Vegetables for Easter and Passover

The spotlight here is on vegetables: as side dishes for your Easter lamb or ham dinner, seder or Passover meals, or to put out as a treat for the Easter Bunny. Or just to have for Lent; it’s still a thing.

Recipes of the week: We're going around the world. Start with this delicious U.S. of A. Red Chard "Ribbons," or Ajapsandali, a Georgian (the country, not the U.S. state) "ratatouille." Also, a British-inspired Cauliflower Pot Roast, or Fossolia, made from a recipe given to me by an Ethiopian Jew for one of her country's favorite vegetable dishes. It is as colorful as it is delicious.

I’ve got dozens more vegan-, vegetarian-, and fruit-friendly recipes if you’re in search of sides for this month’s holiday meals. Here.

Q&A: Giuliana B. asks, "Do you have a recipe using lamb necks?" Sure do: Braised Lamb Neck with White Beans.

Watch me cook: See how I prepare four variations on mashed potatoes that would be delicious accompaniments to the holidays' meals. And for all those vegetable dishes: "How to Dice a Carrot." Sounds simple but, as Bugs would say, "It ain't."

Wine: Pairing wine with Easter lamb and Passover brisket is fairly straightforward, but pairing wine with Easter ham isn't. Here's some thinking about that and general recommendations for this month's holiday meals.

Food history: In 1957, Sam Born, a Russian immigrant to the U.S., gave us Peeps.

Feast on the content: Searching for inspiration? You’ll find lots of ideas in Recipes, Videos, and Food Histories on this website.