.  Towards the last 2 minutes of cooking add the fresh cilantro.  

 
The other courses for Cyber Seder 2012 are provided by my blogger pals in the links below.  If you feel you'd also like a salad (which is a must at our dinner) please use this link http://adventureswithnancyrose.blogspot.com/2012/03/pixie-tangerine-and-massaged-kale-salad.html to my last post.  This salad would make a beautiful addition to any Seder table, with or without the garbanzo beans depending on your own cultural traditions.

Please visit my blogger friends for the rest of our Cyber Seder dinner:

http://stayathomefoodie.com/
Roasted Spring Vegetables

http://eatwelllivefree.com/
Charoset & Sweet Potato Latkes with Apple Butter

http://foodiegoeshealthy.com/
Flourless Chocolate Cake

http://www.theurbanbaker.com/
Claire's Briscuit

http://www.insidethekaganoffkitchen.com/
Matzo Strata with Zucchini and Tomatoes

I'd also like to send a very special "Happy Passover" to my friend Faye Levy, who with the help of her husband Yakir, has inspired and brought so many wonderful, meticulously researched and thoroughly tested recipes to aspiring and seasoned chefs everywhere.
http://www.amazon.com/Faye-Levy/e/B001IR3M7W

Historians Uncover Lost Fifth Passover Question:  Why is a cyber Seder different from all other Seders? The answer is when six separate food bloggers graciously offer a complete Passover Seder menu, each recipe a personal favorite, representing diverse family backgrounds and dietary preferences, that's new version Passover 2012 - Internet style.  This Passover potluck demonstrates how any type of community can come together for this special holiday meal to share the effort and share of themselves. We're so glad you could join us.

 

I grew up in Chicago, with a father of Eastern European descent and a mother from North Africa.  This was my good luck in general, but especially for Jewish holidays when each culture's culinary traditions were enjoyed in at least one meal or another.   

My contribution to Cyber Seder 2012 is the soup course, and while matzo ball is classic and much beloved on most Ashkenazim Seder tables, it's my mother's Sephardi fresh fava bean and potato soup that represents the holiday and season best to me.  It turns out our ancestors were ahead of their time when it comes to seasonality.

After I became a vegetarian, my mother easily replaced the meat-based soup stock in the original version of her soup with a veg-friendly one, and my Seder continues to be off to a very good start.  After the prayers of course.

Marie's Fresh Fava Bean & Potato Soup

1/2 cup yellow onion, diced

Faux Matzo Balls aka baby potatoes

1/2 cup fresh celery, diced                                                              

olive oil for sauteing

2 cups medium white or yellow potatoes, peeled, cut in half

1 1/2 cups fava beans, peeled/shucked

1 Tbsp. turmeric

1 1/2 tsp. saffron

1 32 oz. container Wolfgang Puck All Natural Vegetable Stock

2 cups water

Seasalt & fresh ground pepper

handful of fresh cilantro, chopped

1.  Put about 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a stockpot, and when it's hot add the onions and celery.

     Saute until the onions are golden, about 5 minutes or so.  Add the turmeric and saffron and stir to coat.

2.  Pour in the stock, water, potatoes, and fava beans, bring to a boil, and then turn heat to medium-simmer.

3.  Cook for 30 minutes then test potatoes for tenderness.  What you want in the finished soup is some potato chunks and some mashed.  Adjust seasoning, and continue cooking until potatoes reach the right consistency.  The longer this soup cooks the better it tastes. 

4.  Towards the last 2 minutes of cooking add the fresh cilantro.  

 
The other courses for Cyber Seder 2012 are provided by my blogger pals in the links below.  If you feel you'd also like a salad (which is a must at our dinner) please use this link http://adventureswithnancyrose.blogspot.com/2012/03/pixie-tangerine-and-massaged-kale-salad.html to my last post.  This salad would make a beautiful addition to any Seder table, with or without the garbanzo beans depending on your own cultural traditions.

Please visit my blogger friends for the rest of our Cyber Seder dinner:

http://stayathomefoodie.com/
Roasted Spring Vegetables

http://eatwelllivefree.com/
Charoset & Sweet Potato Latkes with Apple Butter

http://foodiegoeshealthy.com/
Flourless Chocolate Cake

http://www.theurbanbaker.com/
Claire's Briscuit

http://www.insidethekaganoffkitchen.com/
Matzo Strata with Zucchini and Tomatoes

I'd also like to send a very special "Happy Passover" to my friend Faye Levy, who with the help of her husband Yakir, has inspired and brought so many wonderful, meticulously researched and thoroughly tested recipes to aspiring and seasoned chefs everywhere.
http://www.amazon.com/Faye-Levy/e/B001IR3M7W