This is a guest post by Anabelle Harari from Local Belle.
When thinking about what food I love most during Passover, I didn’t have to think long.
Matzah? No way. Horseradish? After a terrible experience eating the root in college, I’m done with horseradish.
Charoset is obviously the champion of the Seder. It’s sweet, crunchy, nutty and we all generally wonder why we don’t eat this delicious side dish year round. I especially love charoset because it’s cheap and easy to make. It’s raw, vegan, gluten free and generally makes us all feel good inside.
After signing up for a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) box from a local farm 20 miles outside of Jerusalem, I’ve been enjoying seasonal and organic fruits and vegetables. A CSA in your area may even be more cost efficient than going to the supermarket- and will get you to be more creative in the kitchen with the new produce you’ll find in your CSA box!
This week I received tiny tart red apples, bursting with flavor. Honestly, I’ve never tasted apples so crisp and sweet. I also added a carrot to get some extra veggies in there and because carrots and fruit are always a great combination.
And so this charoset recipe was inspired by my little apples, the farmer who picked them for me, and mother earth. I hope you enjoy this recipe and continue to eat delicious food that is good for you and your wallet!
Carrot Apple Charoset Recipe
Ingredients 
- 4 red apples
- ½ cup of nuts (I used a mix of walnuts and almonds)
- 3 tsp sweet wine
- 1 medium carrot
- ½ tsp of cinnamon
- ¼ cup raisins
Instructions
Place the nuts on a baking sheet and put them in your toaster oven or oven for 10 minutes, or to your desired preference. The nuts should be slightly darkened- but not burnt.
Meanwhile, chop up the apples, carrot and raisins. Mix in the cinnamon and wine. You can either let the mixture marinate or add in the toasted nuts directly. I chopped up the nuts to let more of that toasted flavor permeate the mixture.
Serve immediately, and enjoy!
Looking for more charoset recipe? Try this one for Sephardi Date Charoset. And check out the rest of my Passover recipes.
Anabelle Harari writes about sustainable and organic food on her blog, Local Belle, and is the community attache for Birthright Israel Experts. She currently lives in Jerusalem, where you can usually find her snacking on cheese in the shuk. You can connect with her on twitter @thelocalbelle.
This looks amazing! I did have a silly question, though, which has always been my issue when it comes to charoset recipes I’ve seen…
I have a tree nut allergy. Walnuts, pecans, etc are out for me. Are there any substitutions that might work, or would I be best off leaving them out of the dish altogether?
Thank you!
The carrots will add the crunch for the missing nuts. You might also finely chop some crisp celery to add to this mixture. I hope this helps you.