We’re hosting Thanksgiving this year for the first time. It was decided just a few days ago and I’m so excited! (Here’s why Thanksgiving is one of my favourite holidays, even as a Brit.) I thought I’d share what we’re thinking of serving. Please share in the comments what you’re making – or looking forward to eating – so we can all be inspired and share ideas!

Turkey
Cranberry sauce with orange zest and fresh nutmeg
Classic stuffing (though this cornbread sausage stuffing looks delicious)
Gravy
Perfect roast potatoes
Mashed maple sweet potatoes
Roasted carrots
Green beans with almonds and thyme
Warm bread rolls

Pumpkin pie
Fruit cobbler
Chocolate pecan pie

P.S. My First Thanksgiving and other thanksgiving side dish ideas.

Top image by Katie Quinn Davies / What Katie Ate
Bottom image by Erin Jang / The Indigo Bunting

We decided this year that we would sign up for a CSA with Waxwing Farm in Webster, MN. For the uninitiated, “CSA” stands for “Community Supported Agriculture” and is a way to buy local, seasonal food directly from a farmer, with no middle man involved. Farms offer a certain number of “shares” which usually consists of a box of vegetables, delivered weekly or bi-weekly. Many farms also offer dairy, meat, and flowers in their shares as well, if they’re available.

It’s an amazing way to learn about what’s really in season at what point in the year, and to eat incredibly fresh food. One of my favourite things has been getting exposed to new vegetables and therefore new ways of cooking because of an item popping up in our box that I’ve never used before. This happened with kohlrabi and tomatillos this season.

The other great thing about a CSA is that you develop a relationship with the farmer who grows your food and learn a TON about how it’s grown. Anna and Pete, who run Waxwing, kept us in the loop throughout the season with news on what was growing, what was struggling and everything in between.

We had to witness them and their crops suffer devastating floods in June which affected our boxes later in the summer. Understanding what weather patterns were contributing to the contents of our box, really helped me to appreciate the food we were eating.

And finally, the ultimate bonus was getting to visit the farm this weekend for a harvest party and potluck. Meeting and chatting with Anna and Pete in person, walking through their fields, and being invited into their home really made the whole the experience of being part of a CSA share feel special.

There was a warm feeling of community between all the CSA share-owners and that was deepened by us sharing food we’d made for each other to enjoy.

If you’re interested, you can check out Waxwing Farm’s share options here. Needless to say, I highly recommend their CSA!

Have you done a CSA share before? I’d love to hear about your experiences!

Dan and I just spent a long weekend in Seattle, eating our way through some amazing places. We had recommendations for so many spots and got to explore Ballard, Fremont, and Capitol Hill as we ate our way through them all. It was a treat and a half.

I’ve visited before and ate at the wonderful Sitka & Spruce which I was sad to miss on this trip. Instead, we ate the best chocolate croissants we’ve ever had at Cafe Besalu (and some damn good quiche to boot); had a gut-busting breakfast at the awesome Skillet Diner (order The Little Rob); stumbled upon what we later learned was a Seattle institution (the $1.50 burger, fries, and perfect strawberry milkshake were totally of another era and tasted AMAZING); and finally, on our last night we found great sushi and sashimi at Umi Sake House (it was sushi or bust by that point, I tell you).

Now that I’m back and the weather is promising to start changing, I’m looking forward to cooking again. It’s been a summer of little kitchen action (and hence, little blogging action). I’ve missed this space and I hope to be back soon.

P.S. More pictures of non-food stuff over here, if you’re interested.