thanksgiving recipes

It's a tough call deciding which part of the thanksgiving meal is the best- but shopping at the Little Italy Mercato might turn you into a full fall dessert worshipper. Why make traditional desserts when you can peruse all the offerings at the market and create your own dish full of splendor, spice, and everything nice?

Persimmon Cookies: Plain and simple and easy to bake. Use fresh persimmons from Terra Bella Ranch and bake with spices like ginger, nutmeg and cinnamon. Or you can buy a bag of cookie or sweet bread mix from Sustainable Pantry and just add the wet ingredients at home for a simple, satisfying dessert. 

Ginger roasted Pears: There are amazingly sweet and juicy Asian pears at the market from Lone Oak Ranch that are begging to be smothered in a sweet ginger syrup using fresh ginger from Vang Farms and roasted until they're tender and warm. Serve hot out of the oven with a cup of spicy chai tea from Cafe Virtuoso.

However you and your clan choose to celebrate Thanksgiving this year, we at the Little Italy Mercato want to make sure you to have the most fresh, beautiful, and nourishing food available to make your day perfect. Whether you're planning to enjoy a very traditional meal, an eclectic potluck smorgasbord to meet all the needs of your community of friends, or whether you don't have a big meal planned at all but choose to revel in the day off from work and enjoy the outdoors with simple snacks and time for reflection- we've got you covered.

Delicious meals are made from delicious parts- so part one of your dinner could be a variety of chutneys, salads, or stuffings. Try this recipe for a savory apple pumpkin chutney, from San Diego food blogger Caron Golden. She uses pumpkin butter from Jackie's Jams, fresh sage leaves and red onions that you can find at Schaner Farms, and sweet pink lady apples from Smit Orchards or Fujis from Lone Oak Ranch. For a seriously satisfying salad- try using cooked wheat berries from Suzie's Farm and combining them with all sorts of fall veggies to complement your dinner. Roasted butternut squash and toasted red walnuts from Terra Bella Ranch with heaps of braised Swiss chard from Maciel Family Farms come together to create a little zip for a savory salad served warm or chilled. Add fresh grated ginger from Vang Farms for a twist or a handful of crumbled goat cheese from Nicolau Farms to blend it all together. And as you devise, shop, and put together your stunning meals, remember to utter thanks and gratitude for all that you will enjoy, have been given, and have to offer…