Thanks for the Season

On this Thanksgiving weekend, I want to take a moment to give thanks to all of the local growers, providers, and neighborhood customers who made the eighth season of the Fairmount Neighborhood Farmers Market a success. Having such wonderful offerings in our neighborhood all summer long -- vibrant produce from Camas Swale Farm, fresh meats and eggs from Fair Valley Farm and Fog Hollow Farm, hand crafted breads from Wildflour Oven, and beautiful flowers from Tiger Lily Art Company -- has been a gift to our community.  

I hope you all had a happy and celebratory Thanksgiving holiday. Our feast included lots of local produce from our Camas Swale Harvest CSA and the Willamette Farm and Food Coalition Fill Your Pantry event. My daughter made her first pie, an apple beauty. The kids have decided that pie is an acceptable breakfast food, while I've been enjoying reheated mushroom and celery stuffing with a fried egg. And leftover green beans and roasted delicata squash made a delicious salad for lunch. We have much to be grateful for, and no small part of that is the beautiful, bountiful valley in which we live.

Thanksgiving Pumpkin Pecan Pie

Happy Thanksgiving. This year we're roasting a turkey from Fair Valley Farm and trying it this way, with the legs splayed and braised. It smells delicious. 

For dessert I roasted our last kabocha squash from Camas Swale Farm, and I baked my favorite pumpkin pecan praline pie.

When we sit down to our feast, we will express our many thanks to the local growers who are providers of delicious food and stewards of our environment.

Thanksgiving Menu

It's time to get serious about Thanksgiving menu planning. We'll be enjoying a Fair Valley Farm turkey, and we're going to try spatchcocking it. For vegetable sides, I'm planning on making delicata squash wedges and stir-fried brussels sprouts, brightened with lemon.

The stuffing will be made with cornbread.

And for dessert, I'm making a family favorite of praline pumpkin pie.

Many thanks to the local growers whose produce will grace our table. Happy Thanksgiving!