Happy Thanksgiving!

Brown Butter Kale

The day before Thanksgiving, the last thing we want is a complicated recipe. Here's a simple, yet delicious recipe from Tom Douglas that includes one of the Puget Sound region's best growing (and extraordinarily healthy) vegetables: kale.

Ingredients:
2½ pounds kale
8 tablespoons (equals 1 stick) unsalted butter
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Lemon wedges

Method:
1. Stem and wash the kale, shaking off excess water. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the kale until tender, about 5 to 10 minutes. Drain the kale in a large colander, then let cold water run over it until it is cool enough to handle. Using your hands, squeeze most of the water out. It does not need to be squeezed completely dry. Then roughly chop the kale.
2. Melt the butter in a very large sauté pan (or divide between 2 pans, if you don’t have a large enough pan) over medium-high heat. Allow the butter to bubble and turn golden brown, with a toasted fragrance. Watch carefully- this will only take a few minutes.
3. Add the kale to the pan and stir it around until it’s mixed with the butter and warmed through. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and remove from the heat. Pile on a platter and garnish with lemon wedges to squeeze over.

Note: You can blanch, squeeze, and chop the kale a few days ahead. Store in the refrigerator, covered with plastic wrap.

Pear and Celeriac Soup with Frizzled Leeks

Here's an interesting and delicious recipe that pairs two classic fall flavors from Chef Seth Caswell. NOTE: The "frizzled" leeks make any dish taste better.

Serves 6

Ingredients:
2 lbs celeriac, peeled and roughly chopped into large pieces
2 ea leeks, some greens removed and chopped
1 lb Bartlett or D’anjou pears, peeled, cored, and chopped
2 Tbsp butter, unsalted
1 Tbsp kosher salt
½ tsp white pepper, freshly ground
1 qt vegetable stock
1 Tbsp heavy cream

2 cups grapeseed oil
2 ea leeks, julienned whites
tt kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method:

“Frizzle” the Leeks:
Heat the grapeseed oil to 375°. In small batches drop the shredded leeks into the hot oil. Stir for fifteen seconds and remove leeks with slotted spoon and transfer to paper towels to drain. Immediately sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper.

Make the Soup:
Melt butter in heavy-bottomed sauce pan with high sides. Add leeks and stir over low heat for five minutes until the leeks are softened. Add celeriac and hot vegetable stock. Bring to a boil and simmer for twenty minutes. Add pears for final four minutes. When celeriac and pears are mushy, transfer everything to a blender and carefully puree for two minutes. Add cream, salt and white pepper to taste.

Assemble:
Ladle 6 oz of hot soup into a bowl. Gather a pile of frizzled leeks and place in center of soup. Enjoy!

Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels takes the pledge!

On a sunny Saturday, November 15th, Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels took the Eat Local for Thanksgiving pledge at the University District Farmers Market.

Here are some great photos submitted by Neighborhood Farmers Market Alliance Executive Director Chris Curtis:

Chef Demo this Sunday at Ballard Farmers Market

Hey!

Join us this Sunday at the Ballard Farmers Market to watch Peter Birk from Ray's Boathouse cook up some delicious farm-to-table options for your Thanksgiving feast.

What: Chef Demo with Peter Birk, Ray's Boathouse
Where: Ballard Farmers Market
When: Sunday, November 23rd @ 12pm

Here are some photos from last week's chef demo, starring Dustin Ronspies, from Art of the Table. Check out this morning's review of his restaurant.