From The New York Times Passover Cookbook, Edited by Linda Amster

Chef Puck uses Swiss chard and cumin to give this carrot salad its zing.

2 pounds carrots, peeled and cut across into 1/8-inch thick slices
1 1/2 pounds Swiss chard, washed and stemmed
2 tablespoons ground cumin
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon sugar
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Bring 2 large pots of water to boil. Add the carrots to one and cook just until tender, about 8 minutes. Drain and set aside. Meanwhile, add the Swiss chard to the second pot of water and blanch for 5 minutes. Drain and immediately plunge into a bowl of cold water. Drain, press out all of the water, chop coarsely and set aside.
2. In a bowl, whisk together remaining ingredients except salt and pepper. Add the carrots and Swiss chard, and toss. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving.

makes 8 servings

Sweet-and-Sour Celery
Gourmet April 2009

yield: Makes 8 (side dish) servings
active time: 15 min
total time: 45 min

Honey provides the sweet, and lemon juice the sour, in the Passover dish known as apio, which has origins in Turkey (the Ottoman Empire became a haven for Jews fleeing the Spanish Inquisition in 1492). As the celery cooks, it soaks up the braising liquid and becomes silky.

¾ cup water
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons mild honey
4 lbs. celery (2 to 3 bunches; any dark green outer ribs peeled), cut into 2-inch pieces, reserving about 1 cup inner celery leaves
¼ cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley

Cut a round of parchment paper to fit just inside a wide heavy 6-to 8-quarts pot, then set round aside.

Simmer water, lemon juice, oil, honey, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in pot, stirring, until honey has dissolved. Stir in celery (but not leaves) and cover with parchment round. Simmer until tender and liquid is reduced to about 1/4 cup, 35 to 40 minutes.

Meanwhile, coarsely chop reserved leaves.

Serve celery sprinkled with celery leaves and parsley.

What to drink:
Yarden Galilee
Cabernet Sauvignon ’05

Cooks’ note: Celery can be braised 1 day ahead and chilled. Reheat over low heat, adding more water if necessary, or reheat in a microwave. Add celery leaves and parsley before serving