Local karpas
Karpas is a vegetable other than bitter herbs on the seder plate, and it represents the coming of spring. It is usually parsley, but celery or cooked potato are sometimes also used. At the beginning of the seder, the karpas is dipped into salt water (Ashkenazi custom), vinegar (Sephardic custom) or charoset (Yemenite custom). The practice symbolizes the tears shed by enslaved Jews in Egypt.
Following a fairly literal approach, our karpas cocktail involves parsley and balsamic vinegar. We combine these with No. 209 flavors American Small Batch Gin (Kosher for Passover Gin), which has some light flowery flavors that pair well with the subtle vegetal taste of the parsley. We definitely suggest using flat or Italian parsley instead of the curly variety, which we found a bit bitter. The effect of the vinegar is subtle, but it adds a nice complexity to the brighter flavors. (I'm using pomegranate balsamic)
As we drink this drink we ask ourselves these questions
What has this winter taught us? What elements of our own lives do we hope to revive this spring?
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ, אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הָאֲדָמָה
Baruch Atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech ha-olam, borei p’ree ha-adama.
We praise God, Ruler of Everything, who creates the fruits of the earth.
We look forward to spring and the reawakening of flowers and greenery. They haven’t been lost, just buried beneath the snow, getting ready for reappearance just when we most needed them.
-
We all have aspects of ourselves that sometimes get buried under the stresses of our busy lives.
What has this winter taught us? What elements of our own lives do we hope to revive this spring?
Ingredients and instructions.
2 oz (60 ml) Leopold’s Gin
2 sprigs Flat or Italian Parsley – leaves only
3 drops Balsamic Vinegar
Directions:
1) Combine all ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake gently to chill the drink and bruise the parsley.
2) Strain through a fine-mesh strainer into a chilled cocktail glass.
3) Garnish with a single parsley leaf floating in the drink.
Notes:
The gentle shaking is the key to this cocktail. You want to roll the drink back and forth in the shaker to release the flavor of the parsley without overly macerating the leaves.
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