It’s Thanksgiving week! It feels a little different to most of us this year – we’re probably cooking for less people, which seems like the perfect time to try a new recipe. I love to make fried chicken for Thanksgiving – there are always lots of fresh pastured chickens available this time of year, and fried chicken is something I love to eat but don’t treat myself to very often (gross chicken, or too lazy to make my own). But if I’m invited somewhere else and I’m making a dish – and this one works for American thanksgiving too because it’s full of vegetables that are still good in November – I love to make this shaved celeriac & fennel salad full of Italian parsley, lemon & parmesan. It’s super bright and flavorful – a great foil for all the rich turkey dinner foods, crunchy and unusual, but also doesn’t take up too much space on the plate (real estate is at a premium).What I’m cooking these days….lots of curries with chickpeas, squash & Swiss chard, ginger & garlic. And also so much soup! The temps and the rain make the warm kitchen a perfectly tempting place to be and right now there are so many crops to use – end of the season tomatoes that seem boring now, but in a few weeks and months will seem like the most flavorful gems, imperfect squash that won’t keep, potatoes with a few too many nibbles to sell, too many green beans to sell for the week, pears that Martha won’t sell because they’ve taken 15 years to finally produce good fruit and somehow they’re more precious than money, but also all ripe and headed to over ripe in the cooler. It’s also luxurious to have so many varieties – and the varieties that I think are the most delicious – to choose from, without sweating the food cost like one normally would in a kitchen. I’m using the waste! But also a soup that has 3 different squash, with each their own flavor profile and texture – adds depth and layers of flavor. Most of the soups I make are free of dairy and gluten and meat because we have a lot of vegetables and they’re delicious. However, there is a Pork & Six Bean Soup that is smoky and rich and delicious, featuring fall green beans and all the dry beans. Don’t be afraid to use the soup as a canvas – if you have thanksgiving leftovers, throw some cooked chopped turkey in the Curried Squash & Pear Soup, or add a can of black beans and some chopped cilantro to the Roasted Tomato & Rice Soup – it also wouldn’t be opposed to some cheese or sour cream dolloped on top.I’m so thankful – for the land that provides, for my family’s love and support, and for all of you. Nothing like a little pandemic to make you realize how special it is to see the same faces week after week, even outside, for a moment. Thanks so much – have a great thanksgiving. Ellen