Menu planning: what's new for your Seder table this year?

with less than a week to go, I'm wondering who's experimenting and who's staying with the tried-and-tested recipes for Seder nights? 

Who's become a vegetarian/vegan since last year, and might need some inspiration?

Or what about something zingy in the fish aspic?  

Let's talk decorations, too - who's got room on the table or around the room for seasonal pretties? What do you do?

I've volunteered to make Tsimmes for our friends' Seder.  Not sure whether I want to tilt more savory or sweet or just different this year. Describe a particularly good/interesting Tsimmes you've had.or made.  TIA

@marksierra’s household has some wonderful seasonal recipes that could help you out! However I heard there are some IT issues at present, so I’m not sure if Mrs marksierra is able to share a recipe or two. 

Home made matzo ball soup(always bought it pre-made) and Yotam Ottolenghi's eggplant with buttermilk will be new for us.  I've done lots of other Ottolenghi recipes for non sedar meals....but never replaced a traditional item with it(in this case the kugel is out this year).

If you're doing brisket, I can't recommend this recipe enough.  Super simple to make, tastes amazing and you can make it ahead of time.

Yum, that brisket looks good!

I usually do my soups from scratch anyway,  so that's not a worry for me. However this year I'm condemned to a medically-ordained 'elemental diet' (that is actually baby formula!) until May. (My Seder is one cup of this and loads of plain water. Nothing else) The eggplant dish has me intrigued - I'm thinking this might be good for both my brother and my husband.

Thank you for the inspiration!

D asked me for my mushroom pate again this year. It's dead-simple to make: 

grab a goodly amount of nice, firm field mushrooms and weigh them. 

You'll need at least 3/4 of that weight in fat (usually butter is best, unless you keep kosher and want to keep this pareve in which case use margarine)

Thinly slice a brown onion or two.  And if you can, have either some KLP port or brandy handy.

Melt some of the fat in a frying pan, so you can lightly brown the onion slices. Drain and reserve. Keep the melted fat and onion juices! 

Slice the mushrooms. 

Grease a suitable casserole dish and heat your oven. Place mushrooms, onions, fat and  scrapings from frying pan in casserole and bake (covered) for about 49-45 mins at a moderate heat. (For me, that's 180 degrees C) Mushrooms should be cooked through. 

Cool slightly then blitz the lot with a dash of grog in a food processor until smooth-ish (to resemble pate). Place dish in fridge, with parsley etc to decorate. 

I'm trying out a cauliflower rice tabbouleh from Epicurious.  

Fresh globe artichokes are in season! Yay! 

We always used to have these during Pesach when I was a kid; also fresh asparagus spears (both white and green [not on the same spear!]). Yum-o!

Persimmons, fuji fruit, pomegranate and also custard apples are just in season too - perfect for ‘new fruit’!

@nakaille, i forgot I bookmarked this Pesach tzimmes recipe last year!

sweet potatoes
carrots
pineapple
raisins
prunes
mandarin oranges
brown sugar
cinnamon
nutmeg

Cook the sweet potatoes just enough to be able to remove the peel easily. (This way you remove less flesh than if you use a peeling tool) Chop the veg into either rough chunks or quarters, depending on how large they are. 

Use a a fresh pineapple if one is available - always nicer! Peel and remove the the fibrous core. Chop into rough chunks. 

Put all the pieces into a suitable dish together with a handful each of raisins, prunes, your mandarin segments (pips removed). Use your experience to judge the amount of sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and appropriate water or juice/veg stock for cooking.

You can start the cooking in a microwave or on stovetop, it’s best finished in the oven where everything becomes soft and flavoursome. Don’t overcook. Yummy hot or cold. Should be good for most dietary needs.

Hey @sbenois et al... I am making Matzoh Charlotte for dessert. Come on over!