Simanim in the garden - Symbolic Rosh Hashanah Foods

It is customary to eat apples dipped in honey and to say afterwards:

May it be Your will, our God and God of our ancestors that we should have a good and sweet new year.

When eating the head of a sheep or fish say:

May it be Your will, our God and God of our ancestors that we should be as a head and not a tail.

When eating dates say:

May it be Your will, our God and God of our ancestors that our enemies be destroyed.

When eating a pomegranate say:

May it be Your will, our God and God of our ancestors that our merits increase, as the seeds of the pomegranate.

(9) At the evening meal it is customary to prepare symbolic dishes [as auspicious omens] for a good year. You dip the piece of challah of Hamotzi in honey, and after eating a kazayis of challah you should say: יְהִי רָצוֹן מִלְפָנֶיךָ ה׳ אֱלֹּקַי וֵאלֹּקֵי אֲבוֹתַי שֶׁתְּחַדֵּשׁ עָלֵינוּ שָׁנָה טוֹבָה וּמְתוּקָה “May it be Your will Almighty, my G-d, and G-d of my fathers” etc. (Ibid 583:21) shanah tovah umesukah [May it be Your will to renew for us a good and sweet year]. After this you should dip a piece of apple in honey, say the berachah, Borei peri ha'eitz, and eat it. Then you say again Yehi ratzon etc. It is customary to eat the head of an animal and say Yehi ratzon shenih'yeh lerosh [May it be Your will] that we will be heads (leaders). You should try to obtain the head of a sheep, which will also serve as a remembrance of the ram of Isaac. You should also eat vegetables the names of which, in the language of your country, allude to good things... such as in our country, carrots (mehren) [mehren means to increase] and you should say Yehi ratzon sheyirbu zechuyoseinu [May it be Your will that our merits increase.] Some people have the custom to eat an elaborate fish course, symbolizing the blessing of fertility like the fish. The fish should not be cooked in vinegar because we must not eat sour or bitter foods on Rosh Hashanah. You should eat choice meats and all kinds of sweets. It is also customary not to eat nuts and almonds, because the numerical value of אֶגוֹז egoz (nut) is 17, the same as חֵט cheit, which means sin. Also, nuts increase phlegm and mucus which interferes with praying. It is proper to study Torah during the meal. Some have the custom of studying the Mishnah, Maseches Rosh Hashanah.

Abaye said: Now that you have said that a sign is a substantial matter, a person should be accustomed to eat, at Rosh Hashana, gourd, fenugreek, leeks, beets, and dates, as each of these grow and multiply quickly, which is a good omen for the deeds of the upcoming year.

Abaye said: Now that you said that an omen is a significant matter, a person should always be accustomed to seeing these on Rosh HaShana: Squash, and fenugreek, leeks, and chard, and dates, as each of these grows quickly and serves as a positive omen for one’s actions during the coming year.