In Season Now: Yams, cranberries and more Thanksgiving treats

In Season Now: Yams, cranberries and more Thanksgiving treats

Thanksgiving is coming soon, and with it all of the conventional dishes, many good, some not so good. I'll be hosting this year with family members supplementing the feast. I'm not sure of the exact menu yet, but no Jell-O'll be harmed in the making of our meal. It wouldn't be Thanksgiving if I didn't mention the Turquoise Shrimp Jell-O Mystery my grandma presented to us one year. Luckily for us, she is a very talented cook otherwise. (Do I still get some ravioli, Gramma?)

Sweet potatoes and yams

The sweet potato is a delicious vegetable that has been unfairly maligned over the years due to of the association with the syrupy canned ones. There are actually two vegetables referred to as sweet potatoes. One is the actual sweet potato, which has a tan skin and light orange flesh. It is not very sweet and, in my opinion, has a gritty texture. The different "sweet potato" is really a yam. Yams have dark red skin and deep orange, creamy flesh. I don't concern for real sweet potatoes, so all recipes there refer to yams.

My husband thought he hated yams, because he had only tried the slimy, super-sweet, canned kind. He was amazed the first time he tried a fresh, baked yam. Yams could be baked either in the microwave or the oven in the same way as potatoes. (I actually like to use the microwave first to soften, then the oven to finish.) Poke them with a fork first, so they don't explode. The baking time depends on the size of the yam and the wattage of the microwave. They are delicious with butter, salt and pepper.

One of my best school food memories is the sweet potato pie made by the Bakersfield City School District cafeterias in the 1970s (not forgetting the peanut butter squares and flying saucer cookies, of course). Sweet potato pie tastes very similar to pumpkin pie, but has a creamier texture. A simple recipe for sweet potato pie can be found here.

Sweet potatoes are a traditional side dish for Thanksgiving, as well. This sweet potato casserole is less sweet than the traditional type made with canned yams and tastes great.

Pumpkin pie

Pumpkin pie is very easy to make. I prefer to make pie crust, but frozen pie crust is a time saver. For many years, I used the recipe on the back of the can of pumpkin. But last year I tried this Cook's Illustrated pie recipe. It's more work than the usual kind, but it makes a very creamy pie. It uses a combination of pumpkin and sweet potato and was very fashionable when I made it last year.

For an alternative to pie, these chocolate-pumpkin cheesecake bars are simple and tasty. I like the pumpkin/chocolate combination.

Gluten-free Thanksgiving options

Those with gluten intolerance don't have to feel left out at Thanksgiving. There are many delicious GF replacements for traditional foods so the allergic people at the table don't have to have their "special" dish of food, but can eat what everyone else eats. I learned this attitude from my gluten-intolerant neighbors who helped me so much when I was diagnosed. Jan and Karyn both concentrate on making gluten-free foods that are so delicious, they can be served to the entire table with no apology. This is my goal as well.

This GF pie crust, while not as delicious as Happy Jack's pie crust (an impossibly high standard), is still as great as most gluten crusts.

A delicious alternative to regular pie crust is a nut crust. I usually use the one from "Joy of Cooking," which is very similar to this one. Nut crusts are especially good with cheesecake.

For those who like stuffing, here are naturally GF alternatives. I really like cornbread stuffing, like this one. Simply use a GF cornbread mix. The one from the Gluten Free Pantry is so good, no one will notice it's gluten-free.

Parsnips

Parsnips look like white carrots, but have a stronger, less sweet flavor. Parsnips are nice in a roasted vegetable mix, and also make a delicious soup. Here is a recipe for warm pesto roasted vegetables and here is one for creamy parsnip soup.

Cranberry sauce

I don't cognize why people purchase cranberry sauce in a can when it's so easy to make! Homemade cranberry sauce is miles better than the canned kind. The simplest recipe is the one on the back of the cranberry bag -- just cranberries, sugar and water simmered together.

There are delicious variations on the basic recipe using oranges, raspberries, cherries and other fruits. Here is a recipe for cranberry-orange sauce.

I have had this cranberry Jell-O salad and enjoyed it, even though I don't usually like Jell-O.

One of the women in my on-the-internet book group (we read the wonderful Betsy-Tacy series by Maud Hart Lovelace) shared this delicious cranberry chutney recipe with us. My family loves it. I used to make a different cranberry sauce every year, but this has become a staple.

Kathy Baxter's Cranberry Chutney

1 cup orange sections

1/4 cup orange juice

4 cups cranberries

2 cups sugar

1 cup unpeeled, cored chopped apple

1/2 cup raisins

1/2 cup chopped toasted walnuts

1 Tbsp white vinegar (don't leave this out!)

1/2 tsp ginger

1/2 tsp cinnamon

Put all ingredients into a medium to large saucepan. Bring to a boil, then turn down the heat and simmer until the cranberries initiate to burst.

Pie Run

The Pie Run is my favorite way to start Thanksgiving morning. Everyone is welcome to join in. Admission is a pie or some other breakfast treat. We meet at 6 a.m. at the group picnic area in Hart Park (just follow the headlights). John Rous assembles the group (usually about 100 people) and we begin. People run or pace the distance of their choice, some around the park, some toward Lake Ming and some up into the hills. I am convinced that some just take a lap around the heavily-laden table.

We all return to the area for pie, coffee and a warming in front of the bonfire. The sunrise is always gorgeous, the pie delicious and the company congenial. The food is so abundant someone always takes a carload of unopened pies and goodies to share with the Homeless Center after the run is over. I will probably bring these seven-layer bars, which are delicious and gluten-free.

More about winter squashes

I recently made a delicious squash soup. The recipe calls for acorn squash, but I used carnival and butternut squashes, because that is what I had on hand. This recipe calls for bacon, which adds a nice flavor. I buy Niman Ranch bacon from Trader Joe's, because the ranch uses humane practices. Here is the recipe for acorn squash soup with kale.

If you are baking winter squash, consider buying some extra and pureeing it after baking. Squash puree freezes very well, and is handy to make a quick soup.

Food Inc.

My husband and I recently rented the movie "Food Inc." I have read quite a bit about the subject, and still learned some new information. It is a great movie, and I think anyone who eats food should watch it.