This week is Thanksgiving! While we have much to be thankful for, it may be a smaller dinner with a few people because of the virus. Make it festive with new dishes like parsnips and sweet potatoes or a pan-fried veggie comb, that are a rainbow of color and taste. (See recipes)

It's our last week of Harvest Home markets for the season and a good time to stock-up on fresh veggies that last.

Stocking Up and Storing:

* Leafy greens: Spinach, kale or Swiss chard: Wrap in a wet paper towel, store in an open plastic bag in the fridge. Lasts about 1 week to 10 days.

* Broccoli and Cauliflower: Lasts 2 weeks in the fridge. Refresh by soaking the cauliflower florets in cold water overnight in the fridge. Cut off the ends of the broccoli and put in a glass of cold water like a flower.

* Brussel Sprouts: Last a week, sometimes longer. Don't wash. Peel off any brown leaves. Place in a plastic bag and keep in your crisper drawer.

* Apples and Pears: Buy them hard. To ripen, place in a paper bag on your counter for a few days. To keep for a few weeks, store in the fridge crisper drawer with a slightly damp paper towel over them.

Longer Lasting Favorites:

* Beets, parsnips, carrots and potatoes: Root veggies store well in a basket or cardboard box with holes and covered with newspaper to keep out light. Wipe off any dirt, but don't wash them. Keep in a cool place. Remove beet green tops before storing.

* Squash: Calabasas, Acorn Squash, and Butternut Squash will last for a couple of months. Make sure they are hard outside with no cuts or bruises and have at least a 1-inch stem. DON'T store in the fridge. They'll spoil quickly. Keep in a cool part of your kitchen. Check every week to make sure they're not getting soft.

Now let's get cooking! Happy Thanksgiving

Where Do You Want To Travel To?

RECIPE: Pan Roasted Veggies

A rainbow of color and taste!

These are great for Thanksgiving. Just slip on a rack under the turkey. You may have to increase the cooking time a bit.

INGREDIENTS:

• 3 tablespoons olive oil

• 2 tablespoons whole-grain Dijon mustard

• 3 teaspoons apple cider vinegar

• 1 teaspoon dried thyme

• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

• ½ teaspoon black pepper

• ½ teaspoon dried rosemary

• ¼ teaspoon dried basil

• 1 lb. peeled and cubed butternut squash

• 1 lb. cauliflower florets

• 1 lb. brussel sprouts, - halved

• 8 oz. baby purple or yukon potatoes, halved or quartered

• 1 red pepper thinly sliced

• ¼ lb. mushrooms

PREPARATION:

• Preheat oven to 450°. Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil sprayed lightly with cooking spray. Set aside.

• In a large mixing bowl, combine olive oil, mustard, vinegar, thyme, salt, pepper, rosemary and basil, and whisk. Add chopped squash, cauliflower, Brussels, potatoes, mushrooms and peppers stirring to coat.

• Spread vegetable mixture in a single layer on prepared baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes, stir gently, then bake another 15 minutes.

• Serve garnished with minced parsley if desired.

TRICKS:

• If you are mixing potatoes with softer veggies like broccoli or squash, cook the chunks of potatoes for 10 minutes before adding the other veggies to the pan.

• Add mushrooms

• Add a bit of hot pepper or red pepper flakes for a spicier dish

• Reheat any leftover in the oven at 350° for about 6 minutes. Heating in the microwave can make the veggies soggy rather than crispy.

TIPS: Spice Up Sweet Potatoes

One last storage tip: Blanch and Freeze: Cut your favorite veggies into the right size for cooking. Blanching is dropping veggies into boiling water for a few minutes before plunging them into cold water to stop the cooking. Before freezing veggies you MUST blanch them. Blanching holds in flavor, color, texture and most importantly, vitamins and nutrients. Store blanched veggies in freezer bags in the freezer.

SWEET POTATO PARSNIP PUREE:

• 2 sweet potatoes

• 4 parsnips, peeled, cut in ¼ inch thick pieces

• 3 tablespoon butter (or 2 ¼ tablespoon olive oil)

• ¼ cup milk

• 2 Tablespoon light brown sugar

PREPARATION:

• Boil sweet potatoes and parsnips for 12 minutes

• Drain and mash with butter or olive oil until smooth. Blend in milk, brown sugar and salt

• Chipotle/ Lime Sweet Potatoes

• Wrap sweet potatoes in damp paper towel and microwave sweet potatoes for 8 minutes

• Let cool remove skins and mash in the following ingredients:

  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar

  • 2 tablespoons fat-free milk

  • 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice,

  • 1 ½ teaspoons finely chopped chipotle chile in adobo sauce,

  • ½ teaspoon adobo sauce

  • 1/8 teaspoon salt

Don't want "mashed potatoes"? Try this dish of sweet potatoes, apples and brussel sprouts:
https://www.cookinglight.com/recipes/brussels-sprouts-sweet-potato-apple-harvest-hash

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