Roasted chestnuts and other riches!
Growing up, Josh Small, the bagel-meister behind DoughCo bagels, was "disgusted" at the thought of eating a pumpkin so, by default, he refused to eat pumpkin pie. "The concept of consuming a pumpkin seemed gross to a five-year-old," he says. His three brothers were equally dismissive of anything pumpkin coming out of the kitchen.
Josh says his mom, on the other hand, always loved cooking with pumpkin and couldn't afford to have four sons who refused to eat this workhorse ingredient come fall. Fortunately, Josh says, his mom is not only a great cook and baker, but also has a head for marketing and "spin:" She came up with the genius idea of rebranding mini pumpkin pies as "scooter pies" to "trick" her sons into eating, and indeed, loving them. By avoiding using the word "pumpkin" altogether and making mini pies instead of one large pie, he says, "we eagerly tried the dessert and were hooked." Josh adds: "We looked forward to bringing scooter pies to school for our lunches. My family still calls mini-pumpkin pies scooter pies and my two-year-old niece is already well-versed" in this family dessert dupery.
As he became older and discovered his mom's trickery, he became more willing to try other pumpkin recipes. Now, his absolute favorite Thanksgiving recipe is pumpkin kugel which he happily shared with us. Feel free to call it "scooter kugel," if the need arises, says Josh.
We asked some of our vendors to share some of their favorite Thanksgiving stories and/or recipes. Hunter Stone, of Stoneberry Farm, told us that whenever she and husband, Conor, go to a Thanksgiving dinner, they crave something green and leafy to balance out all of the heavier dishes and abundance of root vegetables. So now, they bring their own greens. And, as farmers, they're kind of expected to.
One of their tried and true faves is "wilted greens with a twist." Basically, they rough chop kale (pick your fave!), Swiss chard and garlic, then sautée with olive oil, salt and pepper. The "twist" is to add bright sunflower shoots towards the end of cooking. "I like to get the shoots pretty wilted so the flavors all incorporate, about 5 minutes. All the greens' flavors come through but the sunflower shoots give it a really nice sweet, nutty flavor," that blends in with the usual spread.
Some folks swear by mashed potatoes, but Hunter and Conor prefer Shawarma-Spiced Skillet Potatoes w/ Napa Cabbage.
Finely dice potatoes (Hunter likes to use a combination of fingerlings and small red potatoes) and make sure they’re nice and dry so they crisp up well. Thinly slice onions—she leans toward cipollinis but any onion variety will work. Combine and toss with olive oil, salt, pepper, onion & garlic powder, and shawarma spice blend (coriander seeds, cumin, paprika, turmeric, garlic). Get them crisped up in a pan, then add chopped cilantro (leaves, stems and even the roots included if possible!!) and napa cabbage, and cook until everything is done to your liking.
Both sound like winners and may even make an appearance on my Thanksgiving table this year.
We have a very special treat for you this week to kick off the holiday season: a guest vendor will be roasting chestnuts at the market. Also, we have some great crafters on the plaza to help you get a jump start on your holiday shopping or find the perfect hostess gift if you are "guesting" this Thanksgiving. If you are hosting, don't be caught without a fab cross-back apron from Ztudio Zsa Zsa. You deserve it!
Know what else you deserve? Your own personal stash of White Moustache sour cherry or honey walnut yogurt. Oh. My. Word.
I'm getting random texts from folks confessing new addictions.
Buyer beware.
This weekend is our Second Annual Coat Drive. Please dig through your closets and attic and bring us warm outerwear of all sizes. We will sort the coats and distribute them to the appropriate shelters. Staying warm should never be a luxury. Thank you in advance for your generosity.
See you at the market!
