Passov er Side Dishes
KERI WHITE | JE FOOD COLUMNIST
Shootdiem / iStock / Getty Images Plus
SPRING HAS ARRIVED
and, with it, the joy of Passover.

Many cooks are becoming
more focused on seasonal eat-
ing, and Passover presents an
ideal opportunity to feature
some early spring ingredients
and fl avors, which also highlight
the renewal and rebirth themes
associated with the holiday.

Tradition dictates that most
seders feature a main dish pro-
tein such as brisket, chicken,
fi sh or lamb. Th e following side
dishes complement virtually
all preparations of these dishes.

They are simple and
straightforward enough to
marry well with a saucy braise,
a gravy-laden roast or a spice-
rubbed fi sh, but they are also
interesting enough that if a
vegetarian guest shows up, he
or she will not feel deprived.

Th ese each showcase an early
spring vegetable, are kosher for
Passover and are pareve.

8 APRIL 4, 2019
LEMONY ASPARAGUS
Serves four
Th is recipe is intended to be
served cold as a salad, but if
you must have your veggies hot,
you can heat it in a microwave
or skillet before serving. It is
best made a day ahead to allow
the fl avors to marinate into the
asparagus, but if you are in a
rush, the recipe still works.

1 pound asparagus,
rinsed and trimmed
⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
Zest and juice from one
lemon (about 2 teaspoons
zest and 2 tablespoons
juice) 1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 teaspoon honey
½ teaspoon salt
Generous grinding of fresh
pepper water to boil. Plunge the aspar-
agus into water and boil it for
2 minutes.

While the asparagus boils,
fi ll a large bowl with ice and
water. When the asparagus is
fi nished boiling, drain it and
plunge it into the ice water to
stop cooking.

In a shallow dish, mix the
remaining ingredients with a
fork until thoroughly blended.

Place the asparagus into a
dish with the dressing, and
stir to coat. Refrigerate several
hours or overnight. Drain the
excess dressing before serving.

DILLY NEW POTATOES
Serves four
Be sure to get small new pota-
toes for this recipe; they should
be closer to the size of a grape
than a golf ball. If you can’t get
them smaller than a golf ball,
Bring a large pot of salted increase the cooking time in
JEWISH EXPONENT
the boil to 15 minutes and the
roast them for 25 minutes. Test
them before serving to ensure
that they are cooked through.

1 pound small new
potatoes, rinsed and
scrubbed 4 tablespoons extra-virgin
olive oil, divided
½ teaspoon salt (or more to
taste) 2 tablespoons chopped
fresh dill
Generous grinding fresh
ground pepper
Bring a large pot of salted
water to a boil, and add the
potatoes. Cook for 10-12 min-
utes. Th e potatoes should be
soft but still intact and not
falling apart.

Heat your oven to 400
degrees. Drain the potatoes, and
place them in a baking dish.

Toss with 2 tablespoons of oil,
the salt and pepper. Bake at
400 degrees for about 15 min-
utes until cooked through. Stir
occasionally to ensure even
browning. Mix the dill and remaining
olive oil in a small measuring
cup. Toss it over the cooked
potatoes; add more salt and
pepper as needed and serve.

HONEY MUSTARD
ROASTED BABY CARROTS
Serves four
Th ese are ideal with true baby
carrots — the early spring
sprouts that are about 2-3 inches
long — not the “baby cut” car-
rots that come bagged in the
supermarket. If you can’t get
the real thing, buy the green-
topped fully grown carrots and
cut them into 3-inch pieces; the
fl avor will be much better that
the precut imposters.

JEWISHEXPONENT.COM