Over the years, I have given this dish my own Sephardic twist by layering the eggplant, zucchini and tomatoes on a bed of fennel and onions, as well as enlivening the sauce with Silan and pomegranate molasses.

My cousin Daniella (follow on Instagram @daniellawolfcatering) and her husband Yakov had just hosted their son Alon’s bar mitzvah at the Kotel Ha’Ma’aravi (Western Wall). (Which was followed by a fabulous Israeli style luncheon at the Beit Shmuel hall. Beit Shmuel is a priceless piece of real estate overlooking the gardens of the French consulate, with the most spectacular panoramic views of the Old City.)

That Pesach, we were lucky enough to experience the seder with my beloved grandfather Aba Naji, my parents and my brothers, my sisters-in-law and their children, along with my uncle at his Ottoman-era white stone villa in Yemin Moshe.

Alan and I spent chol ha’moed doing the usual touristy things with our four children and my family. At the famous Biblical Zoo, we explored Noah’s Ark and gazed at all the animals. In the Judean desert, we went for camel rides and made friends with Charley the Camel and his Bedouin owner. We rode the cable car to the top of Masada. We swam in the salty, oily waters of the Dead Sea and hung out in the thermal pools. We drove north on the long straight road and saw the lights of Jordan twinkling on the other side. We arrived in Tiberius and found it swarming with lots of holidaying Israelis, which added to the festive air, not to mention the traffic jams. We took a boat ride in the azure blue waters of the Kinneret (Sea of Galilee). We enjoyed shaved ices and ice cream and carnival games on the boardwalk that hugs the shore.

For the last days of the Chag, my son Ariel decided that he was tired of us and went off with his cousins from my ex-husband’s side of the family. Alan and I stayed in a boutique hotel in Netanya, where we lucked into the penthouse suite. It was heavenly to sit on the balcony, looking out onto the endless horizon of the Mediterranean Sea.

If you have been lucky enough to spend Pesach in Israel, you know that restaurants and eating establishments there go to great lengths to make you forget that it’s Pesach. There are rolls and bread made with potato starch, pasta dishes and stunning cakes that do not look or taste kosher for Passover.

I can also say that it was on this trip that we truly learned about our three daughters’ eating patterns. Gabriella, aged six, loved everything white — pasta, chicken, cheese. Alexandra Malka, five, earned the nickname “Papas Queen” because she would only eat potatoes — mashed, roasted and fried. It was our youngest daughter Shevy who really made us laugh.

At dinner on the last night of Chag at the hotel in Netanya, this tiny two-year-old inhaled the “salatim” that were on the table as appetizers — coleslaw, fennel salad, parsley salad, sauerkraut, radishes, pickles and olives.

All the Israeli women sitting around us couldn’t believe that this little girl loved vegetables and salads so much. This ignited a dynamic conversation in Hebrew, which continued into lunch the next day. Of course, these women being Israeli, they asked me why I didn’t have a son, as though it was the biggest tragedy. I told them “I do have a son!”

They were so visibly relieved. “See, I told you she might have a son,” I overheard one say to the other.

This weekend, Rachel and I dreamed up this Herby Celery Salad. It is both bitter and sweet, tangy and raw — just like our feelings this Passover, where we still yearn for the release of our hostages and for true peace in the land of Israel. The list of ingredients is long, but so fresh and delicious and healthful. Belgian endive, radicchio, fennel, radish, dill, mint, chopped olives on a pretty bed of baby romaine lettuce and garnished with dates and walnuts. The greens are enhanced by a light, citrusy vinaigrette.

Rachel sent me home with a container of the salad. And Shevy, salad lover that she is, devoured it.

—Sharon

Dateline—Los Angeles, early 1990’s

Another lifetime ago, I worked at one of the most prestigious business management firms in Los Angeles. They specialized in entertainment accounting and they had lots of huge A-list celebrities on their roster. My co-manager was Rhoda Weintraub, a very dear, older Jewish woman. I was a young mom and she was already a grandmother. She was also probably one of the strongest characters I have ever had the privilege to work with, a sharp businesswoman who taught me so much. Her appearance was impeccable, with perfectly coiffed hair and polished nails. Her outfits were stylish and fashionable and color-coordinated, down to her earrings and shoes.

For five years, we worked together on the firm’s biggest account, that of music icon Michael Jackson. I can’t say more than that, because when I left the firm after 18 years, I signed many documents, which prevent me from sharing all my adventures and inside information.

At the time, Rhoda’s husband owned the famous kosher fried chicken joint Chick’n’Chow. One of my first questions to Rhoda was “Can I have the recipe?”

She very nicely explained that the recipe was super-secret and that the actual formula was kept in a safe at their home. 

That being said, we often discussed recipes we loved. One Passover, I gave her my lamb recipe. And she gifted me her special recipe for an eggplant, zucchini and tomato casserole. This beloved side dish became part of my repertoire. For many years, I made it for Passover because it was super easy to make ahead and is a true crowd pleaser.

Like so many recipes we love, I just stopped making it and began cooking ratatouille.

This year I decided that ratatouille is great, but I’m tired of it. That’s when I remembered dear Rhoda’s delicious eggplant recipe. It brought me so much joy to relive the many wonderful memories and crazy adventures that we shared at Gelfand, Rennert & Feldman.

Over the years, I have given this dish my own Sephardic twist by layering the eggplant, zucchini and tomatoes on a bed of fennel and onions, as well as enlivening the sauce with Silan and pomegranate molasses.

I hope Rhoda is smiling from heaven when she sees her recipe in The Jewish Journal. I’m sure she would be very proud.

Sharon and I wish you a completely delicious Passover, filled with lots of healthy vegetables and joyous times.

—Rachel

Provençal Eggplant

1 purple onion

1 large fennel bulb

¼ cup olive oil

2 medium eggplants

2 tsp of salt

4 large zucchinis

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 tsp salt

1 Tbsp garlic powder

1 Tbsp  oregano

4 large Roma tomatoes

1 tsp salt

½ tsp pepper

½ cup sundried tomatoes (optional)

1 cup boiling water

2 Tbsp tomato paste

¼ cup Silan

2 Tbsp pomegranate syrup.

1 Tbsp olive oil 

Preheat the oven to 425°F.

Use a mandolin or a sharp knife to slice the red onion and fennel, very thinly.

In a pan, warm oil over medium heat, then add onion and fennel. Sauté until golden brown.

Slice the eggplant in 1/4 inch slices and salt liberally on both sides and place in a colander to drain.

Slice the zucchini on the diagonal into 1/3 inch thick slices, toss in a bowl with two tablespoons of olive oil, salt and garlic powder.

Slice Roma tomatoes into thick slices from top to bottom 1/3 inch thick. Place in a bowl with salt and pepper, then set aside.

In a medium bowl, add the boiling water, tomato paste, Silan, pomegranate syrup and olive oil. Stir until well combined.

In an oven safe dish, layer one half of the onion and fennel, then arrange the eggplant in a slightly overlapping row. Add a row of slightly overlapping zucchini, then a row of tomatoes slightly overlapping. Spoon the rest of the onion and fennel mix in between the vegetables. 

Pour the sauce over all the vegetables, then top with an additional drizzle of Silan and pomegranate syrup.

Cover with a wet piece of parchment paper and an outer layer of foil.

Bake for 30 minutes, remove the parchment paper and foil. Bake for another 20 to 30 minutes, until all the edges of vegetables are roasted and golden brown.

Herby Celery Salad

Dressing: 

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil 

1/3 cup apple cider vinegar 

2 lemons, freshly squeezed 

2 Tbsp organic date syrup 

2 tsp salt 

1 tsp ground black pepper

Whisk all the ingredients together.

Salad:

1 small head of celery

1 head fennel

1 head radicchio

3 heads Belgian endive

1 watermelon radish or 1 cup red radish

3 small romaine baby gems

1 small bunch fresh mint leaves

1/2 cup dill

1 cup chopped green olives

1 cup toasted walnuts

1 cup dates, pitted and chopped

Finely chop the celery stalks and heart, including the leaves.

Remove the outer hard layer of the fennel bulb, then thinly shave the fennel on a mandoline or using a sharp knife.

Remove the outer leaves from the radicchio and shave on mandolin or cut thinly.

Cut the bottom of the endive and cut from top to bottom into sticks.

Shave the radish, then place in a bowl of cold water.

Cut the bottoms of the romaine gems and separate the small leaves. Larger romaine leaves can be cut into smaller pieces.

Soak the herbs in cold water for 10 minutes then rinse well. Dry and remove the leaves from the stems.

Assemble the salad.

Place the romaine leaves around the edges of a large platter.

In a large bowl, toss the celery, fennel, Radicchio, endive, radish, mint, dill and olives with the dressing and toss.

Pile the dressed vegetables in center of the platter, top with walnuts and dates.

Celery Root Salad

2 pounds celery root

1 3/4 teaspoons salt

4 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 cup mayonnaise

2 Tbsp prepared horseradish

2 Tbsp white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar

1 Tbsp chopped chives

Pinch of freshly ground black pepper

Use a serrated knife or vegetable peeler to remove all the brown outer portions of the celery, similar to peeling a pineapple.

Cut the celery root into thin matchsticks with a mandolin, or grate them in a food processor fitted with the coarsest grating blade.

Place the celery root in a large bowl, sprinkle with 1 1/2 teaspoons of the salt and 2 tablespoons of lemon juice and allow to stand at room temperature for about 30 minutes.

In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, the horseradish and the remaining tablespoon of lemon juice, the vinegar, the remaining 1/4 teaspoon of salt and the pepper. Add enough sauce to lightly moisten the salad. (You may have some sauce left over.)

Top with chives and serve cold or at room temperature.

Store leftovers in a glass container for two days.

Sharon Gomperts and Rachel Emquies Sheff have been friends since high school. The Sephardic Spice Girls project has grown from their collaboration on events for the Sephardic Educational Center in Jerusalem. Follow them
on Instagram @sephardicspicegirls and on Facebook at Sephardic Spice SEC Food.