• 1 yellow onion, sliced thinly
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil, or butter
• 2 cups parsnips, chopped
• 10 oz. mushrooms, chopped • 3 cloves garlic, minced • 1⁄4 cup nutritional yeast • 1 1⁄2 cups water • 1 1⁄2 teaspoons fine sea salt • 1 lb. fresh green beans
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Melt a pat of coconut oil, or butter, in a large skillet and add the sliced onions. Saute gently over medium-low heat for about 45 minutes, stirring occasionally until caramelized. Use a splash of water, as needed, to prevent sticking. Once the onions are tender and golden in color, remove from heat and set aside in a bowl for later.
2. While the onions are cooking, you’ll have plenty of time to steam the parsnips. Fit a steamer basket into a saucepan, and fill with one inch of water. Add the 2 cups of chopped parsnips, and bring the water to boil over high heat. Cover and reduce the heat to low, steaming for about 8 minutes, or until the parsnips are easily pierced with a fork. Transfer the steamed parsnips to your blender container, and set it aside.
3. Using the same steamer basket and saucepan, break the pound of fresh green beans into one-inch pieces, and toss them into the steamer basket. Bring to a boil, then cover and steam for 6-8 minutes, until the green beans are bright green with a bit of crunch. Transfer the cooked green beans to an 8” x 8” glass baking dish. *Note: At this point, cook the green beans to be as tender as you like-- if you prefer them softer, steam them longer. The baking process later will not make them any more tender, so this is your chance to achieve the texture you like.
4. Once the onions have finished caramelizing, you can use the same pan to saute the mushrooms and garlic. Melt another pat of coconut oil or butter, and saute the garlic for about 3 minutes, then add the mushrooms. Cook for about 6 minutes, until liquid is released from the mushrooms.
5. Spread half of the mushroom mixture into the baking dish of green beans, and pour the other half of the mixture, along with any liquid, into the blender container with the steamed parsnips.
6. Into that blender container, add 11⁄2 cups water, 11⁄2 teaspoons sea salt and 1⁄4 cup of nutritional yeast to the cooked parsnips and mushrooms. Blend until smooth and creamy. (This mixture may be a bit salty to taste at this point, but keep in mind that it will be diluted when it’s poured over a pound of green beans!)
7. Pour the creamy sauce over the green beans and mushrooms in the glass baking dish, and stir to coat well. (You may very well have more sauce than you need for this recipe-- I only used about 11⁄2 cups to coat the vegetables well. Save the rest for a future dish!)
8. Smooth the creamy vegetable mixture with a spatula, and top with the caramelized onions to finish. At this point, you could cover the dish and store it in the fridge until you’re ready to heat and serve.
9. When you’re ready to bake, preheat your oven to 350F and bake uncovered for about 30 minutes, until bubbly. Serve warm and enjoy!
Diestel Turkey Ranch, founded in 1949, is one of the last small, family-owned turkey grower-processors in the United States, operated by 3rd & 4th generation ranchers Tim and Joan Diestel and two of their children. Nestled in the Sierra Nevada foothills in Sonora, California, this ranch boasts range grown turkeys fed a natural, 100% vegetarian diet that is milled on site. At Farm Fresh, the Diestel turkeys we carry receive non-GMO feed as well. All Diestel turkeys are humanely raised and harvested with great care and compassion. These delicious birds are consistently praised for looking and tasting better than your average grocery store bird, with a rich “old-fashioned flavor,” incredible tenderness, and texture. How can you celebrate Thanksgiving without one?
WHY DO THEY TASTE SO GOOD?
One reason Diestel turkeys taste so much better than the competition is due to the long, active lifestyles their birds live. Many of us are familiar with the term “free range,” meaning that the animals simply have access to the outdoors. At Diestel, they prefer to use the term “range-grown” as their adult turkeys actually live outdoors using the natural environment of trees and shrubs as shelter. They get plenty of exercise, moving freely throughout the range to forage, drinking clean mountain water, and breathing fresh air. Allowed to grow naturally, Diestel turkeys are raised twice as long as conventional ones, and with far more room to roam! These turkeys have time to be turkeys and enjoy life! When it comes to feeding the turkeys, Joan Diestel says, “No artificial anything!” Diestel’s turkeys never contain any artificial ingredients such as nitrates, phosphates, MSG, artificial colors or flavors. The Diestel family sources the best corn and soy available and has been milling their own feed since 1965, spending extra time and attention to ensure their turkeys have a healthy, natural diet. Turkeys are fed a 100% vegetarian diet with no antibiotics, growth enhancers, hormones, gluten, animal by-products or dried distillers grains. With a Diestel turkey, you can be confident that you’re feeding your family quality food this Thanksgiving, free of chemicals!
COOKING YOUR TURKEY
Now that you know where your turkey comes from, how are you going to cook your bird? After rinsing, patting, and
stuffing your bird, the Diestel family suggests a simple rub recipe made of 4 Tbsp oil, 4 tsp. salt, and 2 tsp. paprika (and any of your other favorite herbs and spices). When it comes to roasting in the oven, 325F is just the right temperature (cooking times vary); there’s no need to turn the bird while cooking or use a bag, though placing a foil tent loosely over the turkey for the last hour can prevent too much browning. Don’t forget to cover the bottom of the pan with broth or water before you pop the bird in the oven! For a spectacular gravy, the Diestel family recommends pouring a heated cup of white wine over the turkey halfway through roasting time. Mm delicious!
The Farm Fresh Market and Diestel families are wishing you a most harmonious, delicious Thanksgiving!
