Skip the Store – From Your Garden to Thanksgiving Feast

Everyone has a reason to be thankful. This Thanksgiving, give thanks to all the blessings you have, including a plentiful garden. Bold, bright, and delicious produce is at your fingertips, including flavorful cabbages, radishes, onions, turnips, carrots, collards, spinach, and much more. Make your Thanksgiving meal a little more special by incorporating these fresh veggies into your appetizers, main dishes, and sides. Give these vibrant, seasonal dishes a try:

Mashed Sweet Potatoes

Take a break from your standard mashed potatoes and try a recipe that’s a little sweeter this Thanksgiving. Mashed sweet potatoes have a buttery, honey-like flavor and super smooth texture.

For this recipe, you’ll need:

• 6 peeled and cubed sweet potatoes
• ¾ cup milk
• ¾ cup maple syrup
• ½ cup butter

Bring a large pot of water to boil, add potatoes and cook until tender, or about 20 to 30 minutes. Strain the cooked potatoes and blend with an electric mixer in a bowl. Gradually add the milk, maple syrup, and honey, and continue mixing until smooth. Serve warm.

Honey-Roasted Root Vegetables

Honey-glazed roasted root vegetables are the perfect addition to any Thanksgiving feast. Best of all, you can use a wide variety of fresh veggies from your garden to create a large platter of root vegetables that are packed with flavor.

For this recipe, you’ll need:

• 1 ½ cups peeled and sliced parsnips
• 1 ½ cups peeled and sliced carrots
• 1 ½ cups peeled and sliced golden beets
• 1 ½ cups peeled and quartered celery root
• ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
• ½ cup honey

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Toss the prepared root vegetables with the extra-virgin olive oil and honey. Optional: season with salt and pepper. Lay the veggies on a baking tray, cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes. Remove foil and roast for an additional 10 minutes or until glazed. Serve immediately.

Green Beans with Cipollini and Chanterelles

This complex dish is easy to make and is extremely tasty. Add new flavors to your Thanksgiving meal this year when you pair chanterelle mushrooms with cipollini onions for a healthy, delicious side dish.

For this recipe, you’ll need:

• 4 cups trimmed green beans
• 2 cups peeled and halved cipollini onions
• 1 cup cleaned and quartered chanterelle mushrooms
• 1/3 cup minced shallots
• 1/3 cup vegetable broth
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 4 tablespoons olive oil

Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add onions and cook until golden brown on each side. Bring a separate pot of water to boil and cook beans until tender, or about 7 to 10 minutes. Drain and add 2 tablespoons butter. Heat remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in a frying pan over high heat. Cook mushrooms until crisp and brown, or about 10 minutes. Add 4 tablespoons butter, shallots and broth and bring to a simmer. Put beans onto a large platter and pour mushroom and onion mixture over it.

Candied Yams with Apples

Finish off your Thanksgiving meal with a treat that’s a little sweet. Honey-glazed yams are a holiday staple and taste even better when combined with apples and nutmeg.

For this recipe, you’ll need:

• 6 cups peeled and cubed yams
• 2 cups peeled and cubed green apples
• 2 medium onions cut into wedges
• ¼ cup honey
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Combine all ingredients in large bowl then transfer to a baking dish. Cook until yams are tender or for about 1 hour. Increase oven temperature to 500 degrees and bake until yams are browned, or an additional 10 to 15 minutes. Serve while warmed.