Jewish Ledger | March 30, 2012

Why is this night different from all other nights? This year, the answer to that age-old seder question may be in the menu…for those adventurous enough to veer off the traditional path. Here’s a little help for those who need help taking that first step:

Fairway to the rescue

Since its opening in the early 1930’s, Fairway Market in Stamford has offered a broad selection of kosher food; this year the iconic superstore has bumped it up a notch by offering its first-ever made-from-scratch Glatt Kosher Passover seder entrees and sides, under the supervision of Kof-K, Rabbi Marmostein, and the Vaad of Fairfield County. The store is also offering a full complete seder plate.
This year, Fairway’s kosher kitchen chef de cuisine Rebecca Martin is offering a selection of more exotic dishes — such as five-spice Pekin rotisserie duck coated with hand-made toasted spice mix and embellished with apple onion chutney. That’s Pekin duck, not Peking duck.
“Peking duck is also known as Long Island duck,” explains Martin. “Our duck is top quality, hormone and antibiotic free and kosher. I create my own five-spice mix from whole spices, which I toast and then grind.
I marinate the duck overnight in our own spice blend before cooking it in our kosher rotisserie. And nothing beats a rotisserie for cooking up a juicy bird! I balance the spices on the bird by serving it with apple onion confit, which adds a sweet and savory counterpoint.”
Of course, Martin’s menu isn’t short on traditional dishes. But even many of those have been infused with a certain flair — such as hormone and antibiotic-free slow roasted beef brisket with wine braised vegetables.
“I use 17 different ingredients in our kosher brisket, some traditional – like carrots, celery and onions, some more sophisticated, like juniper berries, red wine vinegar and wine,” she says. “I marinate the whole brisket overnight before cooking it for 5 hours.”

Fairway of Stamford is offering its first-ever made-from-scratch Glatt Kosher Passover seder entrees and sides, under the supervision of Kof-K, Rabbi Marmostein, and the Vaad of Fairfield County. The store is also offering a full complete seder plate.

Among Martin’s off-the-beaten-path Passover side dishes is one that features asparagus. “Asparagus is unusual for a kosher for Passover menu because it has to be carefully checked for insects. I add
shiitake mushrooms for an earthly twist on this classic spring vegetable,” says Martin.
If you’d like to try it yourself, here is Martin’s recipe:

Asparagus with Shiitake Mushrooms
Ingredients
1 lbs checked and washed asparagus, trimmed and peeled
8 oz checked and washed shiitake mushrooms, stems removed, thickly sliced
1 oz freshly squeezed lemon juice
3 oz Fairway extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp checked and washed fresh thyme, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp black pepper, ground

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, thyme, garlic, salt and pepper. Toss shiitake mushrooms with half the dressing and place on a sheet pan.  Toss the asparagus with the remaining dressing and put on a separate sheet pan. Roast asparagus and mushrooms in a 375 degree oven for 15-minutes until just starting to brown on the edges. Fan asparagus on a serving plate, top with shiitake mushrooms and serve warm.

Kanoff’s book includes recipes for soups, salads, sides and entrees.

Think outside the spud

We know it sounds like blasphemy, but you can eliminate one of Passover’s most popular staples — the potato – from your holiday diet…without starving.  In fact, says Aviva Kanoff, a personal chef, student of the French Culinary Institute, and author of the new cookbook The No-Potato Passover, (www.nopotatopassover.com) you might like it.  Kanoff’s book includes recipes for soups, salads, sides and entrees. Here are a few of Kanoff’s recipes for side dishes that can take the place of potato-laden dishes:

Cajun Carrot Fries
Ingredients
8-10 large carrots, peeled and cut into thin slices, like fries
1 tbsp olive oil
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Grease and/or line a large cookie sheet. Toss the sliced carrots with olive oil, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper. Arrange the fries in a single
layer on your baking sheet and bake for 15-minutes. Flip the fries and bake another 10-15 minutes, until crisp. Serve warm.

Stuffed Zucchini Blossoms
Ingredients
6-10 zucchini blossoms, pistils removed
6 mushrooms, diced
1 large onion, diced
1 cup spinach
1 cup ricotta cheese
salt and pepper
oil for frying

Rinse zucchini blossoms and remove pistils.  Heat one inch of oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Saute onions and spinach until soft. Add ricotta cheese to oinion and spinach, and mix for two minutes. Fill each blossom with cheese and spinach mixture. Heat additional oil in frying pan.
Place each stuffed blossom in the oil. Fry until browned, about 3-4 minutes. Turning occasionally. Transfer to plate lined with a paper towel. Sprinkle with kosher salt if desired. Serve hot.