Passover Treats from a Chef and Fridge Forager

So, what are we to do? When it comes to Passover 2020, we can start by thinking of it as a kind of contemporary foraging in our refrigerators, freezers and pantries, a sort of continuation of the efforts of our foremothers. Throughout history, women have foraged for fruit, nuts, honey, edible plants and herbs to eat and to make healing medicines. Because of this ability to forage and use what they found, women have quietly kept alive not just families, but whole tribes and communities.

In that spirit, let’s dedicate ourselves to doing the best with what we have. How, you ask? Here are a few ideas and tips to help make this a Passover to remember and not just because of the Coronavirus.

Along with the comfort of traditional dishes, embrace this new and different Passover with new tastes from different Jewish traditions around the world. If you don’t want to take too big a plunge, haroset is an easy place to start. In addition to trying new recipes, you can create a haroset bar. Put out whatever fresh and dried fruits, nuts and seeds along with some cinnamon, perhaps allspice and cardamom, sugar, grape juice or wine you have and let each person make their own haroset mixture. Then have a taste-off to choose the favorite. You might even decide to include the winner in your Seder next year.