Real First Night of Passover

Because we had had the multi-family Seder on Saturday, tonight’s meal was simple and sufficient.  For years, as we cooked more food than we could possibly eat, we always said that by the time we’re finished eating the matzoh ball soup and all the things that go on matzoh (charoset, horseradish, "chopped liver" – see below), we’ve eaten plenty.  This evening we "only" made this soup and an enormous salad, plus matzoh and wine, which indeed was plenty. (Dayenu!) 

A note on the matzoh balls: this year I bought whole-wheat matzoh meal, intending to try some healthier version of our traditional recipe.  The stuff looked so coarse and dark that in the end I chickened out and used half whole wheat and half white matzoh meal.  The balls came out looking darker, and were not too dense and not too light… we deemed them Just Right.

I’d forgotten to say that on Saturday I’d also made some vegetarian "chopped liver", something akin to what Andrea made last year, and which I’d liked a lot more that whatever it was I had made.  I had been trying for some replica of my Aunt Rose’s recipe, which involved green beans, but somehow without the hard-boiled egg it just didn’t work.   This one DID work, and was awesome (even though it looks like, you know…), and the recipe also comes from No Cholesterol Passover Recipes.

Vegetarian "Chopped Liver"

• 3 TBS oil
  
• 1/2 lb. mushrooms, chopped
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 C chopped walnuts
• Pepper and salt to taste
• 1 TBS water
•  

Saute the onion until translucent but not brown or caramelized or anything.  Add mushrooms and saute for 8 more minutes.  Pour into blender or food processor, adding walnuts, seasonings and water.  Process until smooth and refrigerate.  

Finally, check out this beautiful gift Claudia brought us from Italy…. olive wood salad spoons!  So perfect for our celebration!!!