A WCGM Thanksgiving: Recipes and Menu Ideas

Hello, faithful Market Goers! Can you believe the regular West Chester Grower's Market season is winding down? It makes me SO GLAD that we will be having WINTER MARKET'S on the 3rd Saturday of every month from December - April. It will be just enough to keep me going until next year's regular season. I will be posting the Winter Market info on the blog later today, so check back!

Thanksgiving is NEXT WEEK, my friends! This autumn has gone by so quickly, and it warms my heart that the holidays are right around the corner. I have become very excited at the idea of having a WCGM Thanksgiving this year. As I have become more invested in the ideas behind locally sourcing our food and Buy Fresh, Buy Local, it doesn't make sense to NOT have Grower's Market food on my Thanksgiving table!

This will be the weekend to stock up on food, produce and products for next week's Thanksgiving holiday. To give you some inspiration, I have come up with some recipes and ideas for YOUR holiday menu! Each recipe posted has at least one, if not many, ingredients that can be found at the WCGM (or at least be locally sourced, if you do your research)!

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Appetizers

Cheese Tray

Include a variety of cheeses from Oakshade Cheese and Highland Farm (Hubby highly recommends utilizing Oakshade's Garlic and Chive, his favorite!)

Sweet and Spicy Cheese and Crackers

Grab a log of Highland's Chevre-like sheep cheese and Feta. Pour any of Chile Spot's Jalapeno Jam's (I personally love the Sweet Red Pepper) over the cheese. Serve with a cheese knife for serving and crackers for enjoying!

Spinach Dip

· 1 C. Sour Cream

• · 1 C. Mayonnaise
• · 1 pkg Knorrs Vegetable Soup Mix
• · 1 5-oz can of water chestnuts, chopped fine
• · 1 bunch of scallions, chopped fine
• · 10 oz of spinach: cooked, drained and chopped
• · 1 8 oz block of cream cheese
• · 1 loaf of round dark bread (pumpernickel - check out Big Sky Bread Co for some great multigrain and dark breads. They even offer freezer bags, so you can keep the bread in the freezer until Thanksgiving!)

Squeeze spinach to remove excess moisture. Combine all ingredients through cream cheese. Hollow out the bread, making a bowl. Take the cut out pieces and cut into cubes for eating the dip. Chill. Shortly before serving, fill the bread bowl with dip. Place bread cubes around the bowl. Leftovers keep very well in fridge!

Fresh Mexican Dip

• 2 Blocks Cream Cheese, softened
• 1 can Refried Beans
• 1 can Sliced Black Olives
• 1-2 cups Salsa
• 1-2 cups Shredded Mexican Blend Cheese
• 1/2 cup Diced Onion
• 1/2 cup Diced Red Pepper

On a serving platter, spread cream cheese so it covers entire bottom. Layer each of the next ingredients through Cheese. Sprinkle Onion and Red Pepper over top.

Serve with Tortilla Chips.

Asparagus Roll-Ups

• 1 block of cream cheese
• 2 tablespoons of fresh chvies
• 8 slices of bacon cooked and crumbed/cut up
• parmesan cheese
• butter
• 16 asparagus stalks
• 16 slices of bread from a loaf (Jess used Wheat Bread)

Put asaparagus onto skillet with water for 6-8 minutes.

Mix cream cheese, chives, bacon into a bowl.

Use a rolling pin and flatten the bread completely. Remove crusts.

Spread cream cheese mixture onto bread. Top with asapragus (if too big, cut in half, and but both pieces onto the bread), and roll up.

Melt butter and drizzle over asparagus roll-ups. Finish by sprinkling with parmesan cheese.

Bake at 400ø for 12 minutes until crisp/golden.

Side Dishes

7-Layer Mexican Salad

• 4 C. chopped Lettuce
• 1 C. chopped Tomato
• 1/2 C. chopped Green Onions
• 1- 4-1/2 oz. can Black Olives sliced, drained
• 1- 15-1/2 oz. can Dark Kidney Beans, drained
• 1 C. Shredded Cheddar Cheese
• 1 C. Salsa Ranch or Salsa Zesty Dressing
• Crushed tortilla chips

1) Layer lettuce, tomato, onions, olives, beans, cheese and dressing in 3 qt. glass bowl and refrigerate

2) Top with crushed chips and toss lightly just before serving.

Oven Roasted Potatoes

• 1 packet of Lipton's Onion Soup Mix
• 4 medium all-purpose potatoes, cut into large chunks (about 2 lbs)
• 1/3 cup olive oil

~ Preheat oven to 425*. In a 13x9-inch baking or roasting pan, combine all ingredients.

~ Bake, stirring occasionally, 35 minutes or until potatoes are tender golden brown

Broccoli Casserole

· 3/4 C Mayonnaise

· 1/2 C Milk

· 1 (6-1/4 oz) pkg Stovetop Stuffinf Mix

· 16 of broccolli: cooked, drained and chopped

· 1 C Shredded Cheddar Cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix stuffing and milk in a large bowl until well blended. Add remaining ingredients, mix lightly. Spoon into 11x7-inch baking dish. Bake 20-25 minutes or until heated through.

Balsamic Roasted Brussel Sprouts

2 cups Brussels sprouts, cut in half lengthwise
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.

2. Gently heat the oil in a cast iron skillet, then add the sprouts, cut-side down. Cook without moving until they brown nicely and develop a crust. This is where the flavor happens.

3. Transfer the skillet to the oven and roast for 4 minutes.

4. Remove from the oven and, using tongs, turn each sprout over carefully onto its back. Add the balsamic vinegar to deglaze, gently shaking and tossing the skillet until there is no excess vinegar in the pan. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve immediately.

Main Dish

Apple Cider-Brined Turkey with Savory Herb Gravy (from Cooking Light Magazine)

BRINE:

· 8 cups apple cider

· 2/3 cup kosher salt

· 2/3 cup sugar

· 1 tablespoon black peppercorns, coarsely crushed

· 1 tablespoon whole allspice, coarsely crushed

· 8 (1/8-inch-thick) slices peeled fresh ginger

· 6 whole cloves

· 2 bay leaves

· 1 (12-pound) fresh or frozen turkey, thawed

· 2 oranges, quartered

· 6 cups ice

REMAINING INGREDIENTS:

· 4 garlic cloves

· 4 sage leaves

· 4 thyme sprigs

· 4 parsley sprigs

· 1 onion, quartered

· 1 (14-ounce) can fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth

· 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and divided

· 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided

· 1/2 teaspoon salt, divided

· Savory Herb Gravy

Preparation

To prepare brine, combine first 8 ingredients in a large saucepan; bring to a boil. Cook 5 minutes or until sugar and salt dissolve. Cool completely.

Remove giblets and neck from turkey; reserve for Savory Herb Gravy. Rinse turkey with cold water; pat dry. Trim excess fat. Stuff body cavity with orange quarters. Place a turkey-sized oven bag inside a second bag to form a double thickness. Place bags in a large stockpot. Place turkey inside inner bag. Add cider mixture and ice. Secure bags with several twist ties. Refrigerate for 12 to 24 hours, turning occasionally.

Preheat oven to 500º.

Remove turkey from bags, and discard brine, orange quarters, and bags. Rinse turkey with cold water; pat dry. Lift wing tips up and over back; tuck under turkey. Tie legs together with kitchen string. Place garlic, sage, thyme, parsley, onion, and broth in the bottom of a roasting pan. Place roasting rack in pan. Arrange turkey, breast side down, on roasting rack. Brush turkey back with 1 tablespoon butter; sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon pepper and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Bake at 500º for 30 minutes.

Reduce oven temperature to 350º.

Remove turkey from oven. Carefully turn turkey over (breast side up) using tongs. Brush turkey breast with 1 tablespoon butter; sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon pepper and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Bake at 350º for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until a thermometer inserted into meaty part of thigh registers 170º (make sure not to touch bone). (Shield the turkey with foil if it browns too quickly.) Remove turkey from oven; let stand 20 minutes. Reserve pan drippings for Savory Herb Gravy. Discard skin before serving; serve with gravy.

Dessert

Steph's Favorite Apple Pie

· 6 C apples (roughly 6 apples)

· 3/4 C sugar

· 2 TBS flour

· 1/2 heaping tsp ground cninamon

· 1/8 tsp cloves

· 1/2 tsp milk

· 1/2 tsp sugar

· 1/2 tsp cinnamon

· 2 pie pastries

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a 9-inch pie plate with one pie pastry. Chop apples, and mix them with 3/4 C sugar, flour, cinnamon and cloves. Gently toss until apples are well coated. Transfer mixture to pastry-lined pie palte. Trim bottom pastry to edge or plate. top the pie with remaining pie-pastry. Crimp edge as desired. Brush top of pastry with milk and sprinkle with remaining 1/2 tsp of cinnamon and sugar. Cover edge of pie with foil to prevent over browning. Bake in a preheated oven at 375 degrees for 40 minutes. remove foila nd bake for another 20 minutes until fruit is tender and filling is bubbly. Cool on a wire rack.

Cranberry-Apple Crisp from North Star Orchard

(for 9 X 13 pan)

12 oz. Package of fresh cranberries (sort out any bad ones)

5 to 6 large Gold Rush apples, unpeeled, cored and sliced

¾ c. sugar

2 t. cinnamon

½ c. flour, divided

4 T. packed brown sugar

1 ½ c. rolled oats (regular or quick)

~1 c. chopped walnuts

~6 T. melted margarine

Preheat oven to 375

Combine cranberries, apples, sugar, cinnamon, and 2 T. of the flour. Put

into a pan (greased if it’s glass or not a ‘coated’ pan)

Mix remaining ingredients in the same bowl you used before, and then

Sprinkle them on top of the apple mixture

Bake at 375 for 40 min, or until browned

Hostess Gift Ideas

~ Soap and Lotion from Ellen April's Handcrafted Soaps

~ A fruit basket filled with WCGM vendor produce

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My mouth is already watering! Do YOU have recipes for a WCGM Thanksgiving menu? SEND THEM MY WAY, and I will post them for the rest of the community!

wcgm.blog@gmail.com