Every year, as autumn leaves spiral to the ground and fresh local cranberries hit the market, I rejoice in this, my favorite season.
A part of the ritual has been to reflect on that first Thanksgiving. It began with 40 Pilgrims and 89 American Indians gathered together. The Pilgrims had survived a year in the new world.
To say it hadn’t been a cakewalk would be an understatement. But setting hardships aside, they took time out to bless the land and the Indians from the nearby Pawtuxet tribe for helping them come this far.
Their feast bore witness to all the glorious bounty that thrives in that particular corner of the earth: wild turkey, geese, ducks, oysters, clams, lobsters, squash, corn, cranberries.
For our own Thanksgiving feasts, doesn’t it make sense to honor the land and the bounty – and the growers – of your region? You can do that by choosing locally grown ingredients.
It doesn’t have to be a radically rigid approach. In fact, keeping the concept simple – “Whenever possible, I’ll choose local foods over foods that are jet-lagged.” – leaves room for growth and exploration.
I don’t want you to get swept away in a current of socio-political-economic issues. At this time when we traditionally give thanks for the food we share, take a moment to consider where everything on the table came from, and give an extra blessing to those who grew and harvested the food before you.
Meanwhile, here are a few recipes to consider.
2tablespoons olive oil
1/2cup chopped yellow onion
1/2cup chopped leeks (white and pale green portion)
1garlic clove, minced
1/2pound chanterelles, sliced into 1/4-inch thick strips
4cups cubed day-old bread (I prefer pugliese or sourdough)
2cups grated Tillamook sharp cheddar cheese
2large eggs
2cups milk
1teaspoon dry mustard
1/2teaspoon dried thyme
1teaspoon salt
1/4teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
In a large skillet over medium heat, melt butter. Add onion, leeks, garlic and mushrooms and saute until the mushrooms are very tender, about 5 minutes. Layer half of the bread cubes in a lightly oiled 9- by 13-inch baking dish.
Arrange half of the vegetable mixture on top of the bread cubes, then half of the cheese. Add remaining bread and vegetable mixture in the same order.
Whisk together the eggs, milk, mustard, thyme, salt and pepper. Pour this mixture over the ingredients in the dish. Add remaining 1 cup of cheese. Cover and refrigerate for several hours or overnight.
About 11/4 hours before serving, bake the casserole (uncovered) in a preheated 350 degree oven until golden, bubbly and puffy, about 50 to 60 minutes. Remove from oven and let stand for about 10 minutes to “compose.”
5cups broccoli spears
4tablespoons butter or margarine
2tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4teaspoon salt
1/8teaspoon white pepper
11/4cups milk
4ounces cream cheese, cut into chunks
2tablespoons crumbled Oregon blue cheese
1cup coarse dry bread crumbs, preferably sourdough
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9- by 13-inch glass baking dish.
In a medium saucepan over high heat, cook broccoli in boiling salted water to cover for 3 minutes and drain thoroughly. Place broccoli in the prepared dish in a single layer.
In a saucepan over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter. Add flour, salt and pepper and stir until bubbly. Add milk and stir constantly until thickened, about 2 minutes. Add cream cheese and blue cheese and stir until cheeses are melted and sauce is well blended. Pour over broccoli.
In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Stir in bread crumbs and mix well. Sprinkle mixture over the casserole. Bake, uncovered, until casserole is bubbly and top is golden, about 30 minutes.
Serves 4 to 6.
2thick slices smoky bacon, cut into 1/4-inch strips
4cups fresh or frozen yellow or white corn
4ounces chanterelle mushrooms, wiped clean and chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
1/2yellow onion, chopped
1cup heavy cream
1tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1teaspoon minced fresh thyme
1teaspoon salt
1/2teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1tablespoon minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
In a large skillet, cook the bacon over medium heat until crisp. Remove the bacon from the pan and drain on paper towels. Pour off the bacon drippings and reserve 1 teaspoon.
Add the reserved bacon drippings back to the skillet. Over medium heat, saute the corn, mushrooms and onion for 6 minutes, or until the mushrooms appear soft, stirring occasionally. Blend in the cream, lemon juice, thyme, salt, pepper and bacon. Bring to a simmer and cook the cream to reduce until thick, 3 to 4 minutes. The starch in the corn will help thicken the cream. Add the chopped parsley. Makes 6 servings.
Recipe from “Wildwood – Cooking from the Source in the Pacific Northwest,” by Cory Schreiber
Here’s a delicious side-kick to your turkey feast.
Balsamic roasted pears
4firm, ripe pears, such as Bosc
2tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1tablespoon olive oil
2teaspoons minced fresh thyme
3/4teaspoon salt
1/2teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1tablespoon melted butter
Cut each pear in half, removing the core. Toss with the balsamic vinegar, oil, thyme, salt and pepper. Drizzle with the melted butter (it will begin to harden the minute it comes in contact with the pears), then arrange the pears, cut sides down, on a lightly greased baking sheet. Roast in a 350 degree oven until golden brown, about 25 to 30 minutes. Set aside until ready to serve.
Makes 8 servings.
Recipe adapted from “Wildwood – Cooking from the Source in the Pacific Northwest,” by Cory Schreiber
Jan Roberts-Dominguez is a Corvallis, Ore., food writer, cookbook author and artist. Readers can contact her by e-mail at janrd@proaxis.com.
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