have i told you how much i love the expression "dining table"? and sausage and peppers??

sitting around the dining table...sharing a terrific meal with family and friends...loads of wine...staying for hours afterwards talking/laughing...i cannot think of anything that makes me happier...this could take place in a formal dining room or just at the kitchen table...doesn't matter, as long as the friends/family are there...


i have been spending a lot of time lately thinking about dining tables...mainly because we just completed a bit of construction in our own dining room...nothing big...we just hung a light fixture...but when you live in a vintage farmhouse even small projects can get complicated. the "remodel" is not interesting...updating wiring, moving the electrical box to center the light over the table...patching, painting...etc...the story involves the fixture itself...it was the ceiling fixture which hung over my grandparents dining room table...so it has many special memories for me...i told you guys in one of my first posts about the love i had for my grandparent's circa 1920's home located in southern california why napa farmhouse 1885? ...so many happy memories from the many, many meals shared with my entire family. during the last two years of my grandmother's life, she needed to live in an assisted living home...my mom and her three siblings packed up the family home to get it ready to sell...a really sad time...and they recognized (prompted by my sister and my mom)...that the hallway sconces and the dining room chandelier should be kept in the family...they are vintage, very cool looking, but more important ...are a symbol of our family...memories of my grandparents.

my parents, aunts and uncles all have fairly modern houses and they were not interested in using the fixtures in their own homes...so my sisters and i became the very fortunate recipients. i got 5 of the sconces, my sister kathi 4 and my sister susan, 3 plus the chandelier. when we bought our farmhouse, one of the first things we did was install the sconces...they are perfect here, plus...what memories of my family...we hosted a family reunion a couple of years ago...it was touching to see how much the sconces meant to my mom and her siblings.... fast forward to today...my sister's current home is not design right for the chandelier, so it had been packed away in my parents garage for ten years. last summer, susan and i made a deal.. .i would "borrow" the fixture until she was ready for it...and the construction work needed in order to hang it has just been completed...i so love the fact that the sconces and light fixture have become part of my home..they look like they have always been here...and i have been flooded with cherished family memories...so to celebrate and inaugurate the chandelier, i made pasta last weekend (of course!). when i was growing up, italian sausage and peppers was a favorite treat. frequently, when my sisters and i spent the weekend at my grandparent's home, my grandmother would take us to an italian deli called claros after church on sundays... we usually ordered hot italian sausage and peppers sandwiches for lunch...and i have an aunt (last name donatelli) who makes grilled sausage, onions and peppers as an appetizer for most family parties...i thought creating a pasta dish out of these ingredients would be a good idea...and the perfect way to create our newest dining table memory. so i invited some friends to sunday dinner...in the dining room...as always, the success of dish depends on using the best quality ingredients you can find. "the ingredients really do make the difference". i found organic italian sausage and...because half the group were vegetarians..i also found vegan sausage that was delicious..and made half with the real sausage, half with the vegi one...both were really good... and the pasta with a green salad, good bread, parmesan cheese and red wine led to the dining table experience i described at the beginning of this post...talking, laughing, relaxing, enjoying and appreciating all that we have...so let's celebrate dining tables...one of my favorite places to be...

italian sausage and peppers pasta

1 lb hot italian sausage (use mild if you prefer)

1 yellow onion, cut in half and then sliced lengthwise

1 green pepper and 1 red pepper, both cut in half and then sliced lengthwise

4 tbsp good extra virgin olive oil, plus additional for drizzling

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

1 lb fusilli (or any short pasta you like)

kosher salt

grey salt

freshly ground pepper

1 tbsp good balsamic pepper

freshly grated parmesan cheese

cut sausage into 1 inch pieces and remove casing. saute in large skillet for 5 minutes. drain. add onion and saute an additional 5 minutes. pour off any drippings but do not scrape pan. add 2 tbsp olive oil and the peppers and cook uncovered for approximately ten minutes until sausage is cooked through. add garlic and red pepper flakes and cook until garlic softens..do not let garlic burn... scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan..(note, if you use hot italian sausage and the red pepper flakes, this dish will be very spicy..which i love...if you do not, either use mild sausage, or eliminate the pepper flakes...) meanwhile bring a large pot of water to a boil. generously salt water with the kosher salt (water should taste a bit like sea water) and add the pasta. cook fusilli until al dente (firm to the bite)...start checking after 10 minutes. when pasta is ready, remove from pot with strainer and add to sausage pan. add 1/2 cup pasta water, remaining 2 tbsp olive oil and salt/pepper to taste. stir to combine. turn off heat, add a splash of balsamic vinegar, stir, taste and correct seasonings if needed. serve immediately with plenty of freshly grated parmesan cheese.

what are your favorite dining table memories? please share in the comments section of this post..and happy last week of january everyone....

best,

diane

napa farmhouse 1885™

"live a green life of style"™

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how about an easy, delicious, fast recipe for baked chicken?

when i say easy...i mean really, really easy. sometimes you want a terrific tasting dinner without any work..and you do not want to buy prepared food...this go-to recipe is one of my solutions...easy to find the ingredients...easy to prep...35 minutes in the oven...and extremely versatile. the key is my broken-record mantra of only using the best-freshest-organic if possible-ingredients. organic chicken drumsticks, my persimmon jam, honey-mustard, excellent extra virgin olive oil, grey sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper. i always have these ingredients...minus the chicken..in my pantry...so this dish is perfect for answering the oft-asked last minute "what's for dinner?" question.couple of notes...i use our persimmon jam because i love the slightly sweet, mild flavor it gives the chicken. you can easily substitute apricot or peach jam for the persimmon. i have also made this with our meyer lemon marmalade...without the mustard. use what you like...just pick a jam which lists the fruit as the first ingredient...not sugar...better tasting...better for you...

persimmon glazed baked chicken

10 chicken legs (organic if you can)

1 jar napa farmhouse 1885™ persimmon jam

2 tbsp honey-mustard

extra virgin olive oil

grey sea salt

freshly cracked black pepper

preheat oven to 425 degrees. line rimmed baking sheet with foil, drizzle approx 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil over foil. using a pastry brush, coat entire pan with the oil. place chicken legs on prepared baking sheet. generously season chicken with the salt and pepper.

place jam and mustard in small saucepan. heat over medium heat stirring to combine. do not let boil. when mustard is thoroughly incorporated into jam, remove from heat. using your pastry brush, coat each chicken leg using all the jam mixture. drizzle top of prepared chicken with additional olive oil..approx 1 tbsp in total.

place chicken in preheated oven and bake 35-40 minutes...until chicken is cooked. (juices should run clear when pricked with a sharp knife). turn chicken twice during cooking time.

serve immediately.

i serve this with steamed red potatoes drizzled with the absolute best quality extra virgin olive oil and sprinkled with grey sea salt...add a salad and dinner is served!

what are your favorite easy & fast go-to dishes in fall/winter? please share your recipes in the comments section of this post.

i am excited to tell you that i will be attending the 2009 fancy food show in san francisco this week. (although i do dislike the name "fancy food"?... ick... but i digress)...i have never been so i am attending to see what is new, what is popular and to get a feel if i want to participate as a vendor in the future. how cool is this assignment..3 days of 6000 vendors sampling their best food products? i will tell you all about it via blog posts when i return...wish me (and my waistline) luck..

(my husband peter...aka the company photographer ...decided he just had to take a bite during the shoot)

happy mid-january!

best,

diane

napa farmhouse 1885™

"live a green life of style"™

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do you make your own salad dressing?

wow! it is going to be 75 degrees in napa today...yes today...january 14th....middle of winter and all that. we have broken records all week...and, let me tell you, i am not complaining a bit. regular readers know i am truly a sun girl...a typical southern california native. i can take it a bit cold...as long as the sun is shining...but weeks and weeks of rain (which is normal for winter in napa) can get me down. so i am looking at this unusual weather as a gift...cause i know it will not last...and i know we do need the rain. the weather people say it will cool down this weekend so i am going to enjoy it while it lasts...coffee on the porch...lots of walks with mose...rose pruning...even had a pedicure so i can wear flip-flops for a couple of days before the ugg boots make a reappearance.

the terrific weather has me thinking about my favorite foods...and my favorite way to cook...find the best quality...freshest...organic if possible ingredients...and then don't mess them up with overly complicated recipes. i love salads...eat them all year...and live by the mantra of "only in season...only local"...produce. (of course, i am so very fortunate to live in california where this is easy as we have terrific items growing year round). one of my pet peeves is when people buy truly great salad ingredients...and then dress them with horrible dressings filled with inferior ingredients and preservatives...when was the last time you read the label of most bottled dressings? so...here is one of my 2009 objectives...convince each reader of this blog to eliminate bottled salad dressing from their pantries and only use homemade versions! (o.k. not comparable with a goal of attaining world peace but a girls gotta start somewhere...right?)

i have been writing this blog for almost a year now (where has the time gone?) and one of my favorite benefits is receiving all of the amazing emails from readers with comments, questions and/or information.... (for example...thank you to jenifer and leslie for your very kind emails today).... i often get questions about making homemade salad dressing because i have included numerous recipes for salads in past posts. many of my friends have told me they think it is "too hard" or "too complicated" to make their own vinaigrette..so i decided to give this topic its own story to encourage everyone to start creating their own dressing recipes...but here's the thing...the "technique" for making dressings and vinaigrette is so incredibly easy that it only requires 4 steps...so...here are my instructions.....

1. put your favorite vinaigrette ingredients in a mason jar

2. screw on lid and shake away

3. add to salad

4. eat and enjoy

it really is that easy...buy a mason jar at the market...even better and "greener"...reuse a jam/jelly or any other screw top jar. plan to make small quantities...just enough to use that night...or keep in the fridge a couple of days...no longer, you want it to be as fresh as possible...keep the best-quality-you-can find/afford extra virgin olive oils, vinegars, mustard and seasonings in your pantry...and experiment with your oil to vinegar ratios. there really is no "wrong" way...it is just a matter of personal preference. for example, most recipes call for 3-4 times oil to vinegar. i adore vinegar so my recipes are more 2-1..(for evoo and balsamic vinegar vinaigrette i use 50-50!) but that is me. the simplest recipe and the one i use the most is simply equal parts evoo and balsamic vinegar, with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste. if i have a bit more time i use the following recipe..and i have a huge collection of vinegars so i sometime switch out the balsamic with red wine, champagne, sherry, rice or apple cider vinegar. i will continue to post different salad and dressing recipes in future blog stories..but..to get you started..here are a couple of super easy options.

balsamic & mustard vinaigrette1/3 cup good quality extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp dijon mustard
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
place all vinaigrette ingredients in a mason jar. cover tightly and shake until well blended. store remaining vinaigrette in refrigerator. bring to room temperature before using to allow oil to mix with other ingredients.

meyer lemon vinaigrette

1/2 c extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup champagne vinegar or sparkling wine vinegar

1 tsp meyer lemon zest

1 tbsp freshly squeezed meyer lemon juice

sea salt

freshly cracked pepper

try these on your favorite salads...dress lightly..toss..season..enjoy! and eat more salad....

do you already make your own salad dressings? if so, please share your recipes in the comments section of this post...and for those of you currently in the midwest or east coast of the usa (or any other place where temperatures are freezing right now)..stay warm and be safe....and let me know how you are doing....

best,

diane

napa farmhouse 1885™

"live a green life of style"™

follow me on twitter

vegan chocolate cake anyone?

happy 2009 everyone! have been away from blogging for the past few weeks...but by no means away from cooking. i had a wonderful christmas here in napa. i told you in an earlier post that, for the first time ever, my entire family was coming here for the holidays. for my parents, siblings, nephews...and most of the rest of the family...this was the first christmas in their life not spent in southern california. i can honestly say the entire experience was magical...exactly as i dreamed...with loads of love, laughter, talking and terrific food. i will write about the experience during january...and share a number of the recipes...some i created, some treasured family traditions...and a few that i found in holiday edition magazines...did anyone else try the citrus-marinated pork rib roast from the december edition of food and wine? absolutely amazing..this one will get a story of its own...

did you make a lot of new year's resolutions? this is not something i usually do..but this year i made a number of what i am calling goals..seems a bit more flexible which is what my post-corporate life is supposed to be about. i do plan to cook even more than i did last year...and share the recipes here in this blog...which leads to goal number 2...blog more frequently... when i started this blog last year, i did not realize how much i loved writing..and telling stories...i put so much time into launching my new business that i could not update as often as i wanted to...while the business still takes a lot of time, i can be a bit more balanced this year...and...goal number three...i get to combine the cooking thing with the business thing because...a life long dream of mine has been to launch a food business...so, this year i am taking the plunge...very small for now, just on my webstore...and all items will be inspired by our farmhouse garden...jams, jellies, marmalade, preserves...granolas...sauces...condiments...all handcrafted and made with the best and highest quality ingredients that i can find. i plan to tell the stories of the ingredients (and the farmers or artisan producers if not grown in our garden) on this blog...don't worry, i do not intend to turn this blog into a sales pitch...this site is designed to share recipes, techniques, stories...and above all...celebrate the ingredients used in cooking/baking...as the ingredients truly make the difference...

for today, i thought i would share one of my go-to recipes..vegan chocolate cake..i make this cake year round...and this was a hit a christmas. this recipe was inspired from the moosewood restaurant book*desserts. i substituted balsamic vinegar and olive oil, doubled the ingredients and turned it into a bundt cake. regular readers know how often i use in-season fresh figs in my recipes. this cake is very adaptable...if figs are out of season..or you do not like them..leave them out...no worries. this is one of those *just happens to be vegan* recipes...did not start out with that as a goal...but..hey!...for those of you with "eating more healthfully" as one of those dreaded new year's resolutions...(vegan) chocolate cake anyone??

vegan chocolate cake with balsamic, olive oil and figs

3 cups unbleached flour (organic if possible)

2/3 cups unsweetened cocoa powder (best quality)

1 tsp salt

2 cups organic sugar

2 tsp baking soda

1 3/4 cups cold water

1/4 cup cold coffee (just use your leftovers from breakfast)

1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

2 tbsp plus 1 tsp balsamic vinegar of modena

1 tbsp pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup fresh figs, stems removed..figs finely chopped

preheat oven to 350 degrees. grease (use olive oil) a bundt pan and set aside. sift flour, cocoa powder, salt and baking soda together in bowl. in a large mixing bowl combine the remaining ingredients (except figs) and mix well. you can use a mixer..but i just use a wooden spoon and do this by hand. add the dry ingredients to the mixing bowl and stir until just combined..do not over-mix. add the figs and stir again until incorporated into batter. pour into prepared bundt pan and bake approximately one hour until a cake tester inserted into center of cake comes out clean. remove from oven and allow to cool until just slightly warm. remove from pan and allow to cool completely.

you can drizzle your favorite chocolate glaze over cooled cake or sprinkle with powdered sugar...this recipe also make delicious cupcakes...

what are your favorite dishes to cook/bake in january? please share your ideas in the comments section of this post and let me know if you try the cake... again, happy new year!

best,

diane

napa farmhouse 1885™

"live a green life of style"™

follow me on twitter

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persimmon muffins anyone?

wow...so i finally understand the expression, "the best laid plans". i had every intention of blogging frequently throughout the holiday season...christmas cookies, pies, jams, candies..all were on the schedule. and i did, in fact, make some of these items..but blogging about it..forget about it.  now, do not get me wrong. i love blogging. regular readers know that i love to blab on..telling stories and sharing my favorite recipes. but this holiday season..oh my!..crazy is the only word i can think of to describe the past few weeks.

many of you know that i started a company last summer. we are a "green", eco-friendly lifestyle brand selling handmade items for home, garden & accessories. everything is from "reused, recycled, reimagined and/or repurposed" materials. we also offer organic bath and body care, organic dog treats and are in the process of launching an organic food line (for people!).

this company is near and dear to my heart..and i love every aspect of owning & operating my own business...but what was i thinking? i launched in july...a second later we were in the midst of holiday prepping and planning...major time suck. in addition, my entire family,and by entire i mean parents, siblings, nephews, aunts, uncles, cousins,their kids etc are coming to napa for christmas. they all live either in southern california or oregon...and will be in napa from the 22nd through the 27th. this is the first time in my life christmas has not been spent in southern california. i am really, really excited but..c'mon!  in southern cal everyone comes to a family member's house for a meal and then goes home. here, they are at my house for breakfast, lunch and dinner...so i have been planning, prepping and organizing like a mad women for the past two weeks...trying to ensure i have not forgotten anything. i am so excited to host christmas...and know this will be a cherished memory for the rest of my life.

now, back to blogging...i miss it more than i can say...and thank you to all the wonderful readers who have emailed me asking where i was.  here is my promise to you guys...i will try and blog a couple of times between now and christmas...then i will spend a lot of time in january recapping the experience...and sharing the recipes from the month. i have been cooking or baking every chance i get and next week's menus include an italian food night, a mexican fiesta night, a traditional christmas menu...with a twist...and a seafood extravaganza...plus terrific desserts, appetizers and breakfast items. looking forward to sharing the dishes with you.

in the interim, i am currently staring at 5 massive bushels of persimmons picked last week from my tree. i have an extremely prolific tree and have spent the years since we moved to our farmhouse trying every possible recipe trying to use up the huge crop we get each year. i always make big batches of jam...this will be a january project. for christmas, i will be making persimmon cookies, bread, bars and persimmon muffins (recipe follows). the muffins are quick, easy and have become a family favorite so... christmas morning..here we come! enjoy, and please let me know if you try them...

persimmon muffins

1 1/2 c unbleached flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp ground cloves

1/4 tsp ginger

2 large eggs

1 c persimmon puree

1/3 c extra virgin olive oil

1 c brown sugar

1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

2 tbsp brown sugar

preheat oven to 350 degrees. line a muffing tin with paper liners. place first 8 ingredients in small bowl and whisk together. using an electric mixer, beat eggs for 30 seconds. add persimmon puree, e.v.o.o. and brown sugar to bowl and beat until thoroughly mixed. add dry ingredients and mix until just combined. pour into prepared muffin tins filling each cup 3/4 full. in a separate bowl, mix together the remaining cinnamon and brown sugar...and sprinkle mixture evenly over each muffin.

bake approximately 25 to 30 minutes..until a wooden skewer stuck in the center of a muffin comes out clean.

place pan on cooling rack until muffins are warm and then remove from pan.

enough about me...how are your christmas or hanukkah plans coming? are you ready? let me know in the comments section of this post. and i am always on the hunt for new and different persimmon recipes..please share yours.

happy holidays!

diane

napa farmhouse 1885™

"live a green life of style"™

follow me on twitter

vegan thanksgiving?

o.k...i lied...did not mean to...but in my last post, i wrote about my canadian thanksgiving experience in october and about my actual thanksgiving dinner on t-day...and promised to write the following day about my vegan thanksgiving party...next day? 7 days later?...here i am.. so, to those of you that checked in daily..and emailed me...i apologize. this has been an absolutely crazy time. (memo to self...if you are going to launch your own small business, don't do it in july...xmas will be here before you know it...and you will be slammed with projects)

anyway, i am officially ending my thanksgiving memories series with a recap of one of my favorite experiences this year...vegan thanksgiving. ..but first...a bit of background...regular readers know that i added a line of handcrafted, organic dog treats to my product offering this past september. what you may not know is that in california, pet food manufacturing has the same requirements as human food. so i make my treats in a rental commercial kitchen here in napa. a massive benefit (in addition to the treats) is that i have met some really cool people who are also in the early stages of new food businesses. i have found everyone to be kind, helpful and generous with advice, tips and feedback. we work together to help all the businesses succeed. how cool is that? two of my favorite people have quickly become good friends...terry bradford and mary wilmer. terry is a brilliant musician (singer... won star search in 1990, sang on the lion king soundtrack, was celine dion's duet partner on tour and sang "beauty and the beast" with her, etc.) if you have not heard him...he is simply amazing..big powerful beautiful voice...check him out... and mary is his very smart business manager. they are close friends and both are longtime vegans so, in addition to the music business, they started a vegan food business called bountiful vegans. their food is delicious. so delicious in fact that even non-vegans love it... i will write an entire post about them soon because their story is really compelling.

one day in november, we were all working in the kitchen and i asked them what they were doing for thanksgiving. they are pretty new to napa, do not know a lot of people here yet and had to complete some work on the actual day of thanksgiving. i could not stand the thought of them forgoing the holiday this year...so we hatched up a plan to create a new tradition,"vegan thanksgiving", to be held the next day.... the three of us love to cook (obviously) so i invited some friends/neighbors who are committed NON-vegans over for a tasting dinner. terry and mary brought over some of their products...and a ton of organic ingredients...and we spent the afternoon/evening making up recipes. we served each dish one at a time to our "guests" and asked for feedback. remember...this meal was 100% vegan...to our surprise and delight everyone loved each dish. you could tell that they were not just being polite because a.) these are the type of friends who tell you what they think...no holding back and b.) the dishes were gobbled up with requests to take the leftovers home! we even had a 14 yr old boy who loved it...he kept referring to the meal as "random food"... as we explained how items like "vegan bacon" were made.looking back, this night was one of my favorites of the year...cooking amazing food with friends (testing, eating, laughing)...feeding friends food that they loved, laughing and answering their questions about how everything was made...and then just hanging out talking and laughing. (you notice how often i have written the word "laughing"..i think that is really what made the evening so magical...it was so much fun!)

so, one more thing that i am grateful for this year...the number of new people i have met...really great, terrific people...and to the ones that are fast becoming good and true friends...thank you!

by now you are probably asking..."what did you make for vegan thanksgiving?" i will be posting a number of the recipes during the next few months...and i am proud to say that i will be adding food from the bountiful vegan to my website...they make two items that i am addicted to..their carrotuna, and their tofeggy. the carrotuna looks a bit like a carrot salad..but it tastes like the lightest, freshest tuna salad you have ever eaten. the tofeggy is their eggless, egg salad...trust me, you do not have to be vegan, or even vegetarian to love their food. (i will post when their items are on my webstore site)my favorite recipe from vegan thanksgiving is the simplest and easiest...carrotuna crostini...

carotuna crostini

1 sourdough or french baguette

extra virgin olive oil

1 cup olive tapenade

1 container carrotuna

slice baguette into 1/2 inch rounds..toast in oven at 400 degrees for 8-10 minutes. watch carefully to ensure they do not burn. (or grill. i use a panini press). remove crostini from heat source and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil. spread each toast with a thin layer of tapenade. top each piece with 1 tbsp carotuna. serve immediately.

how easy was that? you can make your own tapenade...or purchase a good quality version if pressed for time.... this is my christmas day appetizer this year...and no one in my family is vegan or vegetarian...

i want to take a moment to once again thank all of my thanksgiving memories guest bloggers...you guys rock..and i thoroughly enjoyed the series..now it is time to turn the blog themes to december holidays. i recently found out that my entire family is coming to napa for christmas...first time ever. i originally thought i would be hosting a group of 8...has ballooned to 25 and counting...and i could not be more excited..however, i will be spending the next 15 days planning, prepping and cooking...and will share the experience (along with a ton of recipes) in this blog. so please join in...comment...and share your tips for getting ready for the holidays because...THEY ARE HERE!

best,

diane

napa farmhouse 1885™

"live a green life of style"™

follow me on twitter

three thanksgivings??

yes, i was fortunate enough to be able to celebrate thanksgiving three times this year. first, my friends richard and caitlin decided to throw a "canadian thanksgiving" bash on october 12th. then we had our traditional holiday on thanksgiving day. finally, we created a new tradition..."vegan" thanksgiving on friday...as some very good friends of mine are vegan and they kinda miss out during the traditional meal. happily, i have not concluded the thanksgiving memories series yet...so i was thrilled when caitlin sent me her write up of the canadian thanksgiving festivities...and i will share the vegan day tomorrow...

caitlin is a new friend..just met her this year...and feel very fortunate that this extremely kind, giving, intelligent and funny person has come into my life...she moved here from canada last year and was feeling a bit homesick, so she took charge of introducing one of her traditions to her new friends here in napa...i confess that i did not know much about this holiday...other than seeing the date posted each year on my franklin/covey day planner!! i learned that thanksgiving is similar to ours..a celebration of harvest albeit without the pilgrim/native american theme. the food is pretty much the same...and, although the official day is a monday, caitlin said that canadians hold their feast dinner sometime during that long weekend...ours was a sunday night...i could go on and on describing this magical evening...but caitlin did a lovely job of telling the story....introducing caitlin...

"Canadian Thanksgiving has always been just that. Red and orange maple leaves, hikes in brisk fresh air, crisp Macintosh Apples and of course turkey with all the trimmings and lots of laughter with friends and family.

Celebrating the early October Harvest has always marked the transition into the cold, harsh Canadian winter. This holiday has always been a favorite of mine and moving to California I was afraid I would lose my holiday roots. How wrong I was with the beautiful Canadian thanksgiving I was able to share with my American friends.

We truly celebrated with the culture and flare that makes the Napa Valley so special. A beautiful sunny day in the heart of the Carneros region of Napa was the backdrop for the truly remarkable day. An outdoor table for 25 was set with the amazing design skills of Richard Von Saal. His kindness, passion and eye for detail was beyond evident with a barn wood center piece, dichroic glass chandelier, an eclectic mix of vintage pieces, and of course many bottles of the delicious wine that makes the Napa Valley world famous.

The food was a beautiful potluck of classic Thanksgiving food complete with a rosemary white wine turkey from Martha Stewart Everyday Foods, freshly baked Asian pear pie, winter salad and the best (I’m not kidding), Persimmon and fig preserves from Napa Farm House 1885.
Aside from the successful wine industry, gourmet food revolution, a lifestyle focused on health and wellness, and an appreciation for the arts the people are what make the culture of the Napa Valley so special. How lucky was I to be thousands of miles away from my family and spend a celebrated holiday with 25 amazing people. Only in California will you find around one table such an interesting and diverse group of folks as we had. Artists, entrepreneurs, doctors, photographers, writers, environmental activists, an editor of a lesbian magazine, wine makers, gallery owners, a professional dirt biker, and designer who all shared lots of laughter and great stories.

My mom will be happy to know that our family tradition of expressing what we are grateful for was carried on around this amazing dinner table of new friends. What was I thankful for? Of course all my new American friends who came together in celebration of food, friendship, and laughter. I can hardly wait to do it all over again for the American Thanksgiving tradition!"

was your holiday traditional..or did you mix it up? please share your stories in the comments section of this post...and check back tomorrow for "vegan thanksgiving"!

best,

diane

napa farmhouse 1885™

"live a green life of style"™

follow me on twitter

what is it like to spend thanksgiving in napa?

if you grew up here...or live here now...it is probably a lot like thanksgiving anywhere in america. a wonderful day spent with family and friends eating amazing food. hopefully it is a day to give thanks for all that we have...and to celebrate everyone we love...

today's post by guest blogger, lisa adams walter, is her beautiful story of growing up in napa while her father was serving in the marines during the vietnam war....and of thanksgiving traditions formed during that time...and...happily...after he returned home. since i live in napa too, i thoroughly enjoyed imagining lisa's family shopping at all the places i know and love...brown's valley market...milk and butter from stornetta's dairy...and breakfast at the buttercream is a napa tradition...

lisa is a new twitter friend of mine...and i am enjoying getting to know her through her tweets...and learning about her pr/marketing firm adams walter through her website...lisa tells me she is in the process of starting a blog...i will let you know when it is up...until then, you can enjoy her story as part of the napa farmhouse 1885™ thanksgiving memories series....

Thanksgiving in Napa, Then and Now

By Lisa Adams Walter

http://www.adamswalter.com/

twitter @LisaAdamsWalter

"The first Thanksgiving I can remember was in Napa. Back then, in the last year of the ‘60s, I was barely five years old and my dad was serving a tour of duty in Viet Nam. The holidays that year were less than perfect with a sense of uncertainty while Daddy was away. It wasn’t the same. That wasn’t to say that our family life was “perfect” by any stretch of the imagination (whose is?), but it wasn’t “normal” that shortly after the joy of the first man walking on the moon, my mom, baby sister and I traveled down to Oceanside, California to send my dad off to Viet Nam.

We spent his “going away” weekend on the beach, hanging out in what I can only barely remember as a ‘50s era coastal strip motel that had some sort of kitchenette. I don’t remember what we ate, but I do remember my baby sister Laura (just two years old) in her little navy blue with pink trim one-piece bathing suit sporting the worst sunburn of her life! Then we took him to wherever you take troops to depart into the unknown. He, once a Marine always a Marine, rather than handsome in his dress blues was dressed in full combat gear. Off he went. More than 30 years later, I still have a small collection of letters handwritten by my dad sent to me from that faraway place: Nam.

We drove back up to Napa (then filled with prune orchards, a few vineyards and lots of open space) to start the school year. My mom was a young teacher, I was just beginning Kindergarten.

My family has been in the Napa Valley since the 1930s, my mother born and raised in this simple place: Napa—it used to be a very small, intimate, working-class town. It was because of the uncertainty of the Viet Nam War that my mother (who is still wise to this day) decided (actually, I believe that with great conviction she demanded) that following military transfers to Maryland, Monterey and Okinawa, Japan that if her husband was heading off to war, she was heading home to Napa. My grandparents, a pastor and a teacher, were always waiting for us with open arms. They provided a solid foundation, and a soft place to land. Most of my Thanksgiving memories rest with them.

By this time, my grandparents had already been in Napa for more than three decades. Midwesterners of German descent, much of what we ate on holidays (and at every Sunday dinner) was homegrown, a gift from a parishioner, delivered from Stornetta’s Dairy or from Giovannoni’s Market. The bird was fresh, the mashed potatoes were hand-whipped with butter and fresh cream, we baked the pies from scratch and three generations of us would squeeze into the kitchen to each do our part. These traditions continue to this day.

It was always my job to set the table, make the gravy, bake pies and serve beverages. I can remember how the table looked, how my grandparent’s home smelled, and how we didn’t need anything more than each other for entertainment. Our traditional menu was always basically the same, but nothing was out of can or box or purchased prepared: anti-pasta selection, roasted turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, green beans, sweet yams, salad, cranberry sauce, cranberry salad, Dutch crunch rolls (okay, those came from Buttercream Bakery), pumpkin pie, apple pie and persimmon pudding. If I close my eyes right now, I swear that I am right back there in the middle of what is now a very old part of Napa. The “event” itself was the collaboration and creation of the meal, all of us sitting down, collectively giving thanks and celebrating.

We continued our tradition for decades. And in one fashion or another it continues to this day (the turkey now comes from Browns Valley Market run by Giovannonis, the rolls still come from Buttercream Bakery). My grandparents have passed on. My sister and her husband live in Napa and I now have a husband, in-laws, a career and a sparkling seven-year-old daughter. Today I live, work and am immersed in one of the most famous wine regions in the world. The wines we select for holidays are often some of the finest that we enjoy all year. I’ve even hosted a few Thanksgiving dinners of my own, I love to cook. But more than that, I love what it is that Thanksgiving stands for: Giving Thanks. It’s the food, wine and close personal definition of “family” that takes the celebration to the next level.

While my dad was in Viet Nam, we’d shop the base commissary at either Travis Air Force Base or Mare Island and then send care packages of home-baked cookies, Tang and Carnation Instant Breakfast mix. Nothing like the home-grown fare we enjoyed daily. But I guess that’s how it is when you’re fighting a war.

I don’t think that it was until I was in my ‘30s that I realized what it was that my parents went through with the (pre- and post-) Viet Nam experience that dramatically impacted our family. Without constant communication, and the technology that provides an instant window into the world of today, without email and telephone access… it was all a vast, unknown void. Every night on the evening news, the “news” from Viet Nam wasn’t good. Today, with our international conflicts one thing remains the same: the craziness and warped impact of war. I give thanks for the troops that bravely protect our country today. Bring them home.

After his tour of duty, my dad returned to the states. It was in the middle of the night one evening that we received an unexpected phone call. It’s a blurry memory, but I do remember being bundled up with my sister and then with my mom, we sped down to SFO in our Toyota Corolla to pick up my dad. Thank God he came home safe. Still, things were never quite the same after then. It was a rocky road for our family, but through it all we hung together. My parents continue to live in Napa after all of these years. This year in particular, perhaps because I feel that nationally our country is on the brink of incredible positive change, I am thankful that we persevered. And I am also grateful to, and proud of, my mom and dad that they were able to personally give SO much during such an unsettled time (1969).

This year I also hope and pray for peace for all of the families whose loved ones are serving out in the “unknown” on behalf of the United States. Let’s all, as a country, do all that we can, so that they can return to celebrate an endless number of memorable and peace-filled Thanksgiving holidays. And to my dad: Semper Fi!"

lisa..thank you so much for sharing your thanksgiving memories with us...i knew it was the perfect story to post on thanksgiving eve. if you are like me, you are busy working in your kitchen tonight...baking, cooking, cleaning and prepping for tomorrow...lisa ensures we take a minute to reflect on the true meaning of the day...happy thanksgiving everyone... and..yes..the thanksgiving memories series continues with additional stories throughout the holiday weekend...enjoy your day tomorrow...

best,

diane

diane padoven

napa farmhouse 1885™

"live a green life of style"™

follow me on twitter

eggrolls for thanksgiving?

yes...if you are fortunate enough to spend thanksgiving with my twitter friends diane and todd, the creative force behind the wonderful blog white on rice couple. white on rice couple is one of my favorite sites because i learn something new every time i visit...they describe themselves this way..

"Carpe Diem! We're cooking instructors, food writers, avid gardeners, travelers and photographers. Trying to live life to the fullest, we never cease to explore new global sights, sounds, flavors and adventures."

todd was born in oregon, diane in vietnam...and they both now live in southern california...their recipes are an amazing fusion of their lives, histories, family traditions and travels...their photography is beautiful..their recipes clear and easy to understand...and...best of all for me...they make creating really good vietnamese food at home possible...i always thought it would be hard and complicated...trust me...read their blog...you will be inspired to try their recommendations...

so, when they agreed to guest blog for my thanksgiving memories series i literally jumped for joy (o.k. by now you know i can be a bit of a drama queen...but i really was very, very happy)...diane took the lead on this post and...no surprise...shares a delicious sounding recipe using turkey on thanksgiving but with a twist...in addition, she shares one of my favorite american traditions...merging cultures to create the true meaning of thanksgiving...i can't wait to give these eggrolls a try....in the interim..trust me on this..check out the white on rice couple's blog....and let me know what you think in the comments section of this post...

"The huge feast at my parents house on Thanksgiving has always reflected the multicultural influences inspired from each and every family member. One of the challenges, though, has always been how to make turkey interesting for my Vietnamese parents . Mom and Dad never grew up eating Turkey in Vietnam, so when they finally did have their first bite, turkey lacked the fat and flavor from their standard duck and chicken.

Basically, eating turkey was very unexciting for them, and on the verge of food torture.

But on the other hand, my siblings and I (all six of us) loved turkey, gravy and all the trimmings because it was a refreshing change from our daily intake of rice and noodles. It was the one day of year that we could indulge in everything that was Native American Indian and Pilgrim. So every year when Thanksgiving rolls around, it was always the tale of two feasts: one that was more Vietnamese inspired for my parents, and for the kids, one that was as close to possible to what the Pilgrims had near Plymouth Rock. History class taught us many culinary lessons.

To please every palate, tradition and generation gap, our Thanksgiving spread was a reflection of the Far East meets East Coast Pilgrim style. We have, to please the kids, a roast turkey, gravy, potatoes, rolls, corn and almost everything that could be duplicated from what us kids learned from school. For Mom and Dad, there was the noodles, Vietnamese herbs, and lots of fish sauce to dress the "dry, bland, flavorless" turkey. The kids had the giblet gravy, while Mom and Dad had the fish sauce style gravy, full of chiles, garlic and everything else that gave them the satisfying comfort of a Vietnamese home.

As time evolved and we all learned to cook beyond the traditional trimmings, we started to get creative with not just the turkey, but with other roasts and hams. The protein moved well beyond the turkey. Although we have added new sources of protein, creative vegetable dishes and desserts, the turkey always makes a star showing at the table. No matter what happens, all my brothers love their simple turkey and gravy. Take that away from them and you have a mutiny of four monstrous appetites. That's why we keep the turkey.

So to add to the energizing creativity of foods that has been coming out of the kitchen now that many of us cook, the evolution of the turkey as taken us to making eggrolls (fried springrolls). It has the meat to satisfy my hungry brothers, and the flavors of the traditional egg rolls that Mom and Dad love eating. Now everyone is happy crunching on these crispy, savory turkey rolls. It meets the best of both food worlds for all members of our expanding family. It's a tradition that will continue for many more generations to come.

Turkey eggrolls are easy and a delicious alternative to the Thanksgiving appetizer. Not only is it a great way to creatively use turkey meat, but the addition of traditional Asian flavors and spices make it a delicious finger food for all ages. Even for those turkey haters, these turkey eggrolls have been the ambassador to positive turkey eating. It's a great dish that will be making the Thanksgiving rounds for many more years .

The most important part of these turkey eggrolls is that they brings two different food cultures together harmoniously for a heartwarming Thanksgiving meal."

Turkey Eggrolls (with bacon)
To keep to the integrity of the healthy aspect of turkey, you can omit the bacon. We like adding bacon because of the extra fat ( we love our fat) and flavor. It's amazing what extra flavor the bacon adds to the turkey!

Ingredients:
1 lb fresh ground turkey

5 slices bacon
1/2 cup chopped rehydrated glass noodles (about 1 small individual package). Optional, if available.

1/2 cup chopped rehydrated black fungus mushrooms (wood ear mushrooms) or chopped fresh mushrooms.

3 green onions, chopped

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

1/2 cup chopped cabbage

1 tablespoon fresh cracked black pepper

1 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons fish sauce

2 large cloves crushed garlic

1 pkg of about 25 springroll wrappers or rice paper wrappers.

Vegetable oil or Peanut oil for frying.

Fresh lettuce, sliced cucumber and mint, basil or available herbs.

1. Par-fry bacon till just slightly crisp, but still soft. Remove bacon from oil and chop bacon.

2. Rehydrate glass noodles and/or black fungus mushrooms in hot water, drain. Chop these, as well as green onions, cilantro and cabbage.

3. Mix all ingredients together in large bowl . Using your hands, dive into the bowl and mix everything together well. Mush it all between your fingers to ensure that all chopped ingredients are blended well.

4. If using rice paper wrappers, dip rice sheets in warm water for a few seconds. Place rice sheet on your work surface (cutting board or plate). Let rice sheet soften and become gelatinous for about 1 minute. Start on the wrapper edge closest to you, place about one full tablespoon of filling on edge of wrapper. Slowly roll and shape filling to a tubular shape. Roll about the first 1/3 of wrapper, then fold in both sides and continue the roll until it is completely finished.

-For flour based/pastry springroll wrappers, follow wrapping instructions as above. But use a bit of egg white to help seal all the edges and seams of the springroll wrappers. These type of wrappers do not need to be dipped in water. Use them straight from the package.

For more photographs on wrapping technique, visit Spring Rolling Techniques

5. In frying pan or deep fryer, place about 1 inch of vegetable oil. Let oil heat up slowly on medium heat. Gently place rolls in hot oil and fry on each side until golden brown.

6. Serve warm with fish dipping sauce, fresh lettuce, slices of cucumber and mint, basil or what ever herbs are available.

Makes about 25 rolls, but depending on how big your rolls are and how much filling you use, the recipe may only make about about 12-15 rolls.

so..from one diane to another..thank you so much for guest blogging on my site...let's do it again sometime soon...for everyone else...happy thanksgiving...

best,

diane

napa farmhouse 1885™

"live a green life of style"™

follow me on twitter

is it thanksgiving without mashed potatoes?

not in my family...but not for the reason you might think. welcome to another thanksgiving memories post from napa farmhouse 1885™. today's guest blogger is my sister, kathi. i laughed hysterically when i first read her story...i asked both of my sisters to contribute...and they each wrote about the same incident. (it was my first thought too)... i guess when you say "thanksgiving memory" to anyone in my family the first thought is the tale kathi is about to tell...not a warm, loving, special family memory....but this mashed potatoes story...so here goes...a "thanksgiving memory" from my family...

"I have been lucky and blessed to have celebrated Thanksgiving forty five times so far. I hope I will experience this wonderful holiday forty five more times. One Thanksgiving in particular stands out in my mind from all of the others. You are probably thinking that this one special Thanksgiving is the one in which I roasted my first turkey...or the one when I got engaged to my husband...or the one when it snowed and we were all in this fabulous cabin (I just made that up...I live in L.A.). Nope, none of those are the "stand out" Thanksgiving. When I think of this occasion, the first thing that pops into my head is the Thanksgiving when my great grandmother fell forward, face first, into her plate of mashed potatoes and turkey. And you know what? I'm actually laughing right now as I write this. I know, I have a sick mind but in my defense she did not hurt herself and she was not ill. A stiff cocktail, a heated room, a big dinner and being elderly can do that to you I guess. I was probably about six or seven when this happened. Everyone was at our house (20 people or so) and we were seated around a ping pong table. Our regular dining table was too small to seat everyone so my mom used a ping pong table instead. It was decorated and it looked very pretty. We were all eating and laughing and everything was normal. All of a sudden Mamee (that's what everyone called my great grandmother) went down. I swear to God it was just like in the movies. Well, needless to say, everyone just kind of sat and stared in shock for a moment. Then, after a minute, some of the adults got up to help her. She was cleaned up and then she went back to my sisters' room to rest. Honestly, she was fine. All of the other Thanksgivings that I have had since just don't compare-I will never forget that night. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!! Stay well, stay safe, stay thankful and for goodness sakes, stay upright in your chair!"Kathi
Los Angeles

o.k...maybe you had to be there....but looking back... as soon as everyone knew my great grandmother was physically fine...it really was funny...there she was...face planted in the mashed potatoes...and all the adults just looking at her....what a thanksgiving! (and no one in my family drank much so it really was an unexpected occurrence...anyway, i could not let that story pass without sharing a recipe for...what else?..mashed potatoes...or my version which is better known as "smashed" potatoes.i have always loved potato skins as much as the flesh...and therefore don't bother with peeling. i think the fiber and nutrients you get from eating the skins is a more healthful way to eat anyway....so when something is easier and better for you...major score... i substitute extra virgin olive oil for the more commonly used butter...and add roasted garlic...so these potatoes have loads of flavor and will stand up to the rest of the thanksgiving dinner menu items...

smashed potatoes

(serves 4)

1 1/2 pounds yukon gold potatoes ( cut in quarters) do not peel

1/2 cup milk (warmed either in pan on stove top or in microwave)

4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

2 tbsp roasted garlic paste (see below)

grey salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

add potatoes to a large pot of salted water. (salt the water like you would for pasta). bring to a boil and cook until fork tender (about 15-20 minutes). drain the potatoes and add back to the now empty pot. cook over medium heat for 1-2 minutes until potatoes and pot are dry (stir continuously to prevent potatoes from sticking). turn heat to low and add warm milk and olive oil to potatoes and mash using a potato masher. the potatoes will be lumpy due to the skins, so check to ensure milk and olive oil are thoroughly incorporated into potatoes. add garlic paste and salt/pepper to taste... additional milk may be added if potatoes are too dry. serve immediately.

roasted garlic paste

you can make this with as many heads of garlic as you wish...this no-recipe recipe is as follows:

with a sharp knife ,cut off the very top of each head of garlic...you should just see the very tip of the garlic cloves after cutting. remove the first layer or two of papery garlic skin from the garlic head...not too much, you want the garlic cloves to remain attached. place the garlic root side down in a small ovenproof pan or baking dish...you want the garlic to fit tightly in the pan...so the pan size will depend on the number of garlic heads you are roasting (make more than you need...this paste will last a few days...and you will use it in everything!)...drizzle cut side of garlic with extra virgin olive oil. sprinkle with sea salt (i like grey salt) and freshly ground pepper. cover pan tightly with foil and roast in a 375 degree oven for 20-30 minutes. garlic should be very tender. remove foil, drizzle with additional olive oil and continue roasting for 10 minutes more.

at this point you can squeeze the garlic from the cloves directly onto toasted french or sourdough bread which is lovely...or you can squeeze all the garlic into a small bowl, mash with a wooden spoon and drizzle with additional extra virgin olive oil to create a smooth paste...taste and add additional salt/pepper if desired. garlic paste can be stirred into your smashed potatoes, added to toasted bread, added to roasted or steamed vegetables, stirred into sauces...etc...once you taste it you will be inspired to add it to almost everything!

i am always looking for terrific recipes for potatoes..so please add your favorites to the comments section of this post...or let me know how you liked the smashed potatoes from today's story...

so..it is 4 days till thanksgiving...and a number of my guest bloggers have let me know their stories are on their way...i will be adding at least a post a day...maybe two...including thanksgiving day...so check back often... and, as always this month..happy thanksgiving!

best,

diane

napa farmhouse 1885™

"live a green life of style"™

follow me on twitter

french apple pie anyone??

i am so enjoying our thanksgiving memories series...(can you say you are enjoying your own blog without sounding weird)?....i love the stories being told by my wonderful guest bloggers...and i love sharing the memories i have from my own family. all the posts focus on family, friends and good food being shared...today's story by sarah caron is a perfect example. she reminisces about preparing thanksgiving dinner as a child with the women in her family...and continuing that tradition with her own children. (she also shares a killer recipe for french apple pie!)

i very purposely titled this series thanksgiving memories...because, to me, telling your family's stories is a very important way to remember, to teach, to record, to question and to learn...don't wait...tell your stories to all the children in your family...inspire the next generation to keep the traditions going...

i am so grateful to sarah for taking the time to join the group of guest bloggers for this project. i "met" her via twitter...love her "tweets"...and was surprised she could find the time to write for another blog..(she writes for 4 of her own). i am most familiar with her blog sarah's cucina bella as she shares a lot of the posts via links on twitter...but to give you a more complete picture..i decided to cut and paste her bio from the fit fare site...here you go...

Sarah Caron (Editor of Fit Fare and Well Fed On The Town). As Managing Editor, Editorial, Sarah Caron helps to oversee the content on the Well Fed sites. Sarah developed a passion for writing in early childhood that has never waned. She is a writer, editor, mommy and wife, who is based in Connecticut and loves cooking for family and friends (and then taking photos of everything). When she’s not hard at work on Well Fed, Sarah works as an editor for a top educational publisher. She also writes a personal cooking blog, Sarah’s Cucina Bella, and is author of Families Eat Together, due out this year from Ladder Press. She has a bachelors degree in political science from Barnard College.

whew!! and the bio misses her blog the voice of mom and the website she knows ..... i thought writing for one blog was a lot of work. thank you again sarah..i love your story..AND...i love the pie recipe....i am going to try it out this weekend..just cannot wait for thanksgiving...

From Sarah Caron

"I wish I could capture the images, voices and conversations from my childhood and transfer them to a memory holder, like Dumbledore’s pensieve, so that I could revisit them in full clarity whenever I choose. I’d like to hold tight to the laughter, smiles and joy of the family of my childhood together.

We would gather in the kitchen on the eve of Thanksgiving, three generations of women in the family standing around the smooth stretch of tan-speckled Formica countertop that we ate dinner at nightly. But this wasn’t dinner time. It was time to prepare for Thanksgiving.
We’d gather cans of tender peaches and pears, and bunches of tart green grapes. A glass bowl, with smooth sides and curved edges would await the salad. The grapes would be halved. Then, we would carefully dig into each one, removing the tiny seeds. Then the grapes would be dropped into the bowl, with pears, peaches and fiery flashes of maraschino cherries. Someone older than I – my grandmother, perhaps – would stir the mixture with a large wooden spoon, making rhythmic circle motions around the perimeter. Then aluminum foil would seal the top, patted and crinkled to fit the lip of the bowl. Into the refrigerator overnight the fruit salad would go. At the last minute before serving, sliced bananas being tossed in to prevent them from browning.

To serve, the fruit salad would be spooned into diminutive footed glass bowls, one at each placesetting. Cups filled with cocktail sauce and rimmed with pink curves of jumbo shrimp would join the table. A relish platter, vegetables, turkey, gravy, mashed potatoes and more. And cranberry sauce, sometimes made fresh, other times poured from the white can.
Then would come dessert, glorious dessert. Two or three pies would wait, apple, pumpkin, sometimes pecan or cherry. But I only had eyes for the pumpkin.
Thanksgiving was a day for simple indulgence, for giving thanks for the gifts we had – family, love, intelligence. The table would overflow with food prepared with but one objective: feeding a family. They say that preparing food with love makes it taste so much better. Whoever ‘they’ is, they are right.

These days, some of the faces gathering around the table are different. There is a new generation of family present and an older one passed. I’ve taken over the task of cooking Thanksgiving, making the meal more elaborate and extensive. It’s my style. Whereas my grandmother appreciated simplicity and clean, fuss-free tastes, I relish in creating new side dishes and appetizers that expand my family’s palates. Desserts still include pumpkin and apple pies, but now it’s my special French apple pie awaiting the overstuffed bellies. But the feeling and meaning are still the same.

Whatever it is that hits the table, I hope that 25 years from now, my children will look back on the Thanksgivings of their childhood and remember the three generations of family members crowding around our kitchen table, eating food that they helped prepare. It doesn’t matter the style or variety, just as long as they are a part of it, just like I was."

French Apple Pie
yields one pie

1 good quality deep dish pie crust (I like Oronoque Farms)
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
dash of salt
8 cups peeled and sliced apples (about 1/4 inch thick)
1/2 tbsp vanilla

Crumb topping:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup firm butter

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Combine sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in a large bowl. Stir in apples.
Pour apple combination into the pie crust, making them slightly higher in the center than on the sides. Sprinkle vanilla over the top of the pie.
Place pie in the preheated oven for 15 minutes.
In a medium bowl, combine the flour and brown sugar for the crumb topping. Cut in the butter and mix until crumbly.
Remove pie from the oven and sprinkle crumb topping over the apples. Place pie back in the oven and cook for an additional 30-35 minutes.
Let cool on a wire rack. Serve warm…with vanilla bean ice cream.

(all photographs for this post courtesy sarah caron)

when you were a child did you help out in the kitchen preparing thanksgiving dinner? or other holiday meals? please share your stories in the comments section of this post...

and as i close, i am reminded that thanksgiving day is exactly one week from today.....yikes...off to plan the shopping lists....happy thanksgiving everyone!

best,

diane

napa farmhouse 1885™

"live a green life of style"™

follow me on twitter

do you have nephews?... part 2

yesterday, i wrote about the love i have for my twin nephews and posted a story by one of them...chris. today it is his brother shaun's turn. again, i did not edit or change a word of the post....chris wrote about the importance of appreciating family and loved ones on thanksgiving...shaun took a different, but equally important approach...he discussed food!! he also shares our family's new tradition...for the past few years, thanksgiving has been held at my sister and brother-in-law's home..this, after a lifetime of thanksgivings at my parent's house. both boys mentioned the importance of celebrating the holiday at their home...that is the tradition they will remember when they are grown...so here's to new traditions!...and to nephews!! (and nieces...and children in general...)

Thanksgiving Essay

"Thanksgiving is a holiday we celebrate. It is one of my favorite holidays. At Thanksgiving everybody brings a little bit of food. It is a very fun holiday. On Thanksgiving we eat a lot of things. We eat turkey and stuffing. We also have fruit and vetagblas too. Also we eat a lot of desert. We have apple pie and pumkin pie. We also have lemon cake. On Thanksgiving we have it at my house. We have my grandparents over. We also have our aunts and uncles. Also we have some friends too. This is how we celebrate Thanksgiving. Last year was my favorite Thanksgiving because we played tackle football at the beach with my mom and my auntie. My brother and my cousins played too. It was fun because we got to see my cousins and my auntie was cracking jokes a lot." by Shaun, age 12

oh..btw....the "cracking jokes auntie" shaun refers to is my sister susan...i am not the funny one in the family....

has your family changed their traditions for holidays? please share your stories in the comments section of this post...and, as always during our thanksgiving memories series..happy thanksgiving...

best,
diane
napafarmhouse 1885™
"live a green life of style"™

follow me on twitter