The World is My Oyster Plant די װעלט איז מײַן ציגן־בערדל

Behold
This is salsify, or oyster plant. The images from the 19th century Russian botanical dictionary are reproduced from Joyce Toomre's translation of Elene Molokhovets' Gift for Young Housewives. While gefilte fish is not mentioned in War and Peace, it is in Molokhovets.
I made Lena Braun's salsify gefilte fish here. This is not a translation of that recipe, but an adaptation based on her idea of using salsify as the main ingredient. The Yiddish word for salsify is "ציגן בערדל" tsign-berdl although Braun calls it "אױסטער־פּלנט" oyster-plent

Vegetarian Gefilte Fish

1 1/2 pounds salsify

3/4 cups lightly toasted walnuts
3/4 cup matzo meal
1 large onion
3 eggs
salt, pepper, paprika
2 carrots

Peel and trim the salsify and cook the until quite soft, about 40 minutes. I had about one pound cooked salsify left after trimming. Grind the cooked salsify in a processor with the cashews, matzo meal and half of the onion.
Lightly beat the eggs, and blend in the salsify-mixture.
Bring water to a simmer with the remaining half onion and the carrots in a wide shallow pot. Form the salsify mixture into quenelles and poach for one hour. Serve cold with a slice of carrot and some horseradish.

Roasted Beets Vinaigrette בוריקעס װינעגרעט

די אָ בוריקעס האָב איך שױן אנגעבלאָגעװעט צװישן חמצדיקע רצעפּטן, אָבער פּסחדיק װי די װעלט זענען זײ, װיל איך זײ זאָלן האָבן אַן אײגענעם בלאָג-אײנס. פּריװ זײ מיטן װינעגרעט פֿאַר די ערד־באַרנעס

געבראָטנע בוריקעס װינעגרעט

װאַשט'ס בוריקעס, אָבער שײלט'ס זײ ניִשט אָפּ. װיקלט זײ אײַן אין זילבער־פּאַפּיר, און בראָט זײ אָן אין אַ העסןאױװןאױף 400 גראַד איזװײך-אַ 40-50 מינוט. װעןזײ װערן קיל גענוגשײלטזײ אָפּ מיט די הענט. צנײַדט'ס זײ אױף שטיקער און גיס אָן מיט װינעגרעט

These beets appeared previously in some khumetsdik company, but I wanted them to be more easily searchable for peysekh, so here they are. Try the vinaigrette that goes so nicely with Jerusalem Artichokes. You do want to try these.

Roasted Beets Vinaigrette

Clean but do not peel beets. Wrap them well in aluminum foil and place them in a hot oven. If you have beets of very different sizes, maybe make a packet with the bigger ones and another packet with the smaller ones. Roast until done (depending on size and age 40 minutes to over an hour) test for doneness by sliding a bamboo skewer into the package (you don't have to
unwrap them to do this).
Allow the beets to cool until you can handle them comfortably. Now cut off the tops and tails and slide off the skins. The feeling of skin sliding off a roast beet is one of my very dearest pleasures. Cut the beets into slices or cubes and dress with oil, vinegar and salt. Add minced dill, cilantro or parsley.

Passover Eggplants פּסחדיק פּאַטלעזשאַן

Some of you have written recently to ask about Georgian eggplant recipes.
I have tagged as Perfect for Peysekh our beautiful Sher's Eggplant with Walnut Sauce and Eggplants with Cilantro Also Cold Fried Eggplant,
which is not Georgian, but Jewish and a very nice thing to have around on Shabes and Yontif.

I will be trying to post as many Perfect for Peysekh recipes as possible before Zero Hour. Love you'uns.

Work in Yiddish ייִדישע אַרבעט

While it is true that I do tend to get a little tense in the days immediately before the joyous holiday of peysekh, I did not think that even I could break a cast-iron skillet.

סקאָװראָדע

skovrode skillet

פּאַטעלניע

patelnye frying pan

פֿענדל

fendl pan

עס קוםמט אָן מיט בלוט פֿון די אױגן

es kumt on mit blut fun di oygn It is difficult (lit: it comes with blood from the eyes)

די אַרבעט ברענט אונטער די הענט

di arbet brent unter di hent One is working like a demon (lit: the work burns under one's hands)

אַרבעטן װיִ אַ הונט

arbetn vi a hunt to work like a dog

אַרבעטן װי אַ פֿערד

arbetn vi a ferd to work like a horse

ציען די ליאַמקע

tsien di liamke to pull the bridle bit --that is, to work like a horse

אַרבעטן װי אַ ייִדענע ערבֿ־פּסח

arbetn vi a yidene erev-peysekh

to work like a Jewish woman on the Eve of the Passover