Symbolic Appetizers for the Rosh Hashanah Table

The foods we eat during Rosh Hashanah and throughout the High Holidays are full of symbolism and tradition. We eat these foods (known as simanim) as a way to express our wishes for prosperity and good deeds in the New Year.

The recipes using chard, pumpkin, leeks, carrots, and black-eyed peas, use ingredients that represent the blessings and wishes traditionally associated with the holidays. The meaning behind these dishes derive from Ashkenaz, Sephardic, Mizrahi, and other traditions. In a way, we are literally eating or internalizing our prayers and wishes when we consume simanim.

Try one, some, or all of these recipes this holiday season. Make up a holiday appetizer board (or two) or serve individually. The recipes are parve and can be prepared vegan. 

Increase the symbolism of your appetizer offerings by adding seeded crackers; dates, to wish for an end to strife; and foods made from chickpeas, said to represent the cooling down of any adverse judgments. I fill out my holiday appetizer boards with beet and vegetable chips, grapes, olives, and other family favourites.  

Chard Tahini Dip 

The chard tahini dip is based on a popular dish in Lebanon and elsewhere in the Levantine where chard stalks or leaves are turned into a silky consistency. Here I use both—simmering the leaves until tender and sautéing the stems with garlic. The name for chard or beet greens in Hebrew sounds similar to the wish that our enemies be removed, a frequent Rosh Hashanah theme.

Ingredients

Makes about 1 1/2 cups 

1 large bunch chard with white stems, about 1/2 pound  (see note)

3/4 teaspoon salt, divided, plus as needed

2 tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon minced garlic plus 1 medium garlic clove

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

2/3 cup tahini

2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice plus as needed

4–6 tablespoon cup cold water plus as needed

Accompaniments (see below)

Directions

1. Trim and discard the tough or browned tips of chard stalks. Cut off stalks below chard leaves and any hard parts of stalks above that.
2. Chop stalks into 1/4-inch pieces. There should be about 1–1 1/2 cups. Set aside.
3. First cook the chard leaves. Have a big bowl filled with ice and cold water ready. Bring a large pot of water to a boil with 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Once the water is boiling, submerge the chard leaves. Reduce heat to simmer for 2–3 minutes until the leaves are very tender. Immediately remove from the pot with tongs and plunge into an ice bath. Let cool. Drain well. Set aside.
4. Next, cook the stems. Heat a large skillet over medium high heat and sauté 1 teaspoon of minced garlic for 1–2 minutes until golden. Add reserved chopped chard stalks, 1/4 teaspoon of salt, pepper, and cumin. Sauté until stalks are cooked through, about 5–7 minutes. Set aside.
5. Add a whole garlic clove to the food processor. Process until fine, stopping and scraping down as needed. Squeeze any remaining water out of the chard leaves, then add to the food processor. Process until puréed, stopping and scraping down as needed, then add tahini and continue to blend. Add 1/4 teaspoon of salt, lemon juice and 4 tablespoons of water. Process until smooth and feel free to add remaining 2 tablespoons of water if needed for creaminess. Add more cold water, salt and/or lemon juice as needed. 
6. Scrape mixture into a medium mixing bowl. Chop half of the reserved cooked chard stalks and garlic very finely. Mix into chard-tahini dip. Transfer to a serving bowl. Top with remaining cooked chard stalks with garlic. Serve with accompaniments. 
7. The dish can be made a day in advance and stored airtight in the refrigerator. Bring to room temperature before using. Stir in water by the tablespoon if needed to restore creaminess.

Accompaniments: Just about anything goes from vegetables to chips to pita to crackers or small pretzels. I also like to serve with baked or fried homemade or frozen falafel for dipping for a more substantial appetizer.

Note: White-stem chard gives the best colour, but chard with any stem colour works.

Honey With a Kick

Dipping apples and challah in honey is the classic Eastern European way to ask for a sweet New Year. Here I make it slightly spicy by adding a bit of curry powder and hot sauce to Honey with a Kick. I like to serve it with dried apple rings.

Ingredients

Makes about 1/2 cup

Oil 

1/4 teaspoon curry powder

1/2 cup of mild honey (see notes)

1/2 teaspoon hot sauce 

Accompaniments (see below)

Directions

1. Lightly grease the inside bottom and sides of a small pot. 
2. Heat the pot over medium heat with curry powder for about 1 minute or until fragrant.
3. Pour honey into the pot and stir in hot sauce. Bring to a simmer, adjusting the heat as needed and stirring often. Simmer for 2 minutes. 
4. Pour honey into a serving dish. Let cool until barely warm or room temperature, stirring occasionally (honey will thicken as it cools). 
5. If made in advance, store airtight at room temperature. Serve with accompaniments.

Accompaniments: Try dried apple rings, dehydrated apple slices, fresh apple slices dipped in lemon juice to prevent browning, and/or chunks of challah or other bread.

Note: Vegan “Honey” with a Kick: Replace honey with agave syrup. 

Whipped Garlic Dip with Carrots

The carrots we eat with the vegan whipped garlic dip bring strong symbolism to the table. Carrots’ Hebrew name, gezer, is similar to the word decree, they have the same root letters, so by eating them we are expressing our desire to have any evil decrees against us destroyed. In Yiddish, the word is mehren, which we can connect to the idea of multiplying our good deeds. Carrots’ golden colour connects us with the wish for prosperity and wealth. In the Egyptian Jewish tradition, the dip’s white colour represents purity. 

Ingredients

Makes about 2 1/2 cups 

3–6 medium garlic cloves

8 ounces vegan feta cheese

8 ounces vegan cream cheese

3 tablespoons vegan sour cream

1 tablespoon water and more as needed

1–2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley

Carrots or carrot sticks for serving

Directions

1. Place garlic (use 3 cloves for a milder garlic flavour, 6 for a more intense one) in a food processor until very fine, stopping and scraping down as needed. 
2. Rinse feta if in brine, break into chunks and add. Process until smooth as possible, stopping and scraping down sides of the processor as necessary. 
3. Add cream cheese in sections and process until it’s smooth in consistency. Then add the sour cream and water.
4. Garnish with parsley. Serve with carrot sticks or small whole carrots.

Can be made three days in advance. Store airtight in the refrigerator. Let it cool down to room temperature before using. Stir in water if needed to restore creaminess. Garnish with parsley and serve.

Note: This dip also makes a tasty sandwich spread.

Roasted Black-Eyed Peas with Garlic and Parsley

Black-eyed peas are a symbolic food throughout the Middle and Near East for Rosh Hashanah, where they are called rubia (which also may refer to other types of beans, green beans or even the spice fenugreek). Roasted black-eyed peas with garlic and parsley make a lightly crunchy snack and are symbolic of our hope for a good year filled with nice deeds and merit.

Ingredients 

Makes about 1 1/2 cups

1 (15 ounce) can black-eyed peas (or 1 1/2 cups cooked black-eyed peas)

2 tablespoons  oil

1 teaspoon salt, divided 

1/4 teaspoon paprika or cayenne

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon fresh minced garlic

1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley

1 tablespoon minced lemon zest

Directions 

Heat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

1. Drain and rinse black-eyed peas then gently pat dry with a kitchen towel. 
2. In a large bowl mix oil, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, paprika (use cayenne for more heat), and cumin. Add black-eyed peas and mix well. 
3. Spread black-eyed peas with seasoning and oil onto a rimmed baking tray. (If doubling the recipe, use two baking trays). 
4. Roast for about 12–15 minutes, stirring once or twice, until the outside of the black-eyed pea is a bit crunchy but the inside is still tender. Immediately put black-eyed peas in a large, dry bowl and mix with remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt (or to taste), garlic, parsley, and lemon zest. Serve immediately.  

Pumpkin Leek Bites

Pumpkin leek bites are packed with symbolism. Pumpkin represents our wish to have our good deeds called out, as well as representing our desire for prosperity. Leek symbolizes our wish for our enemies to be cut off. 

Ingredients 

Makes about 20–24 

5 tablespoons pumpkin seed kernels

3/4 pounds leeks (about 1 very large)

2 tablespoons oil plus extra for baking

5 cups day-old challah (1/2-to-1-inch pieces)

1 teaspoon rubbed sage (or 1/2 tsp. ground sage, see notes)

1/2 tablespoon whole fennel seeds, coarsely crushed (see notes) 

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/4 plus 1/2 teaspoon salt, divided

1 cup pumpkin puree (canned or homemade, see notes)

About 1–1 1/2 cups warm vegetable broth or stock

Oil 

Directions

1. Toast pumpkin seeds in a large, heavy, dry skillet, stirring often until fragrant. It should be lightly browned in spots and you should begin to hear a “popping” noise. Watch carefully to avoid burning. Remove from the skillet. Transfer to a large mixing bowl.
2. Trim, clean, and chop white and light green parts of leek into 1/4-inch pieces. There should be about 2–2 1/4 cups. Heat oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Add leeks and 1/4 teaspoon of salt and sauté until browned and very soft, stirring often and adjusting heat as needed so leeks do not burn. Add cooked leeks and any oil left in the pan to the mixing bowl. 
3. Add challah pieces to the bowl. Mix with leeks and seeds. Add sage, crushed fennel, black pepper, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Mix well. Stir in pumpkin. Pour in 1 cup of warm broth. Mix well and let sit for 15 minutes until the bread is soft but not mushy or falling apart and the mixture remains moist. Add more warm broth as needed. 
4. Heat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a mini-muffin tin (or use paper liners). Using hands, stuff each muffin cup above the rim with the mix. Press down lightly to compact. Lightly brush tops with oil. 
5. Bake about 35 minutes until tops are browned and bites are cooked through. Cool in pans for 5 minutes before turning out on the rack. Serve warm or at room temperature. 
6. The recipe can be made one day ahead. Store cooled bites airtight in layers between wax or parchment paper. Warm day-old bites in a 250 degree Fahrenheit oven for 3–5 minutes for best texture. 

Notes: Rubbed sage is fluffier than regular ground sage and measures differently. If not labelled, you can tell the difference by texture and colour. The rubbed version is fuzzy and pale. Ground sage is darker, coarser, and resembles other ground herbs. Coarsely crush whole fennel seeds in a mortar and pestle, spice grinder, or clean coffee grinder. Or carefully bash inside a kitchen towel on a sturdy surface with a meat mallet or hammer. If using canned pumpkin puree, be sure to select one that isn’t seasoned or labelled for pumpkin pie filling.