Year after year, turkey steals the show — it’s the centerpiece of Norman Rockwellian
scenes all over the country. But let’s turn our attention to the side dishes. Hopefully, the farm-to-table movement has people wondering where the sweet potatoes came from, and who grew the squash. Harvest Wine Bar in Greenwich, CT, is among an increasing number of eateries that puts this information right on the menu, letting you know the names and locations of the farms they work with. Best of all, home cooks canshop there, too. We asked Harvest’s Chef Gustave Christman (who grew up working on farms in Vermont) to share a few of his favorite, fresh recipes to help you celebrate a farm-to-your-table Thanksgiving.
Mustard-Crusted Pork Crown Roast with Apple Sage Stuffing
Serves 6 to 8
For the Stuffing:
4 baguettes diced into ¼-inch squares, dried in 200°F oven until hard
2 white onions, diced
3 large carrots, diced
1 small head celery, diced
8 apples (Granny Smith if you like tart, or a sweet red apple if you don’t) peeled and diced into small pieces
1 bunch sage, chopped
1 head garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon thyme
1 pound butter
1 to 1½ gallons chicken stock (or more to attain desired consistency)
For the Pork Loin:
Pork loin with rack attached for 6 to 8 people (around 9 to 12 pounds, ask your butcher)
Your favorite mustard for coating (I prefer whole grain)
Salt and pepper for seasoning
Garnish as desired
To Make the Stuffing:
1. Melt butter in a large pot, and sauté onions, carrots and celery until soft. Add apples and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, then add garlic, thyme and chicken stock and bring to a boil.
2. Add dried bread and remove from heat, stirring constantly until all the dried bread is moist. (You may need to add more stock to achieve desired consistency.)
3. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
To Make The Pork loin:
1. Place loin on large roasting pan lined with foil. This will make it easier to transfer to a cutting board or serving tray later.
2. With bones pointing up, arrange loin into a circle, tie the first and last bones together to form the shape of a king’s crown.
3. Rub outside with mustard, season with salt and pepper.
4. Fill middle of crown with the stuffing, top with a few pieces of diced butter to keep stuffing moist. Cook in 250°F oven, rotating every 20 minutes until the internal temperature of the pork is 165°F. Let rest for 10 minutes. Slice and serve.
Applesauce
Serves 6 to 8
8 apples (Granny Smith if you like tart, or a sweet red apple if you don’t. I like to mix half of each.)
¼ pound butter
1 white onion, diced
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Dash of clove
Dash of allspice
Dash of nutmeg
1 cup chicken stock
Salt and pepper
1 cup sugar to taste
Golden raisins (optional)
Garnish as desired
1. In saucepan on medium heat, add butter and onions and cook until golden brown to enhance sugars in onion.
2. Add apples, spices and chicken stock and cook until soft, season with salt and pepper. You may need a little sugar depending on the apples used.
3. Serve it chunky, or smooth in food processor, at room temperature or hotter. Can be made 3 to 5 days ahead.
Roasted Spaghetti Squash
Serves 6 to 8
4 spaghetti squash, split in half with seeds removed
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 to 2 cups water, as needed
Salt and pepper
2 to 3 ounces butter, as needed
Optional: chopped garlic, shallots, thyme, rosemary or truffle oil
1. Place split, seeded squash cut-side up on a baking sheet, brush with oil. Season with salt and pepper, place about ½ cup water in center of pan to retain moisture and cook in a 350°F oven for 35 to 45 minutes or until soft to touch. Cool to room temperature.
2. Use a fork to gently scrape out squash from the shell, it will come out in strands like spaghetti.
3. Melt butter in pan and reheat squash, sauté until warm. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Seared Brussels Sprouts and Crispy Bacon
Serves 6 to 8
2 pounds Brussels sprouts, cut in half
1 pound bacon, diced
6 cloves garlic, chopped fine
2 shallots, chopped fine
Juice of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons chopped parsley (or 1 tablespoon chopped thyme, depending on preferred taste)
1 cup chicken stock
1. In a skillet, render bacon until almost crispy. Drain fat in bowl and set it and bacon aside.
2. Cool the same skillet and add Brussels sprouts cut-side down. Cook on medium heat until golden brown. Remove from heat, flip them over, place back on heat.
3. Add garlic, shallots and bacon fat. Cook for two minutes on medium heat. Add bacon and cook until fork tender.
4. Add 1 cup chicken stock, herbs and lemon juice. Remove from heat and serve.
Sweet Potato Mash
Serves 6 to 8
6 sweet potatoes, peeled and quartered
½ pound unsalted butter
1 cup heavy cream
Salt and pepper to taste
1. Put peeled and cut sweet potatoes in pot and cover with water. Cook
until soft.
2. Drain water and add diced butter, heavy cream, salt and pepper and mash to desired consistency.
GO THERE: Harvest Wine Bar, 372 Greenwich Ave., Greenwich, CT, 203-869-4080, harvestwinebar.com
