Thanksgiving is soon and we can already feel the city slowing down, preparing to curl up for a gloriously languid nap – after partaking in the iconic meal of course. Thanksgiving is a treasured American holiday, we suspect because it involves two things everyone can agree on: the benefits of a heartfelt “thanks” and the deliciousness of an autumnal meal.
For the budding locavore, there is perhaps no easier holiday to take part in: Thanksgiving is a holiday celebrating the harvest grown right here on North American soil.
Here are a few Thanksgiving recipes featuring local ingredients, all of which you should be able to find at Chicago’s Green City Market. Or use this excellent web tool for finding local farms that grow the produce you are searching for: http://www.localharvest.org/
Celery Root
Celery Root looks kind of like the Mandrake Root in Pan’s Labryinth, but it’s really just a harmless (and delicious) staple you can add to your root vegetable arsenal. Here, Erin Gleeson of the gorgeous Forest Feast blog, mashes it up like potatoes.
Horseradish
Horseradish root, prized for eons for its medicinal properties, goes amazingly with rich, cold weather food such as meat stews and roasted root vegetables. Blended simply with mashed potatoes is one way to enjoy it, but we’re more excited about using it in this not so traditional, but still plenty seasonal Parsnip Latke + Horseradish and Dill from Smitten Kitchen.
Bosc and other Pears
Pears are often forsaken for their crispier cousins—the apple, Caitlin, author of Roost blog laments, but it should not be so. We understand where she’s coming from: it’s harder to find a good pear than an apple. Pears are more delicate and easily damaged, and the hardier ones you might pick up for a snack taste chalky; it seems it’s a purchase which requires a little more forethought. After a look at her beautiful Poached Pear Tart (pictured above), with its crumbly almond crust, and chai spiced custard, we’re campaigning for a slot on the dessert table alongside Thanksgiving regulars Apple and Pumpkin pie.
Happy Thanksgiving!