Eating Local for Thanksgiving

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Nov 17

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Cooking with local ingredients for your Thanksgiving celebration can be simple with a little planning. A holiday that celebrates the end of the harvest season, Thanksgiving meals naturally lend themselves to the use of seasonal vegetables including potatoes, rutabaga, radishes, turnips, brussels sprout, leeks, cabbage, broccoli, and cauliflower among many others. That said, this weekend while you are planning what to prepare for your Thanksgiving dinner, consider heading to Fulton Street Farmers Market to buy your produce directly from your local farmers. Supporting your local farmers creates a sense of connection to your food, supports our local economy, and allows us to celebrate the essence of Thanksgiving by appreciating all that our land and our growers have been able to provide us with this growing season.

Below are a few simple fall recipes. Try one of these out for your Thanksgiving meal and you will not be disappointed! All of the produce used in these recipes can be purchased at the farmers market. For reference, I purchased brussels sprout from Blandford Farm, broccoli and cauliflower from Ham Family Farm, rutabaga from Hope Farms, potatoes from Groundswell Farm, and radishes and celeriac from Green Wagon Farm. Simple, delicious, local.

Cheesy Maple Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Broccoli with Dried Cherries and Almonds

Ingredients

1 small bunch of broccoli, broken into florets and stems thinly sliced
14-15 brussels sprouts
4 tablespoons Bragg Liquid Aminos
3 tablespoon maple syrup
2 tablespoons olive oil
⅓ cup + ⅓ cup nutritional yeast, separated
⅓ cup dried cherries
⅓ cup sliced almonds, toasted

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly spray a 9×13 casserole baking dish with olive oil and set aside. Mix the Bragg Liquid Aminos, maple syrup, and olive oil in a large bowl. Set aside. Trim the brussels sprouts of any dirty/yellow/wilted outside leaves. Rinse them off. Trim the stem off and cut each one in half lengthwise. Add the brussels sprouts and the broccoli to the large bowl. Toss to coat every piece with the sauce.

Sprinkle ⅓ cup of nutritional yeast over the vegetables. Toss to coat. Pour the contents of the bowl into the prepared baking dish. Bake for 25 minutes, stirring once halfway through. Remove, pour the remaining ⅓ cup of nutritional yeast over the vegetables and mix to combine. Mix in the dried cherries. Sprinkle with the toasted almonds and serve. Enjoy!

Recipe courtesy of Keepin it Kind

Roasted Cauliflower

Ingredients

1 head of cauliflower
2-3 cloves of garlic, peeled and coarsely minced
1 Tbsp lemon juice (or about half a lemon)
Olive oil
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly oil a large roasting pan or baking sheet. Cut the cauliflower into florets and place them in a bowl. Toss with minced garlic. Sprinkle with lemon juice. Drizzle with olive oil and toss so that the florets are lightly coated with oil. Spread the florets out into a single layer on the roasting pan. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Place the cauliflower in the hot oven, uncovered, for 25-30 minutes, or until the top is lightly brown. Use a fork to test for doneness; the tines should easily pierce the cauliflower when done. Remove the cauliflower from the oven and sprinkle generously with Parmesan cheese. Serve immediately.

Recipe courtesy of Simply Recipes

Honey Roasted Rutabaga

Ingredients

1 large rutabaga, peeled
3 Tbsp butter
3 Tbsp honey

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Slice the rutabaga horizontally into ¾ inch rounds. Slice each round into ¾ inch pieces. Cut pieces in half horizontally if large. Combine butter and honey in a medium-large bowl. Heat for 30 seconds or so until butter is melted. Stir to combine. Add rutabaga slices and toss to coat evenly.

Spread rutabaga pieces onto a lightly oiled or parchment lined baking sheet. Roast 35-40 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes, until slices have golden brown spots and are crispy around the edges. Enjoy!

Recipe courtesy of Modern Beet

Jamie Oliver's Mashed Root Vegetables

Ingredients

4-½ lbs root vegetables (celeriac, potatoes, rutabaga, parsnips, carrots, Jerusalem artichokes)
salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste
extra virgin olive oil or butter

Preparation

Feel free to use any single vegetable or a mixture of your favorites. Peel the root vegetables then chop up into golf-ball sized pieces, place in salted boiling water and cook until very tender.

Drain in a colander. Place the vegetables back in the pan and mash with a potato masher. You can mash them as smooth or as chunky as you like. Season with salt and pepper, then enrich the flavor with extra virgin oil or butter, or both, to taste.

Recipe courtesy of Jamie Oliver

Celery Root Remoulade

Ingredients

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 cup heavy cream
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 pound celery root (about 2 medium-sized roots)

Preparation

In a large mixing bowl, combine the lemon juice, mustard, cream, salt and pepper. Mix thoroughly. Taste and adjust the seasoning.

Quarter the celery root and peel it. Grate coarsely. Immediately add the celery root to the mustard sauce and toss to coat. Season to taste. Serve as a first course or side salad.

Recipe courtesy of The Land Connection

Cranberry Harvest Muffins

Ingredients

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1-¼ cups whole milk
2 extra-large eggs
½ pound unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1-½ cups coarsely chopped fresh cranberries
½ cup medium-diced Calimyrna figs
¾ cup coarsely chopped hazelnuts, toasted and skinned
¾ cup brown sugar, packed
¾ cup granulated sugar

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line 18 muffin cups with paper liners. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and ginger in a large bowl. Make a well in the center of the mixture and add the milk, eggs, and melted butter. Stir quickly just to combine.

Add the cranberries, figs, hazelnuts, and both sugars and stir just to distribute the fruits, nuts, and sugar evenly throughout the batter. Spoon the batter into the paper liners, filling each one to the top. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until browned on the top and a toothpick inserted in the center of the muffins comes out clean.

Recipe courtesy of Food Network

Eating Local for Thanksgiving