Gobble gobble

Happy Thanksgiving everyone. Despite below-freezing temps, we had a great time at the Turkey Trot this morning. More than 10,000 people were registered for the various races, and what SOME (So Others Might Eat) can do with all the money raised, all the people they can feed, well, it feels really good to be a part of it all. I feel unbelievably grateful for all with which I've been blessed, and I feel that giving back, in any small way, is the best way to start a day of thanks. On our drive downtown, we talked about how good it would feel to volunteer in a local shelter on Thanksgiving one year. The boys were really keen on the idea, and I beamed inside and out.

It's a gorgeous day, and we were well-dressed. The cold simply felt crisp, though my toes would disagree. Jack and I decided to run together while T and Ol walked; we finished the mile in 9:40 and cheered the rest of our team on as they came through ten minutes later. Then it was back home for warm baths, hot chocolate and popcorn. The boys are watching Myth Busters while I finish a few things up and -sshh!!- peruse online sales.

It's a cooking miracle

Well, not really, but I did SO much cooking today: pies, pies, pies, a bourbon caramel pumpkin tart, Brussels sprouts galore, many pounds of beets...the list feels like it must go on but for now, the rest escapes me. Here is a terrible picture of the tart, but I know it will be delish.

Wishing you all a Happy Thanksgiving tomorrow. Stay warm, eat well. I'm doing my best to work through and/or ignore any blues!

Are we Europeans? Sunchoke and collard tart; it's frigid

It was so, so ugly in DC today: gray, rainy then icy, windy, cold. The kind of weather that chills you literally to the bone. I exercised, went to the dentist, made two pies and some rice dressing, candied some pecans and pumpkin seeds, found an ophthalmologist, trimmed Brussels sprouts, and.... and was cold most all the time. I wish I'd thought to light a fire this evening, but betwixt and between putting together an Ottolenghi tart and reading stories to the boys, well, it just didn't materialize.

The tart, however, warmed where the fire could not, emerging from the oven like a magnificent, steaming gift. As it did so fully 90 minutes after we usually eat, we felt as if we were dining a la family across the pond and went with it as best our untrained stomachs could. The recipe called for chard but T grabbed a bunch of collards so we went with that too, and they definitely fit the bill. I used Molly Wizenberg's tart crust recipe instead of Yotam's, but other than the collard sub followed the rest of things to a T. It was a scrumptious dinner which paired perfectly with a new Pinot from the Russian River that T discovered.

I've got miles to cook before TG so am heading off to a slumber respite now. Back tomorrow! Hope you're warm!