HOLIDAY RECIPES WRITER: TONYA S. GRACE
Tiffany Bolinger’s mind wanders toward thoughts of a holiday feast as Thanksgiving nears, but it’s not the traditional bird that she prefers to take center stage on her own dinner table. “When I think about Thanksgiving, I think most people think turkey,” says Bolinger, the Christian County extension agent for family and consumer sciences. “For me, I prefer ham.” But whether it’s turkey or ham or corned beef (another main dish mentioned by Bolinger), the important thing is the quality time family and friends spend together as they share a meal. As she’s aged, Bolinger says the holidays are less about certain dishes and foods and more about making memories. “Sometimes now my family will think outside the box,” she says of sharing a meal at Thanksgiving or Christmas. “We might have soups or steak instead of turkey or ham,” she adds. “We’ve even talked about having a Mexican-themed meal. No matter what you’re eating, it’s about those relationships and being able to spend that quality time with family and friends.” In a year caught unawares by the appearance of COVID-19, Bolinger also notes that the ongoing virus will likely have an impact on family gatherings during the holidays. More families might gather with just a few of its members and maybe a grandparent, she suggests. There may be family members who can’t take the risk of a large gathering because of pre-existing conditions, and Bolinger notes
that current technology allowing phone calls, Face time and Zoom can help people get together even though they can’t do so in person. She hesitates to recommend any specific foods for families’ holiday dinner tables, noting that in situations where different sides of a family are gathering or perhaps where there are different cultural backgrounds, it can be difficult to know what’s important without knowing the family dynamics. The extension agent does, however, offer several suggestions from Plate It Up Kentucky Proud Recipes, an initiative of the University of Kentucky’s family and consumer sciences extension service that incorporates fresh fruits and vegetables, i.e., apples, broccoli, asparagus and others, into its dishes. “I do think it is nice when we can use locally grown produce for our holiday meals,” Bolinger notes of those recipes. Here are several of the Plate It Up recipes provided and others are available by visiting http://fcs-hes.ca.uky.edu/piukp-recipes#
Butternut and Acorn Squash Soup Makes 7, 1-cup servings ingredients
directions
1 butternut squash, halved and seeded
1. Using a vegetable peeler, remove the skin from the butternut and acorn squashes and cut into 1-inch cubes.
1 acorn squash, halved and seeded 1 tablespoon olive oil 1/3 cup chopped sweet onion
3. Add cubed squash, and cook 4 to 5 minutes.
4 cups chicken broth
4. Add chicken broth, and bring to a boil. Lower heat, and simmer 30 to 35 minutes, until the squash is fork tender.
3 tablespoons peanut butter 1/3 cup packed brown sugar 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg Fresh parsley for garnish
2. In a large soup pot, heat the oil on medium high. Add the onion, and cook 1 to 2 minutes until it starts to become translucent.
5. Allow to cool slightly, then blend until smooth in a food processor or blender. Return mixture to the pot, and heat to medium low. 6. Add peanut butter, brown sugar, pepper, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Stir until well blended. Garnish with fresh parsley. Serve warm.
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