Sure, make your favorite recipes, but do it with local ingredients! Check out this article and interactive graphic on your local Thanksgiving plate!

3 cups flour
3 cups roasted cornmeal
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 TBSP baking powder
3/4 cup oil
3 cups milk
6 TBSP honey
6 eggs

Preheat the oven to 400F.  Dump half the oil on one cookie sheet, the other half on a second sheet, and place them in the oven to warm while you make the batter.

Blend the dry ingredients well.  Mix the wet ingredients well.   Mix the dry ingredients and the wet ingredients well.  Remove the cooking sheets from the oven.  Swish the oil around to coat the sheet, then dump the excess into the batter and stir quickly to blend well (if you’re slow the hot oil will start to cook the batter, not the end of the world, right?).  Pour half the batter onto each cookie sheet and roughly level it with a spatula.  Pop both sheets in the oven.  Rotate the sheets and switch their positions about 10 minutes into baking.  Start checking for done at about 15 minutes (insert toothpick in thickest part, when it comes out clean, it’s done).  They should be ready in less than 20 minutes.

Allow to cool, then cut into 2″ pieces and put in a bowl, uncovered, to stale for of .

2 large turnips (approx 8 oz)
1 TBS butter and 1 TBS butter
salt and black pepper

Cut turnips like lemon wedges (washed, but no need to peel). Place turnip wedges into a pot just wide enough to fit in a single layer. Add enough water to cover half way up the turnips.

Add 1 TBS butter and pinch of salt. Simmer covered until almost tender. Finish uncovered until water is reduced by half.  Stir in 1 TBS butter and add salt and black pepper to taste.

Variations:
Sweet: Add ¼ cup honey or brown sugar with water at beginning, simmer until turnips are tender, cook uncovered until sauce thickens. Stir in butter.

Soy-Ginger: Add 1 TBS soy sauce, 2 tsp chopped fresh ginger and 1 TBS honey with water at beginning, simmer until turnips are tender, cook uncovered until saucy consistency. Stir in butter.

Turnips and Greens: Same basic recipe but cook 2 to 3 cups chopped turnip or other greens with turnips.

Smoked Polish Sausage: Saute ¼ to ½ lb sliced sausage in a bit of olive oil. Add turnips and water and follow basic recipe. You will likely not need additional salt or butter.

TIPS:
– The key to this recipe is to use just enough water so that when cooking is complete the
water/butter mixture has reduced and becomes quite flavorful.
– Chicken stock may be used instead of water for a richer flavor.

“This casserole calls for portabellos, but one could swap them for local shitakes.  The recipe is rich, with the heavy cream, but I think it sounds like a nice and more fresh version of the casserole that so many of our families have made with cream of mushroom soup, canned greens and the pre packaged fried onions.  Can I convince my family to replace this with the other version this year?  Maybe I’ll offer to bring the green bean casserole and surprise them!

Not Your Mama’s Green Bean Casserole

Recipe courtesy Dan Smith and Steve McDonagh, and The Food Network.

4 sweet potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
4 medium apples, cored, peeled and sliced (about twice as thick as potatoes)
1 ½ cups cranberries, chopped
½ cup turbinado or brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
6 tablespoons soft butter
2 tablespoons orange juice or zest of ½ orange
1 cup rolled/quick oats
½ cup whole wheat flour

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350° F. 
2. Butter medium casserole.
3. Peel and slice sweet potatoes.  Core, peel and slice apples.  A mandolin is really helpful with the slicing.
4. Pulse the cranberries in a food processor a few times.  Set aside.
5. Mix sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg together and set aside.
6. Layer ¼ of sweet potatoes in casserole, sprinkle with sugar mixture.  Layer ¼ apples, sprinkle with sugar mixture. Then do another layer of ¼ of sweet potatoes, ¼ of apples, sprinkling with sugar between each layer.
7. Add the chopped cranberries.
8. Layer  sweet potato, apple, sweet potato, apple sprinkling with sugar mixture between layers.
9. Mix oats, flour, and butter into a crumble.  Add orange juice or zest.  Add in remaining sugar mixture.  Add  more sugar is remaining is limited.
10. Bake for about 40 minutes or until potatoes and apples are tender.

1 cup fresh whole-wheat bread crumbs (or panko bread crumbs)
½ cup pepitas (roasted)
1 tablespoon melted butter
1 tablespoon fresh thyme (or more to your liking)
¾ – 1 cup soft cheese, such as chevre (plain or flavored, such as herb, curry or spicy),  farmer’s cheese, etc
1 2.5-3 lb. eating pumpkin (sugar, cheese, etc)
1 head of cauliflower
3-4 tablespoons flour (if using more watery pumpkin, use more flour)
2-4 cloves garlic, minced (to like)
2 teaspoons mustard seeds
1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
½ teaspoon fresh-ground pepper
1 cup heavy cream

1. Preheat oven to 400° F. 
2. Butter a 2 quart casserole dish.
3. In a medium bowl, combine bread crumbs, pepitas, butter and half the thyme.  Add in cheese; set aside.
4. In a small bowl, combine flour, garlic, mustard seeds, salt, cumin seeds, pepper and remaining thyme.
5. Quarter and peel pumpkin; slice into 1/8” slices.  Quarter cauliflower; slice into 1/8” slices.
6. Layer pumpkin, cauliflower, pumpkin, cauliflower, pumpkin with 2 ½ teaspoons of the flour mixture between layers.
7. Pour the cream over the top of layers.
8. Bake in center of oven for 30 minutes.
9. After initial 30 minutes of baking, add cheese/bread crumb mixture of the top and bake until golden & bubbly, approximately 30 more minutes.