When my Epi colleague, Rhoda Boone, was arranging the Seder plate for Epi’s Classic Passover Seder Menu photo shoot, she realized those elements—shank bone, horseradish, charoset, hard-boiled egg, parsley, and lettuce—aren't just potent symbols of the Jews' exodus from Egypt. The meaty, spicy, sweet, and savory flavors arranged on that plate would be terrific in combination.
So Rhoda set about creating a "Seder Plate" salad, a Passover appetizer that celebrates the traditional foods of the holiday in a whole new way. And while that salad makes a wonderfully inventive first course for the Passover Seder meal, it also acts as a sort of Jewish version of the Thanksgiving sandwich: A delicious excuse to recreate those holiday flavors throughout the year.
Bitter Herbs: It's common to use romaine leaves to represent bitter herbs, and of course, the crunchy green makes for terrific salad as well.
Horseradish: This spicy ingredient can add a great kick to salad, but the fresh root can be hard to pulverize into a smooth dressing. Instead, Rhoda mixed vinegary prepared horseradish with lemon juice and honey for a tangy-sweet dressing.
Parsley: A representation of spring and new life, chopped parsley adds a vibrant finish to the horseradish-lemon dressing, while whole leaves lend a fresh bite to the salad greens.
Charoset: This fruity relish, usually made with a mixture of apples, walnuts, and red wine, usually resembles (and symbolizes) the mortar that Jewish slaves used to build the pyramids. Inspired by those elements, Rhoda's charoset skips the pulverization, with toasted, chopped walnuts and sliced apples tossed throughout. While she skipped the red wine, if you want a glass on the side, no one’s counting...oh, wait.
Egg: Although some Seder plates insist on a roasted egg, Rhoda uses Epi’s no-fail boiling method and then simply peels and quarters them for a classic salad add-in.
Shank bone: You can’t eat a bone, of course. But inspired by that meatiness, Rhoda sauteed sliced lamb sausages until they crisp up into savory coins.
Now all that’s left to do is find the afikoman and wait for Elijah.
