This year Springpad wants to help you with your Thanksgiving meal planning and give you and a blogger a chance to win a little cash. Check out their Happy Springsgiving contest and pick your favorite Thanksgiving dishes from seven different menus selected by food bloggers, including yours truly. Vote for your favorites by springing your favorite recipe(s) to your Springpad account. The blogger whose menu gets the most total springs (votes) will win $500 and one lucky voter will be randomly selected to win $100. And of course I hope that one of my readers wins!

The other bloggers who entered the contest:

Back to the Cutting Board

Biscuits and Such

Coconut & Lime

Daily Unadventures in Cooking

Food Tastes Yummy

Healthy. Delicious.

Here’s my contest menu with a small family in mind:

Carrot Ginger Soup

Slow-Cooker Turkey Breast and Gravy

Brown Butter Green Beans with Almonds

Roasted Butternut Squash Puree with Ginger

Cranberry Orange Upside Down Cake with Grand Marnier Whipped Cream

I hope you have fun with the contest!

Thanks for reading Andrea’s Recipes through a feed! Copyright © 2005-2009 Andrea’s Recipes.

We did it. I can’t believe it’s true, but we planted two pecan trees in our yard. We spotted them at Lowe’s in late September and selected a Sumner Pecan and a Stuart Pecan. We are slightly north of the growing zone for the Sumner, but our area has mild winters so it should do well. Pecan trees need another variety nearby to produce, and we planted these within 30 feet of each other. They got a little dry at one point and we were worried we might lose them, but it looks like they have taken to their new home. They don’t look like much right now, just a couple sticks about five feet (152 cm) tall since they lost their leaves, but they are full of promise, I can feel it. We have hopeful visions of harvesting pounds and pounds of pecans in about eight years. Yes it will be a long wait, but if the trees produce then my dream to grow our own pecans will be fulfilled.

And what better use for pecans than to make a pecan pie? Pecan pie is a favorite on my side of the family—we are Southerners, after all—and you can always find at our Thanksgiving and Christmas celebrations. I’ve tasted plenty of pecan pie over the years, and this recipe with bourbon and chocolate is still my favorite. This year we tried it with a whole wheat crust and loved the combination. Pecan pie is a bit hearty anyway, and the crust really seemed to match the pie well. This will be our go-to crust for pecan pie from now on.

For Thanksgiving preparations, you can make this up to a day ahead and save yourself a little work on the big day.

BOURBON CHOCOLATE PECAN PIE WITH WHOLE WHEAT CRUST

Makes 1 (9-inch) pie.

Equipment

9-inch pie pan
baking sheet
medium bowl

Ingredients

1 recipe whole wheat pie dough
3/4 cup (75 g) chopped pecans
50 pecan halves
3/4 cup (131 g) semisweet chocolate chips
3 eggs, beaten
1/3 cup (58 g) granulated sugar
1/3 cup (36 g) dark brown sugar
1/3 cup (80 ml) golden syrup or dark corn syrup
2 tablespoons bourbon
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 325° F/165° C. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and allow to rest about 15 to 30 minutes, until it has warmed up and is easy to roll.

2. Roll the dough into a 12-inch circle, then place it in the pie pan. Carefully press it into place and crimp the edge. Put the pie back in the refrigerator while you prep the rest of the ingredients, about 15 minutes. You want the dough to chill a bit before baking so it doesn’t shrink up in the oven.

3. Roast the pecan halves and bits on a baking sheet for about 5 minutes. Remove and cool.

4. Sprinkle the chocolate chips in the bottom, then add the chopped pecans, and finally arrange the pecan halves on top.

5. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, granulated sugar, brown sugar, golden syrup, bourbon, vanilla, and salt. Pour the filling over the pecans, making sure all of the pecans are coated in the mixture.

6. Bake for about 45 minutes, until the filling is set and the crust is deep golden brown. Remove from the oven and cool in the pan for at least 30 minutes before serving.

Variations

You can also use a traditional white flour pie crust.

You can also use coffee liqueur (i.e. Kahlua) instead of bourbon.

More Thanksgiving Day Treats

More Pecan Recipes From Around the Blogs

Farmgirl Fare – Spicy Pecan Muffins

The Well-Seasoned Cook – Quick Pecan Salad

101 Cookbooks – Toasted Pecan Toffee

Closet Cooking – Brussel Sprouts with Bacon, Cranberries, and Pecans

[The Green Valley Pecan Company Pecan Store sent me a small sample of pecans, but I was under no obligation to mention their product. I used them in this pie and thought they tasted very good and fresh.]

Thanks for reading Andrea’s Recipes through a feed! Copyright © 2005-2009 Andrea’s Recipes.

We brought in about 20 pounds of tomatillos, about 5 pounds of green tomatoes, and about 20 peppers, including a plethora of poblanos.

The white habanero plant finally kicked in last month and we have a bunch of tiny yellow and white habanero peppers which managed to survive the frost. The chiles start out green, turn yellow, then finally white.

Michael cleaned out the plants and we gathered all the tomato and pepper cages from the three beds. They look so empty now.

The blueberry bushes have turned red and are dropping their leaves. We had a small crop this year, not bad for the first year, and we look forward to seeing the leaves return in the spring and perhaps a few more blueberries next year.

The chards were overtaken by the monster turnip (far end), which we finally dug up. The scallions (left) have continued to thrive in the cool weather, and we are digging up the last of the summer lettuces and waiting for the winter crop to sprout. We have some cold frames we’ll put over the lettuces to keep them going through the winter.

We harvested the ginger which had been growing in a pot on the deck all summer (photo taken in July).

We only planted two small nubs of ginger and were pleased with the amount we got in return. Since the experiment was a success we will grow more ginger in pots next year.

With the cool Autumn season our garden is still producing. The cilantro is happily sprouting in both the beds and the pots and giving us flavorful leaves, and the sage, mint, thyme, and parsley will continue throughout the winter.

The garlic crop was a great success and we planted more this year. Last year we planted about 20 cloves, this year 80. Raised bed #4 (below) has 60 cloves planted around the perimeter and we put the other 20 in raised bed #1 after adding more compost and soil and raising up the herbs. We got the garlic in the ground a little later due to the sudden attack of winter—they need to be planted in mid October to early November—but they should sprout soon.

We are much further along than this time last year. The beds are in place and we have cold frames and floating row covers all set to go, so hopefully we’ll be able to keep some winter lettuces and other things going until spring. And in the meantime, we’ll start planning for the next summer garden.

In December 2008 our family hosted our first Drop In & Decorate event in our home. We opened our house up to friends and neighbors, anyone who wanted to drop by and make one cookie or several cookies to donate to families in need during the holiday season. Our local moms group helped 17 families with food, clothing, and toys, and the cookie decorators made a dozen cookies for each family. We had a wonderful time and hopefully made life a little more special for others with the gift of homemade cookies, and we plan to do it again this year.

Drop In & Decorate is a tax-exempt nonprofit organization founded by my friend food writer Lydia Walshin of The Perfect Pantry. The idea behind Drop In & Decorate is simple: bake some cookies; gather a group of family, friends, neighbors, co-workers, your worship group or book group to decorate the cookies together; donate the cookies to a nonprofit agency serving basic human needs in your own community.

It’s a simple idea in a complicated world, and something anyone can do. If you’d like to host your own Drop In & Decorate® event, Pillsbury and Wilton would like to help.

Pillsbury has donated 50 VIP coupons, worth $3.00 each, off any Pillsbury product—including sugar cookie mix and icing—to be distributed, first come, first served, while supply lasts, to anyone who plans to host a Drop In & Decorate event (maximum 5 coupons per person). And we’ll include a Comfort Grip cookie cutter, donated by Wilton, to people who plan to host cookies-for-donation events.

Write to lydia AT ninecooks DOT com for more information on how to get your free coupons and cookie cutters. You can find a free guide with everything you need to know to host your own cookie decorating party at http://www.dropinanddecorate.org/.

Thanks for reading Andrea’s Recipes through a feed! Copyright © 2005-2009 Andrea’s Recipes.

We discovered the persimmon tree in September when we noticed the golden orbs hanging from the branches. We hadn’t paid attention to the tree before because it was in a relatively inaccessible area behind our house and we had no idea what it was or what if anything it would produce, it had not set fruit until this year. When we found the fruit, we realized it was American persimmon (aka common persimmon and Eastern persimmon), which is a berry in botanic terms. The fruit is small, ranging 1 to 1-1/2 inches (2.5 to 4 cm) in diameter and very sweet when ripe.

Persimmons are autumn fruits that can hang on even after frost, and you can wait until after frost to gather them to ensure they are fully ripe. The leaves start to droop and fall off the tree as the fruit ripens. The persimmons should be very soft and even a little wrinkled before eating, otherwise they’ll have a chalky taste. If the fruit starts to drop when you shake the tree, they are pretty much ready.

The tree we found is in a wild, untamed area surrounded by thistles, climbing vines, and poison ivy, and we also had to watch for snakes as we carefully made our way to it. There are actually three persimmon trees back there, all about the same size and one without fruit so it’s probably the male tree. Persimmon trees are either male or female and the female trees bear fruit. Unlike some fruit trees, persimmon seeds produce trees that are true to the mother tree and the trees grow wild and prolifically.

The birds were already picking at the fruit near the top of the tree, so we knew it was time to gather persimmons.

They taste sweet, almost like honey, and the flavor came through in this spiced cake. Except for the time it takes to press the persimmons, the cake is relatively easy to make. The thin lemon glaze is optional, Michael doesn’t care for it but I like the bright flavor and bit of crunch it adds. You can use other types of persimmons, such as Hachiya or Fuyu for this cake, but since those are larger you will use fewer fruits to get the same amount of puree.

SPICED PERSIMMON CAKE WITH DATES AND LEMON GLAZE

Makes 1 large Bundt cake.

Equipment

2-quart bowl
medium mesh strainer
heavy spatula
stand mixer with paddle attachment
12-cup Bundt pan, greased and floured
fine mesh strainer
small bowl

Ingredients

PERSIMMON PUREE
1-1/2 to 2 pounds common persimmons, less if you use Hachiya or Fuyu persimmons (enough to make 2 cups of puree)

CAKE
2 sticks (1/2 pound/227 g) unsalted butter
2 cups (350 g) granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 cups (240 ml) persimmon puree
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups (240 g) unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 cup (125 g) chopped dates or golden raisins

GLAZE
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 cup powdered sugar, sifted

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 325° F/165° C. Set rack in the middle of the oven.

2. PERSIMMON PUREE: Rinse the persimmons and remove the brown or green calyx. Place the strainer over the 2-quart bowl. One at a time, place a persimmon in the strainer and press down hard with the spatula. Press and move the spatula around, forcing the pulp through the mesh. Remove the seeds and skin and continue with the remaining persimmons. (Note: This can take a while when using small persimmons, so plan for it.)

3. In the bowl of the stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar until it it light and fluffy.

4. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well each time. Add the persimmon puree and vanilla extract, and mix well.

5. In the medium bowl, sift together the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, and baking soda. Add to the butter mixture and stir gently, tossing in the chopped dates. Do not overmix.

6. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 60 to 75 minutes, checking every 5 minutes after 1 hour has passed. When a tester comes out dry with just a few crumbs clinging, remove the pan from the oven. If the tester has no crumbs the cake will be dry.

7. Cool the cake in the pan for 15 minutes, then turn the cake out onto a wire rack and cool completely.

8. MAKE THE GLAZE: While the cake is cooling, whisk together the the powdered sugar and lemon juice until the glaze is smooth.

9. Pour the glaze over the cake while warm. Allow to cool completely, then slice and serve.

References

Wikipedia – American persimmon

Virginia Tech Department of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservations (Common Persimmon)

Wikipedia – Persimmon

More Autumn Recipes

More Persimmon Recipes From Around the Blogs

Pinch My Salt – Persimmon Cookies

David Lebovitz – James Beard’s Amazing Persimmon Bread Recipe

Simply Recipes – Persimmon Pomegranate Fruit Salad

White on Rice Couple – Poached Persimmons in Rum & Mascarpone Coconut Cream

Thanks for reading Andrea’s Recipes through a feed! Copyright © 2005-2009 Andrea’s Recipes.

One of my fondest food memories is of the tiny round potatoes known as papas criollas from Colombia. The Colombian papas criollas grow wild in the Andes highlands and have a thin, tender skin and a buttery yellow interior that yields an amazing flavor. They are a favorite for soups such as Ajiaco or served as appetizers or sides either roasted, fried, mashed, boiled, or skewered and grilled. Here in the United States you can buy them frozen in some stores or in jars from various online grocers (see Where to Buy below). I have searched for years but still have not found frozen, canned, or fresh papas criollas in any of our local Hispanic or international grocery stores.

If you’ve ever had a memory of food so strong that you still dream of it 15 years later, you’ll understand my excitement when I spotted tiny yellow potatoes in Trader Joe’s last week. Small potatoes have been in vogue for a few years, but the little yellow Dutch creamers in our area stores are bigger than papas criollas and I’ve never been quite happy with them. When I saw these petite gems my heart went pitter patter and I jumped with glee and clapped. In Trader Joe’s. Yes, people stared.

These tasty little potatoes are only 1-inch in diameter, a perfect bite size. Michael was thrilled that I found them and assumed I was going to make Ajiaco, but I shocked him when I announced that I planned to fry these. I don’t like to fry, it always makes a big splattery mess leaving me with a big cleanup, but the memory of crispy fried papas is burned in my brain and I wanted to share that experience with my family without buying plane tickets to Bogotá.

My next step is to test the papas in Ajiaco. If they are a true match, they will break up and dissolve into the soup, and then I will set up some space to grow my own papas criollas. What a dream come true.

Just for fun: If you want to experience papas criollas the way I first did years ago, listen to Clasicos de la Provincia by Carlos Vives while eating. For something instrumental, The Rumba Foundation by Jesse Cook offers some great Colombian-inspired sounds that will give you rumba fever.

FRIED PAPAS CRIOLLAS

Makes 1 pound, serves 2 to 4.

Equipment

steamer basket
large heavy bottom pot with lid
cast iron pot or frying appliance
splatter screen
plate or platter lined with paper towels

Ingredients

1 pound (~450 g) papas criollas or similar tiny yellow potato (about 1-inch in diameter)
cooking oil (I use canola.)
sea salt

Preparation

1. STEAM OR PARBOIL: Pour water into bottom of large pot and insert the steamer basket. Add the potatoes, cover, and bring to a boil. Steam the potatoes for about 4 to 5 minutes, then drain and pat dry. If you don’t have a steamer basket, you can parboil the potatoes. Add enough water to cover the potatoes, bring to a boil, and cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Drain and dry.

2. FRY: While cooking the potatoes, add oil to the cast iron pot or frying appliance. There should be enough oil for the potatoes to float, but it doesn’t need to be very deep. Add potatoes, about 10 to 15 at a time. They will probably bubble and splatter, so keep a screen handy. Some of the potato skins may burst open, and that’s ok, the skin will be particularly crispy. Fry for about 2 to 3 minutes, then remove and drain well on the plate lined with paper towels. Allow to cool for a minute or two. Salt generously and serve.

Where to Buy Canned Papas Criollas

Hatogrande

Amigo Foods

More Colombian Recipes

More Bloggers with Authentic Colombian Recipes

Nikas Culinaria

My Colombian Recipes

Thanks for reading Andrea’s Recipes through a feed! Copyright © 2005-2009 Andrea’s Recipes.

This dish is the main reason we grow Thai basil in our herb garden. We’ve grown many kinds of basil over the years and seem to have settled into a routine of Genovese, Lemon (Sweet Dani or similar), and Thai (Sweet Thai or Queen of Siam) basil because they cover the spectrum of our uses. The Sweet Thai variety we grew this year produces plants with purple stems and gorgeous purple flowers. Like most basils, the flowers are also edible and add a punch of anise flavor to Asian dishes. Our basils will last a few more weeks, then it will be time for the final harvest of the season and a marathon session making pesto (basic and sun-dried) and basil ice cubes.

The peppers, basil, and garlic all came from our garden. You might wonder why the peppers are dark in this photo but green in the finished dish. These dark peppers are called Purple Beauty, and as you can see they ripen a deep purple, almost black. The inside remains green and when cooked the skin looses its lush color and turns back to green. The substance that causes that deep purple color, anthocyanin, is a powerful antioxidant that is also water soluble, hence the change in color when cooked. None of our red peppers were ripe when we made this dish recently, so we used the Purple Beauty, but they definitely provide greater health benefits when eaten raw.

When making this dish for people who enjoy some heat, go for the full amount of hot peppers. This meal has to feed all the eaters in our home, including the little guys, so I hold off on the hot chiles, just adding a few slices with some seeds to the wok. Michael sets his mouth on fire by adding a whole sliced chile (or two) with the seeds to his bowl.

I’ve adjusted the method for making this dish by starting with a cold wok and adding the garlic and chiles to the cold oil. This allows the flavor to release as the oil heats and prevents the garlic and chiles from burning. Thanks to Jaden for sharing this technique!

This is my contribution to Grow Your Own, the blogging event that celebrates dishes we create from foods we’ve grown, raised, foraged, or hunted ourselves. Dido of Mowgli Chic is our host for this round, so be sure to visit her blog for more information about submitting your post. If you are new to the event, you can read more about the rules for participating at the Grow Your Own page.

Also, be sure to check out the most recent Grow Your Own roundup at Masala Heaven, which was hosted by Praveen.

THAI BASIL CHICKEN (KAI KRAPHAO)

Adapted from Simply Thai Cooking, by Wandee Young and Byron Ayanoglu.

Makes about 4 servings.

Equipment

wok

Ingredients

10 ounces chicken breast, boneless and skinless
1/2 medium bell pepper (green or red), cut into 1/2-inch squares
5 tablespoons canola oil
1 teaspoon chopped garlic
6 fresh hot chiles, roughly chopped (adjust to your heat tolerance)
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
2 tablespoons water
20 whole leaves fresh Thai basil
1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon cold water

SERVE WITH
steamed jasmine rice

Preparation

1. Slice the chicken breast into thin strips, 1/4-inch (5 mm) thick by 2 inches (5 cm) long and about 1 inch (2.5 cm) wide. To achieve very thin slices, put the chicken breasts into the freezer for about 20 minutes to harden slightly, then slice. Set aside.

2. Pour oil into the cold wok and add the garlic and chiles. Cook over high heat until the aromas start to release. Add the sliced chicken and stir-fry for about 2 minutes.

3. Add the fish sauce, sugar, and soy sauce and stir-fry for another minute. Add the oyster sauce and 2 tablespoons of water and cook for 30 seconds.

4. Add the peppers and 16 of the basil leaves and stir-fry for 2 minutes, until the peppers start to soften.

5. Dissolve the cornstarch in 1 tablespoon of cold water, add to the wok, and stir-fry for 1 minute, until the sauce thickens.

6. Remove from heat and transfer to a serving dish. Garnish with the remaining basil leaves and serve immediately with steamed jasmine rice.

Other Recipes With Basil

More Thai Basil Recipes From Around the Blogs

Kalyn’s Kitchen – Spicy Cucumber Salad with Thai Basil and Sesame Seeds

What’s for Lunch Honey? – Parmesan Thai Basil Crusted Chicken

Rasa Malaysia – Steamed Mussels with Lemongrass, Thai Basil, Chilies, and Coconut Juice

Viet World Kitchen – Vegan Green Papaya Salad with Thai Basil

Thanks for reading Andrea’s Recipes through a feed! Copyright © 2005-2009 Andrea’s Recipes.