Giving Thanks

The holiday season kicks into full force this month, commencing with a very special meal on Thursday, November 24. Since Thanksgiving dinner is designed to showcase nature’s bounty, shopping at the farmers’ market makes more sense than ever. It is also a very important way to give thanks to the people who grow the food we eat throughout the year.

Free from the glare of fluorescent lights, and harried hosts pushing cumbersome shopping carts through crowded supermarket aisles, the farmers’ market offers a plentiful selection of pumpkins and other winter squash for soup; a gamut of greens for salads; sweet potatoes to bake; russet potatoes to mash; artisan breads for homemade stuffing; Brussels sprouts, green beans, onions, and plenty of other seasonal veggies for side dishes; apples for pie; and flowers for the table. It’s all right there — in the crisp November air.

A trio of pies traditionally ends the Thanksgiving meal at my house: there’s always pumpkin, apple, and something nutty. Last year I decided to forgo the cloying sweetness of pecan pie and instead spotlight the new crop of locally grown walnuts. How did it go? As the last crumb was devoured, we unanimously agreed there is no reason to ever turn back. The pleasant bite of toasted California walnuts, paired with an optional glug of all-American bourbon, offsets the richness of the filling. (If you prefer to omit the bourbon for any reason, just increase the vanilla to 2 teaspoons.)  This pie is just one more reason to be thankful we ended up living in California.

California Walnut Pie

• Prepared dough for a single-crust pie, chilled
• 2 heaping cups shelled California walnut halves and pieces (about 9 ounces)
• 3 large eggs
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 cup light corn syrup
• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted
• 2 tablespoons bourbon (optional)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Make-Ahead Whipped Cream (recipe follows)

 

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into circle about 13-inches in diameter. Ease the dough into a 9-inch pie pan and form a decorative border as desired. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or until firm.
2. Spread the walnuts on a baking sheet and bake, stirring once or twice, until fragrant and lightly toasted, 7 to 10 minutes. Set aside to cool.
3. Carefully position an oven rack in the lower third of the oven and place a heavy baking sheet on the rack. Increase the oven temperature to 425 degrees.
4. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs until well blended. Press the brown sugar through a sieve into the bowl (to ensure there will be no lumps). Whisk in the corn syrup, melted butter, bourbon, vanilla, and salt until combined.
5. Here is where you make a choice: If you just want a delicious pie and don’t care if it looks a tiny bit homely, coarsely chop all the toasted walnuts now and be done with it. Scatter the nuts over the bottom of the chilled pie shell and skip to Step 7. But if it’s important for you to create a photo-worthy Martha-kind-of-pie, proceed to Step 6.
6. To determine how many walnut halves are needed to decorate the top of the pie, draw a 9-inch circle on a piece of paper; then arrange enough toasted walnut halves in concentric circles to fill it. Gather up these nuts and set aside. Coarsely chop all the remaining walnut halves and pieces and scatter them over the bottom of the chilled pie shell. Arrange the reserved walnut halves over the top decoratively in concentric circles.
7. Carefully pour the filling into the pie shell. If needed, re-position any walnut halves that have floated out of place. Place the pie pan directly on the hot baking sheet in the oven and bake for 15 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees and bake until the filling is puffed around the edges and a knife inserted 1-inch from the center comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes longer. Cool completely on a wire rack. If made in advance, cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 2 days. Serve at room temperature, cut into wedges, with whipped cream. Makes one 9-inch pie, to serve 8 to 12.

On a day like Thanksgiving, any recipe that doesn’t require last-minute fussing in the kitchen always catches my eye—especially when it’s for the end of the meal. By the time I’m ready to serve dessert, I’d rather be holding a wine glass than a hand mixer.

I’ve never been a fan of those artificially flavored whipped toppings that come in a tub or an aerosol can; and I think using them at Thanksgiving should be a crime. But making freshly whipped cream was just one more last-minute thing to add to my “to do” list. For years I’ve tried quick-fixes to stabilize cream so it can be whipped in advance; tricks like adding a bit of nonfat dry milk powder or a touch of unflavored gelatin. I was never overly impressed with the results—until I found this technique in The Food of Campanile: Recipes from the Famed Los Angeles Restaurant. Leave it to renowned chef Nancy Silverton to finally crack the whipped cream code by adding crème fraîche. Brilliant. It’s creamy, rich, and silky—and adds a pleasant yet almost imperceptible tang.

Here are 3 more of my own tips for making perfect whipped cream:

1. Always start with pasteurized heavy cream—not the ultra-pasteurized stuff a lot of supermarkets try to pass off as the real thing. The latter may have a much longer shelf-life (which is why grocers love it), but it takes forever to whip, and ends up tasting vaguely of plastic. Go figure.
2. If you have room in the refrigerator or freezer, by all means chill the mixing bowl and the beater(s) for at least 10 minutes before you begin. When everything is cold, the whipping process is significantly easier.
3. Always use pure vanilla extract. Anything less is a travesty.

 

Make-Ahead Whipped Cream

• 1 cup heavy whipping cream, well chilled
• 1 or 2 tablespoons confectioner’s (powdered) sugar, to taste
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup crème fraîche or sour cream

In a large bowl, beat together the cream, sugar, and vanilla with a hand-held electric mixer on Low speed until slightly thickened. Increase the speed to Medium-High and beat until fluffy, stopping just before the cream is firm enough to hold soft peaks. Finish whipping the cream by hand, gently whisking in the crème fraîche. Cover and refrigerate for up to 1 day. Just before serving, whisk again briefly to aerate the mixture.

 

The Danville Certified Farmers’ Market, located at Railroad and Prospect, is open every Saturday, rain or shine, from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. For specific crop information call the Pacific Coast Farmers’ Market Association at 1-800-949-FARM or visit their web site at www.pcfma.com.