Passover Menu Planning
and how we are honoring those lost at our seder
Menu planning is one of my favorite parts of cooking—second only to the joy of sourcing beautiful ingredients. Holidays, especially, are a true highlight of my year. There’s something incredibly powerful about knowing that on one night, Jews all over the world—and across generations—are coming together to celebrate the same stories, the same rituals, the same sense of shared history.
Passover, marking the start of spring, feels especially magical. As a farmers market devotee, expert, and seasonal ingredient fangirl, this is when I truly come alive. Hosting Seder has long been a cherished tradition in my family, and last year, I was deeply honored to co-host a Freedom Seder with my friends Van Jones and Deborah Marcus.
This is my dream Seder menu—a collection of recipes I love and return to year after year. (You can find all linked below). Most of these recipes are what I would cook if you came to my house for dinner — but on this night, you get to have all of my favorites at once. My menus are always a love letter to california produce. Here is a link to my seder plate so many have message me about.
My friend Jonah recently told me he still thinks about this meal often, and honestly, that might be the kindest compliment I’ve ever received working in the kitchen. I know your guests will feel the same way — from a home cook with nuance.
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Every year, a quiet but powerful tradition finds its place on our Seder table: yellow tulips. Each tulip holds six stamens, and we use them as a living memorial for the six million Jews who were murdered in the Holocaust simply for being Jewish. It’s a gentle but ever-present reminder woven into the beauty of the evening.
This year, I’ll be adding orange tulips alongside the yellow ones—as a tribute to the Bibas family. I recently listened to an incredibly moving interview with Rachel Goldberg Polin on Dan Senor’s podcast, where she suggested placing closed yellow flowers on the Seder plate as a symbol of the lives still in captivity, the stories still unfolding.
There’s no single “right” way to hold space for what we’re experiencing collectively as Jews. But for me, marking it—even quietly—is essential. These gestures help me stay connected, grounded, and reminded of our resilience.
For the Table
– Hard boiled eggs, halved
– Charoset 4 ways
– Parsley
On Arrival
– Crudités on ice with tahini dip and hummus
To Start
– Dilly matzah ball soup in a rich, fresh chicken broth (start making this TODAY)
– Little Gem salad with watermelon radish, cucumber, and our house dressing
Main Dishes
– Slow-roasted citrus gill salmon OR dilly salmon
– Brisket with all the fixings
– Rosemary roasted potatoes
– Roasted cauliflower with golden raisins, toasted pine nuts, and tahini dressing
– Crisp-style lemony green beans
Dessert
– Sliced Cara Cara oranges with grassy olive oil, flaky sea salt, and fresh mint
– Pavlova with lemon curd and raspberries
– Toasted coconut macaroons (low sugar)
– Almond flour carrot cake
– House-made chocolate-covered toffee matzah
