The Forest Feast Gift Guide!

With the holidays fast approaching I’m sharing some of my favorite gift ideas for kids, family and friends!

Kids

Joie Fruit & Vegetable Chopper: My kids love to help out in the kitchen while cutting up fruits & veggies with this tool.

The Forest Feast for Kids: Simple and easy recipe ideas that incorporate creative ways to add more vegetables and fruits into your children’s meals.

Hedley & Bennett ‘Tug Boat’ Kids Apron: These aprons are good quality and I love the unisex design. The kid versions are especially cute!

Kids Digital Camera: My oldest loves to take pictures (like his mama!) and this is a fun and affordable starter camera for kids.

The Adventures of Lily Huckleberry in Japan: A beautiful children’s book for bed time stories. Ezra loves it! The beautiful illustrations are by my friend Audrey, and it’s the 2nd in a travel series for kids to learn about new places.

Cooks

Umami Mart Salt Set: This set of 3 finishing salts consists of matcha, umami, and yuzu salts and would make a great gift for fans of Japanese cooking and home chefs. I’m a little obsessed with the Umami Salt and could easily put it on everything.

Cherry Bombe magazine subscription: This biannual indie magazine celebrates women and food and features gorgeous work from chefs, writers. food stylists, photographers, and illustrators.

Home Made in the Oven: This new book by my friend, the Dutch author Yvette Van Boven, has amazing illustrations and delicious ideas.

The Forest Feast Cookbook: My very first cookbook and a New York Times bestseller! Filled with beautiful illustrations and delicious vegetarian recipes.

The Forest Feast Meal Planner & Shopping List: This meal planner is a thoughtful gift for cooks and features watercolor illustrations and a grid to organize meal planning throughout the week. I love that it has a magnetic backing to hang on the refrigerator and a perforated shopping list to take to the store.

Travel

The Forest Feast Mediterranean: My latest book is a great way to bring a taste of the Mediterranean home (especially during the colder winter months!) when in need of a taste of summer or tapas from Spain!

The Forest Feast Notes (Journal): I love to keep a journal during our travels abroad so that I can go back and remember all of the special moments and meals we experienced.

Olive Oil Subscription: This is a great shop in SF’s Noe Valley and they offer several seasonal subscriptions for olive oils and vinegars.

Host

Beeswax Candles: I can never get enough of these toxin-free beeswax candles. They are perfect for dinner parties and/or everyday.

The Forest Feast Gatherings: My second book is packed full of colorful entertaining ideas, pretty spreads, (like this one) and plan-ahead appetizers perfect for dinner parties and celebrations alike!

Fujifilm Instax Mini 9 Camera Bundle: This camera prints photos in a matter of seconds, just like Polaroid cameras did back in the day! This would make a great gift for the host who loves to entertain.

Giving Back

For those who would prefer a donation to a charitable cause (hint: Giving Tuesday is coming up!)…

The Edible Schoolyard Project: Started by Alice Waters in 1995, the mission of the Edible Schoolyard Project is to build and share a national edible education curriculum for pre-kindergarten through high school.

Community Services Agency is near and dear to me, as a local non-profit that fights poverty in my community (and Jon is on the board!). I also buy pottery at their annual Empty Bowls fundraiser every year to use in my photographs.

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Happy Holiday shopping! Please remember to support your local bookstores and shops whenever you can.

Disclosure: The Forest Feast participates in the Amazon Affiliates program and will receive a small percentage if items are purchased through the Amazon links above.

Cacio e Pepe Spaghetti Squash...

For those of you looking for gluten free ideas for Thanksgiving, try this Spaghetti squash dish from The Forest Feast Mediterranean, inspired by our time in Italy. Buon appetito!

Cacio e Pepe Spaghetti Squash

Cacio e pepe (which translates to cheese and pepper in Italian) is a very simple pasta dish I have adapted by substituting spaghetti squash for the pasta. This dish calls for a good amount of freshly ground black pepper and finely grated Parmesan cheese.

CACIO E PEPE SPAGHETTI SQUASH

recipe from The Forest Feast Mediterranean

1 c (50 g) finely grated Parmesan

2 T olive oil

1 T butter

lots of black pepper

salt

Cut a medium (approx. 2 lb/910-g) spaghetti squash in half lengthwise & remove all the seeds and strings. Place on a baking sheet cut-side up & sprinkle with olive oil & salt.

Bake at 375° F (190°C) for 1 hour. You’ll know it’s done when you scrape a fork on the flesh & it separates easily into spaghetti-like “noodles.” If not, cook for 10 more min. When ready, using a towel to hold the hot squash, scrape all the “noodles” into a mixing bowl.

While hot, mix in the remaining ingredients (cheese, olive oil, butter, pepper, salt). Enjoy hot!

For more veggie side ideas for your Thanksgiving menu, check out this story from Mother mag posted yesterday.

And for more squash ideas…

Yellow Squash Ribbon Quiche (vegetarian)

Roasted Acorn Squash with Sage Butter (gluten free)

Coconut-Curry Butternut Soup (vegan)

Sweet Potatoes Two Ways

Thanksgiving is around the corner. If you are looking for some new sweet potato ideas, here are a couple of Mediterranean-inspired options from my new book — one sweet and one savory!

Baked Sweet Potatoes with Hazelnuts

One of my favorite ways to experience new cities is by staying with friends who are locals. While we were in Barcelona researching recipe ideas for The Forest Feast Mediterranean, we were invited by friends to celebrate Todos los Santos (All Saints’ Day) at their home. The meal included sweet potatoes with roasted chestnuts. For this version, I used hazelnuts instead, which are more readily available and also delicious!

BAKED SWEET POTATOES WITH HAZELNUTS

recipe from The Forest Feast Mediterranean

3 medium sweet potatoes

dollop of butter

1 t honey

sprinkle of cinnamon

chopped hazelnuts

Pre-heat oven to 375°F. Wash sweet potatoes and prick them several times all over with a knife & place on baking sheet. Bake for 45-60 minutes (when a knife goes in easily, they are done).

Slice potatoes in half lengthwise, then score them in a grid. Top each with a dollop of butter, honey, a sprinkle of cinnamon & chopped hazelnuts.

Note: When serving these on a buffet with several sides, I look for small sweet potatoes (or you can quarter them after they’ve been cooked) for individual-sized portions.

Sweet Potatoes with Feta Dressing

Here’s a savory Mediterranean-inspired recipe from the new book. It is easy to prepare in advance and can be served at room temperature, making it perfect for a gathering like Thanksgiving.

SWEET POTATOES WITH FETA DRESSING

recipe from The Forest Feast Mediterranean

4 medium sweet potatoes (no need to peel)

2 T milk

1/3 c (50 g) crumbled feta

1 T olive oil

2 T rice vinegar

pinch of nutmeg

scallions (chopped)

Cube sweet potatoes & lay out on a baking sheet. Drizzle generously with olive oil & sprinkle with salt & pepper. Roast potatoes at 425°F (220°C) for 30 min or until fork tender.

For dressing, use an immersion blender to combine the milk, crumbed feta, olive oil, rice vinegar & nutmeg. Drizzle potatoes with desired amount of dressing & sprinkle with chopped scallions.

Serve warm or at room temperature.

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Happy Thanksgiving!
xoxo

For more sweet potato recipes ideas, check out my…

• Sweet Potato Pizza

• Sweet Potato and Lentil Tacos

• Lentil & Sweet Potato Salad

Honey-Balsamic Green Beans

Every year we go to Santa Barbara to my aunt and uncle’s dreamy beach house for Thanksgiving but this year, we are heading to Sonoma County. I’m making a few sides to bring including these green beans from my new Forest Feast Mediterranean cookbook inspired by our time in Sicily.

Honey-Balsamic Green Beans

recipe from The Forest Feast Mediterranean

4 c green beans

2 cloves minced garlic, trimmed & diagonally sliced

1/4 c (35 grams) pomegranate seeds

1/4 cup (30 grams) pistachio seeds, roasted & chopped

Saute on medium heat with 1 T olive oil, plus salt and pepper, for 3-5 minutes or until the beans are bright green. Then add 1 T balsamic vinegar and 1 T honey to the pan and toss until all the beans are glazed. (about 1 min).

Transfer to a platter and sprinkle with a bit of sea salt and the pomegranate seeds and roasted & chopped pistachio seeds.

Max and me in Cefalu, Sicily in 2017 while shooting The Forest Feast Mediterranean cookbook

The rural area of Sicily we visited is known for its honey and pistachio production and these ingredients are used frequently in sweet and savory dishes from the region. I love the added crunch from the pistachios. We visited the snowy volcano peak in the morning and ended the very same day with a sunset walk along the coast in the village of Santa Maria La Scala.

Ezra making a snowball near the top of Mt. Etna, Sicily, 2017

Happy Thanksgiving!

For more vegetarian sides, try my Persimmon Cranberry Sauce, Butternut Hummus & Deviled Eggs , or Nutty Cauliflower Rice Pilaf.

P.S. The Forest Feast Mediterranean is on sale now and makes a great host gift!

Nutty Cauliflower Pilaf

Last night we went to our friends' house for their annual Friendsgiving party. The celebration has grown to about 40 people and features the most amazing potluck feast you can imagine! We all sign up for dishes in advance and this year I brought a Nutty Cauliflower Pilaf using a bag of Taylor Farms Cauliflower Pearls. I thought this would be a good one to bring since it's gluten-free and we have several friends that are gluten intolerant. (Also, one of the only vegetables I can currently get Ezra to eat is cauliflower in this riced/pearl form!) I mixed the cauliflower with quinoa to give it a bit more substance, and for crunch and chew, you can mix in any nuts, seeds or dried berries you have on hand. This will be making a repeat appearance at our Thanksgiving table this Thursday.

I also made a couple quick, seasonal sides to go with it: A simple Kale Salad with baby kale, persimmons and pomegranate seeds, plus some Crispy Old Bay Brussels (see recipes below.)

Nutty Cauliflower Pilaf

16 oz (1 bag) Taylor Farms Cauliflower Pearls

1 c cooked red or white quinoa

2T butter

2T olive oil

1/4 c golden raisins

1/4 c dried cherries

1/4 c shelled whole pistachios (or chop, if you prefer)

1/4 c sunflower seeds

salt and pepper to taste

In a large skillet, sauté the cauliflower pearls with the butter and olive oil over medium heat for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they are softer, translucent and just starting to brown. Mix in all other ingredients and serve warm in a bowl or on a platter. Serves 6 as a side (easily doubled or tripled for a larger group).

Kale Salad with Persimmon & Pomegranate

11 oz (1 box) Taylor Farms Organic Baby Kale

1 Fuyu persimmon (I leave the peel on)

1/3 c fresh pomegranate seeds (about a 1/2  pomegranate)

Place baby kale on a large platter and top with slices of persimmon and pomegranate seeds. Use your favorite balsamic dressing. Serves about 6. 

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Crispy Old Bay Brussels

9 oz (1 bag) Taylor Farms Shaved Brussels Sprouts

Olive oil

Old Bay seasoning

Spread the brussels out on a baking sheet in a thin, even layer and drizzle the entire surface generously with olive oil and sprinkle with plenty of Old Bay seasoning (which adds saltiness and spiciness). Roast in the oven at 400ºF for about 20 minutes, tossing once or twice, until some bits are brown and crispy. Check it occasionally to make sure it's not burning. Serve hot. This dish is best served relatively soon after roasting, as the crispiness will reduce with time. Serves about 4 as a side.

We are hosting Thanksgiving for the first time this year– 18 people for dinner in our little cabin will be quite cozy...we are excited! Check my Instagram stories for more (@theforestfeast). 

Happy Thanksgiving,

Erin

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This post was done in partnership with Taylor Farms. Thank you for supporting the brands that make The Forest Feast possible.