Happy Thanksgiving you guys! We’ve got a special treat this week, Jubilee Farm honey, from hives on the farm and brought to us by Rainy Day Bees. Though I’m sure you’ve all got everything set in motion for Thanksgiving, I’ll throw these few recipes at you in case you need some last minute inspiration. As of writing this, I have no idea what the main course is on the menu at my own home for the big day. I raised a couple turkeys at home with the intention of supplying my own holiday birds but the tender hearted man in my house befriended said birds and now we have pet turkeys. Guess I’ll be hitting up PCC this week. –Liz 🙂
Roasted Carrots with Honey and Almonds
Roasty, toasty carrots are amazing. Growing up I hated cooked carrots. My parents made them with frozen orange juice concentrate and brown sugar and they were the worst. These however, roasted to the point of being slightly charred, sweetened ever so slightly with a bit of honey, topped with toasty almonds put those awful carrots of my youth to shame. The herby yogurt is quite nice with these as well. A smear on the plate with the carrots and almonds arranged on top is what I’ll be doing this holiday season.
1 ¼ lbs carrots, trimmed and peeled if you like.
Olive oil
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
2 tbsp honey
2 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
½ C almonds, toasted and chopped
Salt and pepper
¼ C chopped parsley
Heat oven to 475F.
Spread carrots on baking sheet, drizzle a tbsp. or so of olive oil and toss to coat. Roast until they are very brown to almost charred, 10-12 minutes. Carrots will be slightly underdone and this point, don’t worry.
Remove from oven, leave oven on but reduce temp to 300F. When carrots are still warm, but cool enough to handle, slice on the bias into ½ inch thick slices and place in large bowl. Add the vinegar, salt and pepper and let stand for a few minutes to let the vinegar absorb.
Spread out on the baking sheet again, distribute butter pieces on top and drizzle with the honey. Roast for another 5-7 minutes till they are fully tender and butter and honey are good and melty. Transfer to serving platter and sprinkle with almonds and a few dollops of herby yogurt and a sprinkle of parsley.
Garlicky Herb Yogurt
1 C plain greek yogurt
1 T chopped chives, green onion, or grated shallot
1 large clove garlic, finely minced
1 Tbsp chopped fresh dill or parsley
1 Tbsp Olive oil
Salt and pepper
Mix chives, garlic, dill and olive oil with yogurt. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Extra yogurt can be kept in the fridge for a week and is great on everything!
Kale and Brussels Salad with Pea Shoots and Pears
I’m sure we all have had a kale salad in our day. This was my first foray into the kale salad years ago and a version of it has been a staple not only at Thanksgiving but many other times in my life. Here I’ve added pears and pea shoots for a little added sweet and savory.
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon minced shallot
1 small garlic clove, finely grated
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt plus more for seasoning
Freshly ground black pepper
2 large bunches of Tuscan kale (about 1 1/2 pounds total), center stem discarded, leaves thinly sliced
12 ounces brussels sprouts, trimmed, shredded with a knife
½ cup pea shoots, left whole or very roughly chopped
I Bartlett pear, cored and thinly sliced
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1/3 cup almonds with skins, coarsely chopped
1 cup finely grated Pecorino
Combine lemon juice, Dijon mustard, shallot, garlic, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and a pinch of pepper in a small bowl. Stir to blend; set aside to let flavors meld. Mix thinly sliced kale and shredded brussels sprouts in a large bowl.
Measure 1/2 cup oil into a cup. Spoon about 1 tbsp of that oil into a small skillet; heat oil over medium-high heat. Add almonds to skillet and stir frequently until golden brown in spots, about 2 minutes. Transfer nuts to a paper towel-lined plate. Sprinkle almonds lightly with salt.
Slowly whisk remaining olive oil in cup into lemon-juice mixture. Season dressing to taste with salt and pepper
Add dressing and cheese to kale mixture; toss to coat. Gently massage the kale and brussels with the dressing to tenderize. Add in the pea shoots. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Garnish with almonds and pears
Adapted from epicurious.com.
Pumpkin Molasses Cookies
Well I gave you my favorite pumpkin pie recipe last week, so I figured I’d give you the cookie recipe I’ve been thinking about relentlessly this week. Molasses-y spicy and perfect for this time of year.
½ cup of butter, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar, plus more for rolling the cookies
½ cup of pumpkin puree (see below)
¼ cup of molasses
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 ⅓ cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter and sugar together until creamy and smooth. Add the pumpkin, molasses, egg, and vanilla extract, mix until well combined.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, spices, and salt. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix until combined. Refrigerate the cookie dough for at least 1 hour. The dough can be chilled for 2-3 days.
When you are ready to bake, preheat oven to 350° F. Line a baking sheet with a Silpat or parchment paper. Place sugar in a small bowl. Roll tablespoon-sized balls of dough in sugar until well coated and place on prepared baking sheet, about 2 inches apart. Bake for 10–12 minutes, or until cookies look cracked and set at the edges. The cookies will still be soft. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for a 2-3 minutes after removing them from the oven, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
From Twopeasandtheirpod.com
Roasted Pumpkin Puree
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Slice the pumpkin in half, crosswise through the stem, and scoop out the seeds and strings. Feel free to keep the seeds for later to roast.
Place halves, cut-side down, onto a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil.
Roast, uncovered, for 40-60 minutes, or until tender.
Remove from oven and allow to cool enough to handle. When cool, carefully scrape flesh from skin. Discard the skin.
Using a food processor or blender, puree until even and smooth.
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