Hello everyone, and welcome to the
Thanksgiving season. We hope you’ll visit Pathfinder Produce over the
next two weeks to stock up in time for Thanksgiving. Our market is open
this week on Thursday, November 14, and the following week, Thursday, November
21, from noon to 5 p.m. The market will be closed on Thanksgiving Day so
our staff may enjoy the day with their families and friends.
Pathfinder Produce’s Chef Eric has
been busy selecting some holiday sample recipes to try out and share with our
market patrons. Word has it that he’ll be featuring Sautéed Apples and a
fresh berry Cranberry Sauce over the next two weeks … we can’t wait to see what
he cooks up next!
Looking ahead, we want to let
everyone know about a holiday concert by one of our all-time favorites is
coming up: The Sidney Community Band will perform at the Pathfinder Gym on
Sunday, December 8, at 3:30 p.m. Everyone is invited to enjoy this free
concert that will feature a selection of seasonal favorites! (Because we
can’t resist … you can hear the band play “Let It Snow” by clicking
this link).
Below, my colleague Martha Spiegel
offers some healthier options for you to consider for your Thanksgiving meal.
***
Thanksgiving is fast approaching, so I went
searching for alternatives to some traditional sides that were healthy, looked
nice on the serving plate, and would be pleasing to the palate. Here is a
sampling of what I found.
- Wild
Rice Stuffed Butternut Squash: This dish is vegan, so it is naturally lower in fat than dishes that come drenched in butter or full of heavy cream. The presentation is so beautiful! And while it does take a while to bake the squash in the oven, the hands-on prep time is only about 15 minutes.
- Green
Bean Casserole: In some families, it just isn’t Thanksgiving without a
green bean casserole. This healthier alternative has no need for a can opener as there is no cream soup or fried onions. The beans are steamed,
and the sauce gets its flavor from fresh mushroom, garlic and thyme, and parmesan cheese. It’s topped with crispy sautéed shallots. To me, this sounds so much better than the original!
- Sweet
Potato Pecan Casserole: This one has all the sweetness of typical candied sweet potatoes with marshmallows, but with much fewer calories. It’s fairly
simple to make, and with cinnamon, nutmeg, brown sugar and pecans, I’m
sure the aroma as it cooks is hunger-inducing.
- Vegetarian
Gravy: Hear me out on this one, folks! Even if you would never consider anything but gravy made from the pan drippings on Thanksgiving,
keep this in mind for other times when you want gravy with something besides roasted meat. Or maybe your crowd is smaller and you only make a
turkey breast which doesn’t put forth much in the way of gravy-making
drippings. This variety is made with lots of fresh ingredients and looks chock full of flavor.
Here’s hoping you have a happy, healthy and delicious
Thanksgiving!
Martha (and
Lori)
