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Harvest Recipes for Thanksgiving

Level Up Thanksgiving with These Tasty Harvest Recipes

Thanksgiving isn’t too far away! We’re so grateful for all the support we’ve received from the community this year, and we’re glad we’ve been able to give you a comfortable and familiar place to indulge your love for plants, gardening, pets, and home decor. It’s been a strange year, and we feel lucky to be part of such an incredible community. Powell River might be the best place to live in Canada, and we’re thankful to be your neighbour!

Have you planned your Thanksgiving dinner menu yet? If not, we’ve got some delicious ideas for you to add to your turkey (or tofurky) dinner this thanksgiving.

 

mother nature harvest recipes garlic potatoes

 Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes

  • 5 pounds of potatoes, peeled and cooked
  • 1 8 oz. pkg cream cheese
  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • Seasoning salt and pepper to taste
  • 2-3 whole bulbs roasted garlic 

 

How to Roast the Garlic

  1. Get the garlic roasting just before you put your potatoes on to cook. 
  2. Preheat oven to 400º. 
  3. Peel off the outer layers of skin on 2-3 garlic bulbs. Leave the skin on the individual cloves. With a sharp knife, cut off the top of the whole bulb, so the tops of each clove are a little bit exposed. 
  4. Place the heads in muffin tins to keep them upright. Drizzle a little olive oil over each bulb, and cover each one with a piece of tinfoil. 
  5. Bake at 400º for 30-40 minutes. Let them cool until you can handle them, then use a small fork, a knife, or just squeeze each clove into a bowl. Mash the garlic with a fork.
  6. To prepare the mashed potatoes, use a masher to combine your cooked potatoes, butter, cream cheese, heavy cream, and garlic in a large sturdy bowl. Add seasoning salt to taste once everything is mixed, and serve. 

 

Maple Glazed Carrots

  • 6 large carrots, peeled and chopped however you like
  • 4 tbsp butter
  • 1/4 cup maple syrup 
  • fresh lemon juice
  • fresh ground salt & pepper to taste
  • 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves

Melt the butter in a heavy pan over medium-low heat; add the carrots, cover, and braise. Stir occasionally until carrots are “al dente,” 15-20 minutes. Raise the heat to medium and add the maple syrup and a squeeze of lemon juice. Cook, stirring, for 2 more minutes. Remove from heat, stir in the fresh thyme, salt, and pepper, and serve.

thanksgiving harvest recipe apple kale salad

Nutty Honeycrisp Apple & Kale Salad

This recipe calls for homemade roasted pepitas, toasted pecans, and a delicious cinnamon-spiked vinaigrette. Here’s how to make them!

Roasted Pepitas

  • 1/2 cup pepitas
  • 1/2 tbsp coconut oil
  • 2-3 tbsp honey
  • 1/4 tsp smoked paprika
  • sprinkle of salt

Add all ingredients to a bowl and mix until well coated. Dump onto a parchment-lined baking tray and spread in a thick layer—Bake for about 15 minutes at 350º. Keep an eye on the pepitas; take them out when they’re golden brown and bubbly.

 

Toasted Pecans

  • 1/2 cup pecans
  • 1-2 tbsp honey
  • 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg

Toast pecans in a hot, dry skillet over low heat until they’re fragrant. Stir in the honey, red pepper flakes, and nutmeg. Let the honey bubble for a few minutes, and stir until all pecans are well coated. Transfer to a sheet of parchment paper and cool completely.

 

Cinnamon Vinaigrette

  • 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1-1/2 tbsp honey
  • 1 tsp dijon mustard
  • 1 clove minced garlic
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp pepper
  • 1/3 cup olive oil

Mix vinaigrette ingredients in a shaker or whisk together vigorously until emulsified.

 

Salad

  • 4-6 cups washed and chopped kale
  • 2 honeycrisp apples, cored and thinly sliced or chopped small
  • 1/2 cup crumbled feta
  1. Massage the kale with 1-2 tbsp of dressing and let it sit for 5-10 minutes while you slice the apples and break up the clusters of pepitas and pecans.
  2. Once everything is ready, combine everything, except apple slices and feta, in a large bowl, drizzle half the dressing over and toss well. 
  3. Sprinkle the feta and arrange your apple slices on top for presentation,  and drizzle with remaining vinaigrette. 

 

harvest thanksgiving recipe mother nature stuffing

Cranberry Wild Rice Stuffing

You won’t be able to get enough of the fall flavours and textures in this hearty stuffing! Serve it alongside your Thanksgiving turkey, or try roasting your favourite winter squash and topping it with stuffing for the perfect vegetarian entreé.  

  • 4 tbsp butter
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped celery
  • 2 tsp finely chopped fresh thyme
  • 3 cups cooked wild rice
  • 2 tbsp finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
  • 1/2 cup dried cranberries
  • 1/3 cup dried apricots, chopped
  • 2/3 cup toasted pecans, chopped (optional)
  • Freshly ground salt & pepper to taste
  1. Preheat oven to 350º. 
  2. Melt butter in a large skillet over low heat. Add onion and celery and cook, stirring occasionally until soft, about 10-15 minutes. 
  3. Add the thyme and a pinch of salt and pepper, cook for one minute then transfer to a large bowl. 
  4. Add the wild rice, parsley, cranberries, apricots, and pecans. Mix well. Season with salt and pepper to taste. 
  5. Spread in a 2-quart baking dish and bake until heated through about 30 minutes.
  6. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.

 

mother nature harvest thanksgiving recipe nanaimo bar

Pumpkin Nanaimo Bars

An autumnal twist on a Canadian classic!


Bottom Layer

  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 1/4 granulated sugar
  • 5 tbsp cocoa powder
  • 1/8 tsp salt
  • 1 egg beaten
  • 1 3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
  • 1 cup shredded coconut

 

Melt butter over low heat, stir in sugar and cocoa powder, whisk until smooth, remove from heat. Whisk vigorously while slowly pouring in the beaten egg in a thin stream. Return to low heat and cook until the mixture has thickened slightly. Remove from heat, stir in graham crumbs and coconut, and mix until evenly coated.  Press mixture into a 9-inch square pan lined with parchment paper. Chill 30-60 minutes.

 

Middle Layer

  • 1 cup icing sugar
  • 1/2 cup room temperature butter
  • 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
  • 2 tbsp custard powder
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1/2 tsp ground ginger
  • 1/3 tsp ground cloves
  • pinch salt

 

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix with a hand mixer or stand mixer until light and fluffy. Spread over the bottom layer, chill 30-60 minutes.

 

Top Layer

  • 6 oz dark chocolate
  • 1/4 cup butter

 

Melt chocolate and butter together in a double boiler or in the microwave.

In a double boiler: Melt over barely simmering water, stirring until smooth and shiny.

In the microwave: Melt butter and chocolate in the microwave for 20 seconds, then stir. Repeat, stirring between intervals, until chocolate is smooth and shiny.

Pour over the custard layer, spreading evenly, and refrigerate overnight.

We hope you enjoy these festive holiday dishes as much as we do! Happy Thanksgiving from all of us at Mother Nature. 

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