EAT LOCAL: Thanksgiving Recipes

Need some inspiration to turn your Thanksgiving into an “eat local” feast? Try these tasty recipes.

BUTTERNUT SQUASH WITH PUMPKIN SEED PESTO

Roasting this versatile squash brings out the natural sweetness and adds a splash of fall color to any meal. Pumpkin seeds are a significant source of zinc and makes for a great food to prevent becoming sick during the winter.

Servings: 4-6

1 large (about 3 pounds) butternut squash, peeled and cut into half-inch cubes, about 4 cups

2 tablespoons canola oil

½ teaspoon salt

Pumpkin Seed Pesto

½ cup raw green pumpkin seeds

1 cup loosely packed cilantro

2 cloves garlic, chopped

Juice of 1 lemon

¼ cup olive oil

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

Preheat oven to 500 F with rack in middle position.

Toss butternut squash with 2 tablespoons of the oil and ½ teaspoon of the salt. Arrange in a single layer on a baking pan and place in oven. Roast until golden brown on edges, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside.

Meanwhile, toast pumpkin seeds in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Keep the seeds moving with a wooden spoon or by shaking the pan back and forth over the heat until seeds are puffed and beginning to brown, 2 to 4 minutes. Transfer from pan and cool.

Pulse cooled seeds in a food processor with cilantro, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil and ¼ teaspoon each of salt and pepper until all ingredients are blended and reach a smooth consistency.

Toss squash with pesto and salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.

(Recipe courtesy of PCC Natural Markets.)

SAGE-ROASTED CHICKEN

The combination of flavors from the sweet-tart apples, roasted onions, and savory sage satisfies the palate beautifully. You can easily turn the leftovers into a delicious soup.

Servings: 6-8

For the rub:

10 fresh sage leaves, chopped

1 tablespoon dried thyme

¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 teaspoons salt

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

3 tablespoons olive oil

For the chicken:

1 whole chicken (about 5 pounds)

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

¼ teaspoon salt

2 medium unpeeled Pink Lady, Gala, or Cameo apples, cored and sliced lengthwise

1 medium white onion, cut into half-moons about half-inch thick

Fresh sage for garnish

Preheat oven to 400 F.

Combine rub ingredients together in a small bowl and mix till evenly combined. Rinse chicken and pat dry with paper towels. Tuck wings back and smear the chicken on all sides with the rub mix. Set in a roasting pan and keep in refrigerator. Marinate overnight or for at least 30 minutes.

In a large bowl, whisk together olive oil, balsamic vinegar and salt. Add in apples and onions and toss until evenly coated.

Distribute the apples and onions around the chicken and drizzle any remaining sauce over. Place in oven on the middle rack and roast for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Check with a thermometer for an internal temperature of at least 165 F. Apples and onions should be tender.

Remove from oven and let chicken rest for 10 minutes before carving. Serve with apples and onions and garnish with a sprig of fresh sage.

(Recipe courtesy of PCC Natural Markets.)

EMMER CORNBREAD STUFFING

Emmer is an ancient staple food from Egypt and travelled long ago to Italy where it has gained popularity under the name farro. It is a cousin of wheat and works well in the whole-grain form or ground into flour.

Servings: 8-10

2 tablespoons butter

1 large onion, cut into half-inch, half-moon slices

1 cup Chanterelle mushrooms, sliced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons fresh sage, chopped, or 1 tablespoon dry

2 tablespoons fresh thyme, chopped, or 1 tablespoon dry

¼ cup white wine

1 tablespoon canola oil

3 celery stalks, sliced

1½ teaspoon salt (less if stock contains salt already)

1¼ cup chicken or vegetable stock

Emmer cornbread (recipe follows)

Cooked emmer (recipe follows)

½ cup fresh parsley, roughly chopped

Preheat oven to 375 F.

Heat large pan over medium heat and add butter. Add onions and chanterelles, stirring for about 3-5 minutes until the onions become translucent. Add the garlic and herbs and stir another minute until the oils are released from the herbs and give their fragrance. Add white wine or sherry to pan and cook, stirring for another 1 minute. Pour mixture into a bowl and set aside.

Place the pan over medium heat and add oil (be careful not to let the oil overheat to smoking, this causes the oil to become rancid and unhealthful to use.) Add the celery and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the broth and salt and let it simmer for a few minutes until the celery become soft. Turn off heat and set aside.

Crumble the emmer cornbread into a large bowl and add the cooked emmer. Add the onion and chanterelle mix and pour the celery/stock mixture over the cornbread mixture along with the parsley. Stir gently to combine the ingredients. Pour stuffing into a large baking pan or casserole dish. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and continue baking for another 15 minutes until the top is crispy.

This stuffing can also be used with turkey or squash.

Emmer Cornbread

¼ cup unsalted butter

1 cup corn flour

1 cup polenta

2 teaspoon baking powder

1 tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoons salt

1½ cup buttermilk*

¼ canola oil

2 large eggs

Preheat oven to 400 F.

Place an 8-inch cast iron skillet on the stove over medium-low heat and add the butter to melt. In a medium-size mixing bowl, combine the corn flour, polenta, sugar, salt, and baking powder. Mix ingredients together with a wooden spoon. In a small mixing bowl, combine the buttermilk, oil and eggs. Whisk together with a fork.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix together with a wooden spoon gently until the dry ingredients are combined with the dry (it’s alright if there are still some dry areas, you don’t want to over mix). Pour the batter into the pan with the melted butter and spread gently to make an even layer. Place pan in oven on middle rack and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until golden brown.

* If you do not have buttermilk on hand, you can substitute 1 cup of milk combined with 1 teaspoon of vinegar, letting the mixture stand for 5 minutes before using. It is normal to curdle a little and become slightly clumpy. The acidity is what helps with the rising of the cornbread.

Whole-grain Emmer

1 cup dry whole emmer grains

4 cups water

Measure water into saucepan and place on stove top on high heat. Add dry emmer to water and bring to boil. Turn heat down to low, cover and simmer for about 45 to 50 minutes. Grains should be cooked all the way through and chewy, not crunchy. Drain water and set aside.

Pressure cooker method: Place grains into pressure cooker with 4 cups water. Secure lid on and place on stove at high heat. When it comes to pressure, turn the heat down to low and simmer for 20 minutes. Turn off heat and let pressure come down naturally or place pressure cooker under running cold water to quickly bring pressure down. Drain water and set aside.

(Recipes courtesy of PCC Natural Markets.)

CARAMEL-GLAZED ROASTED PEARS

This healthy dessert can be made throughout the year highlighting whatever fruit is in season, from pears and apples to peaches and plums.

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 cup packed brown sugar

3 Bosc pears, halved and cored

¼ cup sliced almonds, toasted

Preheat oven to 400 F with rack in middle position.

Place butter in a baking pan with raised edges and put into the oven to melt. Sprinkle brown sugar over butter, then place fruit cut side down in a single layer on top. Bake until fruit is tender, 30 to 40 minutes.

Turn fruit over, baste with caramel sauce and continue to bake until golden and glossy, about 10 more minutes. Remove from oven and let cool about 10 minutes.

Place fruit in serving bowls. Drizzle additional caramel sauce over and sprinkle with toasted almonds.

(Recipe courtesy of PCC Natural Markets.)

HOMEMADE SOUP STOCK

Let nothing go to waste with this flavorful and nutrient rich stock. You can condense it down and freeze into ice cubes, or store in quart containers and freeze ready for your next satisfying hot soup meal. There are no exact measurements here, just an accumulation of food scraps that are perfectly flavorful and useful. You can use any combination that collects from your normal cooking.

Onion peels

Peels from root vegetables: carrots, potatoes, parsnips, rutabagas, etc.

Celery ends

Parsley stems, and other herbs

Chicken, cow, fish, or pig bones

Bay leaves

10 black pepper corns

1-2 tablespoons vinegar (apple cider, red/white wine)

Put all ingredients in a pot or pressure cooker covered in water (about 8 cups of water for one whole chicken is a general rule of thumb). Bring to a boil and simmer for about 1-2 hours. The vinegar is added to pull more nutrients from the bones like calcium and protein (in the form of gelatin).

Strain off the liquid and discard the scraps. You can use the liquid immediately for soup or any recipe calling for stock. Once cooled, don’t be surprised if your stock looks like Jell-O. This is from the gelatin from the bones and shows you that you have a nutrient rich stock. It will become liquid again once heated and will not affect the flavor or texture of your soup.

For freezer, make sure the stock is cooled, then pour into appropriate sized containers for the batch you plan to make (quart is a good size for a 4-6 serving batch of soup). To make a concentration, put the strained stock back on the stove in a pan and simmer until the volume evaporates down to about half the original amount. Pull from heat, cool and freeze in ice cube trays. Pop them out once frozen and store in a freezer bag and pull out a couple of your made-from-scratch bouillon cubes.

(Recipe courtesy of PCC Natural Markets.)

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