November 22nd, 2021
November Crop Share – Here’s How to Incorporate it into Your Thanksgiving Dinner
With Thanksgiving just around the corner, it’s time to put the finishing touches on planning your holiday dinner menu. Luckily, Arden residents can create their own harvest meals with the fresh produce from the Arden farm. If you haven’t picked up your November crop share basket yet, here’s what you can look forward to:
- Zucchini and Yellow Squash
- Tomatoes
- Collards
- Radishes
- Turnips
- Greens Mix
- Bay Leaves
- Sage
- Garlic Chives
With all of the fresh ingredients in your farm share, you may be wondering how you can incorporate them into your Thanksgiving meal. Well, wonder no more! Whether you’re bringing side dishes for a potluck or cooking for your family, we’re sharing some of our favorite recipes that are both delicious and easy to prepare in your kitchen.
Squash chips are a healthy snack alternative to regular chips, and they pack a ton of flavor. These are very easy to bake and make for a perfect crispy side dish for your table. And unlike regular chips, you will have zero guilt about eating them!
Ingredients:
- 2 yellow squash
- 2 zucchini
- 4 cups cold water
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions:
Cut yellow squash and zucchini into ¼-inch-thick rounds. Combine squash, zucchini, cold water, and salt in a large bowl. Cover and chill for 30 minutes, and then drain and pat dry with paper towels. Serve with your favorite dip as a fresh and healthy alternative to potato chips.
Radishes are often a forgotten vegetable on holiday tables, but they are a perfect way to add some color and vibrancy to your plate. Roasting radishes also make a great healthy substitute for roasted potatoes but with far less starchy carbohydrates.
Ingredients:
- 1 lb. fresh radishes, stems removed, ends trimmed; halved
- 1 tbsp. melted ghee, butter, coconut oil, or avocado oil
- ½ tsp. sea salt
- 1/8 tsp. black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon garlic chives, dried parsley, dried dill, or mix
- 2 garlic cloves, finely minced
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 425°F. In a bowl, combine the radishes, cooking fat, herbs, salt, and pepper; toss until the radishes are evenly coated. Spread radishes out in a single layer in a large 9×13 inch baking dish.
Bake for 20-25 minutes, tossing every 10 minutes. After the first 10 minutes of baking, add the minced garlic and toss. Return to oven to bake an additional 10-15 minutes or until radishes are golden brown and easily pierced with a fork. If desired, serve with ranch dressing for dipping or drizzled on top and garnish with garlic chives.
Collard greens are a southern menu staple and the perfect hearty vegetable for your Thanksgiving table. If you enjoy leafy greens like kale, you will love this slow-cooking, flavorful dish with tomatoes and garlic. With a little TLC, you’ll love this classic dish with a Thanksgiving twist.
Ingredients:
- 1⁄4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 6 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 1 medium onion, cut into 1/2-inch dice
- 1 jalapeno pepper, halved lengthwise
- 4 medium tomatoes, chopped
- 2 lbs. collard greens; stems and leaves finely shredded
- 3 bay leaves
- 2 sprigs thyme
- Kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper
Instructions:
In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat; add the garlic, onions, and jalapeno and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 3 minutes.
Stir in the tomatoes, collard greens, bay leaves, and thyme; cover, reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, until collards are tender, about 20 minutes.
Remove the bay leaves, thyme sprigs, and jalapeno, and discard. Season with salt and pepper.
This dish can be prepared a day in advance and reheated.
Mashed potatoes are a standard dish on every Thanksgiving menu. But if you are looking for a healthy alternative, look no further! This recipe puts a savory twist on a sweeter root vegetable.
Ingredients:
- 4 large or 6 medium turnips, scrubbed, ends removed, and chopped into 1-inch chunks
- 3 cups milk
- Salt
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 16 sage leaves (1 small handful)
Instructions:
In a saucepan, cover the turnip chunks with milk. Cover the pan and turn the heat to medium-high. When the milk boils, reduce to medium-low and simmer the turnips for 15 – 20 minutes until very tender.
While the turnips are cooking, heat half the butter with the sage leaves in a small pan. Toss together for 5 minutes until the sage leaves are dark brown, then remove the sage leaves. Add the remaining butter to the pan and mix with any remaining sage until foamy. When the butter foams, turn the heat off and swirl the butter until brown bits form on the bottom of the pan. Set aside.
Drain the turnips and reserve some of the cooking liquid. Add the turnips with a sprinkle of salt to a food processor or blender. Puree until smooth and taste: add more salt if you’d like. If the turnips seem thick, add a bit of the cooking liquid.
Serve the turnips hot, topped with the crispy sage leaves, and drizzled with brown butter. Enjoy!
- Simple Salad and Dressing
If you are just looking for a simple side for any Thanksgiving meal, a salad is an easy way to incorporate vegetables into a flavorful dish that everyone will love. Enjoy this salad with an easy 3-ingredient, fresh dressing that will brighten up your taste buds!
Ingredients:
- 4 cups greens mix
- 1 ½ cups chopped tomatoes
- 1 ½ cups cucumber, sliced into ¼” rounds
- ¾ cup red onion
- 2/3 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- 1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (approx. 2 large lemons)
- ½ cup olive oil
- ½ tbsp. honey
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions:
Toss greens mix and vegetables in a large bowl.
In a separate container, combine lemon juice, olive oil, honey, salt, and pepper and whisk to combine. Pour dressing on salad and toss. Add grated parmesan cheese and enjoy!
Whatever you decide to make this year, enjoy a fresh, farm-to-table Thanksgiving with help from the Arden farm! Tag us on social media with your farm-fresh creations and let us know how you use your farm share.
