I love the Thanksgiving holiday. Its focus is pure: coming together to enjoy a meal and giving thanks for another year on this planet. I am thankful every day for my wildly patient and loving husband and my little Pickle who makes me so darn happy, even when he’s a stubborn 2.5-year-old. I’m thankful for my family – my overly generous and supportive parents and my fun, smart and caring siblings to whom I am so close (how lucky am I?!).

But, as I’ve gotten older, it’s the little things for which I am more and more thankful:
1. My daily thermos of delicious coffee made with such care by my husband.
2. Pickle calling me “my mama, my Sarah” when I pick him up from daycare. Too sweet.
3. A job that helps me enjoy all the little things outside of work.
4. A sunny day.
5. A long run.
6. Not rushing somewhere.
7. A husband who cleans up after I cook!
8. A child who sings all of the time and who walks with purpose and confidence. What a gift.
9. NPR.
10. An abundance of love.

I wish you all a wonderful Thanksgiving Day full of delicious food and drink, lots of hugs and kisses from those you love and, most importantly, a moment to rest and relax.

Cheers, -s.

Sorry I haven't posted in a while. We've been consumed by buying a house and the associated packing that goes with it, but, don't worry, we have been eating (were you really worried about me not eating?). The last farmers' market of the season was on Saturday. It's always a little sad as it is a big part of our Saturday morning riutal and the weather has been pretty amazing, so that makes it even more bittersweet. I loaded up on squash, carrots, brussel sprouts, potatoes, and onions for our winter pantry, while also indulging in some fleeting frost-sweetened spinach and spicy mixed greens. With packing being our main focus, our menus have definitely simplified and leftovers are my best friend. We're really digging my simplified version of Suzanne Goin's roasted squash salad with bitter greens and lardons of bacon. It's divine and the only reason you need to pick up her gorgeous cookbook, Sunday Suppers at Lucques.

Here's what we're eating this week...

Menu: week of 7 November 2010

Sunday: Split pea soup made by my sister Holley (so nice and yummy)

Monday: Take out

Tuesday: Spinach and sausage pasta

Wednesday: Roasted squash salad with lardons and bitter greens

Thursday: Onion tart served with a fennel-apple salad

Friday: Potato and rosemary pizza with fresh ricotta

Happy eating, -s.

As I write this, we have all of our windows open and I am drinking a very summery Dark and Stormy. All of this on the ninth day of October; what odd weather we’ve been having. Now I am an admitted Weather Channel junkie who loves to know what the weather will be and when the forecast is inevitably wrong, I always complain about it, to which my husband always asks me, “why do you keep watching it then?” He makes a good point. But, besides helping me figure out what to wear, the weather really does drive what I cook. Who wants squash soup for dinner when it’s 80 degrees outside even if those squash are in season?

It was our second to last CSA box this weekend, which makes me sad. It’s been a really great season with Driftless Organics and I always think of our boxes as little biweekly gifts. We hit the farmers’ market as well to pick up apples and some other essentials. Here’s what we’re eating.

At the market and in the box:
Apples
Bell Pepper
Broccoli
Butternut Squash
Current and cardamon rolls
Daikon radish
Garlic
Green-top Carrots
Heart of Gold Squash
Lacinato Kale
Mint
Onions
Parsley
Parsnips
Red Leaf Lettuce
Red Potatoes
Sage
Spinach
Sweet Potatoes
Tomatoes

Menu: week of 9 October 2010
Saturday: Banh mi with sweet potato fries
Sunday: Panko-crusted pork chops with homemade applesauce and sauteed kale
Monday: Lucques-style onion tart with roasted broccoli
Tuesday: Turkish-style roasted carrots and parsnips with hummus, yogurt and pita
Wednesday: spicy chiles and pork stir-fry with jasmine rice
Thursday: Spanish tortilla with homemade garlic aioli
Friday: Roasted squash salad with lardons and spinach

Happy eating, -s.

Door County in the fall; perfect for hot chocolate*

This recipe for hot chocolate is so good it calls for an extra T (and it is a little ’80s with that extra T, so it has that going for it as well). This is the splendid union of the hot chocolate a la Chocolat my lovely man has made me on occasion and the cinnamon-spiced Mexican hot chocolate you can make with Ibarra chocolate and milk. A happy marriage, indeed.

This hot chocolate is rich and decadent enough to end a meal (as I did for my bookclub dinner), although you would be mighty popular if you brought a thermos of this with you ice skating come winter. You can make the “base” ahead of time and then just add the remaining milk and bring up to heat.

Whipped cream is a must to both cut the richness and gild the lily.

Hott chocolate
Serves 8 adults or 10 hungry bambinos

Ingredients
Two whole rounds of Ibarra chocolate; I smack the rounds on the counter while still in the package to break them up into pieces
6 oz. Scharffen Berger bittersweet chocolate, chopped roughly
A tiny pinch of kosher salt
6 cups whole milk

lily-gilding accompaniments
½ pint whipping cream
2 tablespoons confectioner’s sugar

Directions
Heat two cups of milk until really hot, but not simmering. In the jar of a blender, add the chocolate and salt. Pour the hot milk over the chocolate and blend it until smooth and frothy. Note: Always use caution when blending hot liquids.

If making ahead, place the chocolate “base” in a sealed container and chill until ready to serve (can be made up to a day ahead of time).

When ready to serve, place the base and the remaining milk in a saucepan and bring to just shy of a simmer. While the hot chocolate is heating up, whip the cream with a mixer, adding the sugar when the cream reaches soft peaks. Whip until stiff – you don’t want soft cream here as it will dissolve when it hits the heat.

Pour hot chocolate into cups, crown with the whipped cream. Enjoy.

*I forgot to take a photo of my cup, because honestly I couldn't wait to drink it!

Happy eating (and drinking), -s.

Before our latest dinner group dinner, to me the land of Sweden was basically IKEA, Tretorns, ABBA, gravlax and Alexander Skarsgard (yum). Well, our hostess for this dinner was Cecilia, our dinner group’s local Swedish "ambassador" and the perpetuator of the myth that all girls from Sweden are blonde and beautiful. In working with her on the menu, I learned many things about Swedish food culture and I especially loved learning about Swedish Christmas celebrations and how family food traditions are treasured and showcased during that magic time of year.

Once I had a conceptual idea of what to serve, I checked out a few cookbooks from the library, as most of Cecilia’s recipes were in Swedish: the stunningly photographed The Scandinavian Cookbook and the charming Swedish Table. Both books had a seasonal bent to them, which helped make these somewhat heavy dishes feel lighter and brighter with the incorporation of fresh produce. What was surprising to learn was that the Swedish seasons mirror the seasons of the Upper Midwest, except we are lacking the prime ocean access and its briny bounty.

I couldn't have been more pleased with the menu. The courses worked well with each other. The creamy and hearty soup and the equally hearty meatballs were balanced nicely with the tart and crisp salad and the meal ended with an apple trifle that wasn't at all heavy and showcased the beautiful, in-season fruit perfectly. Each course was led off with a rousing "Schnapps" song and a tipple (or shot) of aquavit. Needless to say, all who attended left with full bellies and rosy cheeks ... and a warm feeling in their hearts. Skal!

Menu for SEPTEMBER 18

Cocktails and nibbles:
Icy-cold Vodka and Champagne
The Carlsson Family's Gravlax and store-bought pate with water crackers and toast

First Course: Yellow Pea Soup with bacon, tomatoes and parsley (The Swedish Table)

Second Course: Chanterelle, bacon and plum salad with blue cheese (The Scandinavian Cookbook)

Main Course: Swedish Meatballs with creamy mashed potatoes and served with an orange-scented cranberry sauce

Dessert: Apple Trifle (The Scandinavian Cookbook)

Happy eating, -s.

Ratatouille — I love this word. It's a fun one to say and a treat to eat. My version simplifies matters by roasting the vegetables instead of sautéing each separately in a sauté pan. After a caramelizing roast in the oven, the veggies get doused in some good olive oil and a squeeze of lemon. Besides being an ideal side dish to almost anything, it makes a mean grilled cheese sandwich filling, as well as a superb pasta sauce. Goat cheese is its friend, too — slather it on some crostini and top with some ratatouille; the perfect late summer starter.

Oven-Roasted Ratatouille

make 6-8 side servings

Ingredients
1 large globe eggplant or 4 Asian eggplants, chopped into 2-inch pieces
2 red bell or heirloom peppers, chopped into 2-inch pieces
2 green zucchini, quartered and sliced into large chunks
2 red onions, quartered and then sliced into large chunks
2 teaspoons herbes de Provence
2 large cloves of garlic, minced finely
¼ cup olive oil
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ lemon
Extra virgin olive oil (optional)

Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil. In a bowl, toss each vegetable separately with ½ teaspoon of herbes de Provence, some garlic, 1 tablespoon olive oil and a large pinch of kosher salt and a few grinds of pepper. Place it on the sheet pan in one layer; continue with the remaining vegetables in the same manner.

Roast for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until soft and caramelized. Toss everything together in a larger serving bowl and add the lemon and olive oil. Serve hot or a room temperature.

At the market:
corn
Dreamfarm eggs
eggplant: globe and Japanese
ginger gold apples
green beans
heirloom sweet red peppers
kale
mint
red and yellow onions
tomatoes: slicers and mixed cherry
yukon gold potatoes
zucchini

Menu: week of 5 September 2010
Sunday: fried chicken and gravy with buttermilk biscuits and steamed green beans
Monday: BLT pizza
Tuesday: ricotta frittata with ratatouille
Wednesday: Corn and potato chowder
Thursday: Sauteed kale with fresh ricotta bruschetta
Friday: Tomato sandwiches with black-bean and edamame salad

Happy eating, -s.

Someone recently asked me how my summer was (as in past tense, over, done, finito) ... I know it's almost Labor Day, but as someone whose birthday typically lands on one of two days — either the last day of summer or the first day of fall — summer is most definitely not over (at least not for another 23 days)! And while I am learning that outdoor swimming pools close around this time of year and stores are filled with wool and tweed, Mother Nature — via farmers' market stands, CSA boxes and 90-degree days — is still screaming "SUMMER!" And so am I ... winter in Wisconsin is long. I'm savoring every hot day I can. We're still eating summer-style. I hope you do too. Stews and soups and casseroles can wait a few weeks, can't they?

In the box:
Basil
Cantaloupe
Cippolini Onions
Cucumbers
Dragon Tongue Beans
Edamame
Eggplant
Garlic
Poblano Peppers
Patty Pan Squash
Red Lettuce
Red Onions
Roma Tomatoes
Sweet Mini Peppers
Watermelon

At the market:
apples
hazelnut grahams from Potter's Crackers
milk
mint
Sassy Cow ice cream
sourdough raisin rolls from Madison Sourdough co.
tomatoes: slicers and red zebra

Menu: week of 28 August 2010
Saturday: ratatouille-stuffed grilled cheese sandwiches
Sunday: oven-roasted tomato and goat cheese pizza with fresh basil
Monday: chicken salsa verde with corn tortillas and a black-bean salad
Tuesday: roasted vegetable, orzo and feta salad
Wednesday: sausage and sweet pepper ciabatta sandwiches served with fresh dragon tongue beans
Thursday: linguine with basil pesto served with a tomato salad
Friday: TBD

Happy eating, -s.