A few years ago I received a message from a friend asking if I knew where she could find some fresh horseradish. Now, as it happened, I had planted a horseradish root, a left over from our Seder plate, a few years prior. Then I had forgotten about it completely until I got her message. So I happened to know the answer to her question.

A few days later, she showed up at 9 am with several of her children in tow. We dug and dug in cold hard ground, and then we dug some more. When we were done digging up horseradish root, we had enough horseradish for everyone. We also dug up some nice green spring onions.

It was a wonderful way to get ready for the holiday. Maybe you know that Passover is also called the Festival of Spring; being in dirt up to my knees was a great reminder of that fact. I also thought about the fact that it took about two hours to dig up a sufficient quantity of horseradish root for everyone. This in sharp contrast to the 10 minutes it would have taken to run to the store to pick up a jar.

When I sat down to write this post, it occurred to me that it would be nearly impossible to eat horseradish quickly, to eat any meal quickly at which strong, fresh horseradish is served. I also want to share that this year our Seder table will be graced by the presence of a container of fiery horseradish grown by my son-in-law’s parents in their magnificent home garden. I’m very excited about that.

I soaked my piece of horseradish root in a big tub to get all the mud off. The next day I scrubbed it for a long time, and then I put it right in the center of our Seder Plate, along with the green onions.

Then I came up with nine more ways to slow down. It’s one of the most valuable things we can do for ourselves.  

1.   Dig it up yourself.
2.   Put it in a crock pot and cook it slowly for many hours.
3.   Eat it at a table with your friends.
4.   Use a cloth napkin.
5.   Invite people over to eat with you.
6.   Turn off the television, the screens, the computers, the phones.
7.   Take a deep breath or recite a blessing of thanks before you pick up your spoon.
8.   Put down your fork between bites.
9.   Eat at a table, and not in a moving vehicle.
10. Chew your food.

Best wishes for wonderful meals prepared with care, and enjoyed at leisure surrounded by loved ones.