Thanksgiving Cooking

Last year was the first year I made a vegetarian thanksgiving, so it took me a couple weeks of planning to decide on what to make. This year, I didn't do as much planning mainly because I have been cooking vegetarian this past year so I have a general idea of what I want to eat, plus I was just a tad lazy. Most are dishes I've cooked successfully before (so I can guarantee we'll have tasty food at home and don't need to give up and resort to eating out :) and some are new but simple to make. I wanted a traditional menu - salad, entree, bread, and gravy while taking advantage of the abundance of the winter produce.

This year, I am thankful to the farmers who made it possible to bring this food to my dinner table. Without them, this meal would not be possible.

Here's what I cooked this Thanksgiving, with links to the recipes I followed -



Thai-spiced Pumpkin soup
Tuscan Kale Salad

Instead of bread crumbs, I made my own version to toss in the salad -
Mix 1/2 cup panko crumbs, 1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese, 1 tablespoon garlic powder, 1 egg white, pinch of black pepper.

1. Bake on a single layer on a baking sheet at 375 degrees for approx 15-20 min or until it's slightly browned.
2. Remove from oven, crumble over salad.

Five Spice Chicken
So it's definitely not vegetarian, but I tucked this dish in here as a special occasion. Bought from PCC Natural Markets - free range, local, and organic.
Mac & "Cheese" Chard
Mushroom Gravy
Who says tasty gravy needs to be made from beef broth? This recipe uses mushrooms and vegetable broth as the foundation for the gravy.

Sweet Potato Rolls
Mesquite Chocolate Chip Cookies
I didn't have any mesquite flour, so I substituted it with whole wheat pastry flour.

CSA Box Weeks 17 & 18

I have to admit, I've been busy with work, house stuff and marathon training that blogging has been neglected. But I also have been busy cooking, which is definitely a good thing. Can't let that wonderful food from my box go to waste. Here are pictures of my food friends for the last two weeks of the summer CSA session.

Week 17


Week 18 (Last week of the summer session!)


I didn't get a chance to post individual blogs featuring the dishes I cooked but I have referenced the sites I used to make my dishes -

Miso Glazed Bok Choy (used tat soi)
Sesame Noodles with Radish Salad
Corn and Clam Chowder (potatoes, celery, carrots, onions)
Pad Thai (carrots, broccoli)
Kale Chips
Green Bean Casserole
Basil Eggplant

Kale Chips

Kale chips are fun to make...they're not only tasty, easy to make, but healthy for you too! There's so many versions you can find online. I ordered one bunch of kale from my CSA box just to make kale chips. I like mine just a bit crunchy and lightly seasoned. The important part is to make sure you dry the leaves (I used a salad spinner) before seasoning them and putting them in the oven. I don't recall the proportions of ingredients I used, but I think the below sums it up pretty well.



1 large bunch of kale
1-2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2-4 tablespoons olive oil
salt to taste

1. Wash the kale.
2. Separate the kale leaves from the stems. You could probably use the stems in vegetable broth or throw them in the compost.
3. Tear the kale leaves in bite size pieces.
4. Dry the kale leaves in the salad spinner or paper towels.
5. Place the dry kale leaves in a coriander and drizzle with olive oil. With your hands or wooden utensil, make sure the kale leaves are thoroughly covered with olive oil.
6. Next, pour the balsamic vineger and mix until thoroughly coated. Season with a sprinkle of salt.
7. Place the kale leaves on a baking sheet on a single layer.
8. Bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until just crisp.