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The holidays involve more communal meals than we have at any other time of the year.
Although potlucks and picnics often call for a dish to pass, a Tupperware bowl or a paper plate will do for presentation - you're balancing portability and unbreakability and the possibility that you might end up leaving a half-eaten entree at the event.
During the holidays, that's not okay. You need a more elegant container for the dish you've volunteered to bring, and one that makes your recipe look like plenty, not a pittance in a pretty orb. Not too big, but big enough.
Wild rice apple salad
There are myriad versions of this salad, some including everything from croutons to Calvados. We like this simple, earthy version made with a local artisan blue cheese. Up the ante by using old-fashioned or heirloom apple varieties straight from the orchard.
1 cup wild rice 2-1/2 cups water 1 tablespoon butter 1 cup fresh mushrooms, quartered 1 cup chopped celery 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 cup cider vinegar 1 teaspoon sugar 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard 2-1/4 tablespoons olive oil 2 small tart apples, cored and coarsely chopped 1/2 cup Hook's blue cheese, crumbled
Rinse and drain wild rice. In a medium saucepan, bring water to a boil, stir in rice, reduce heat to simmer. Cover and cook 45 minutes or until rice is tender and all the water has been absorbed.
In a medium skillet, melt butter. Add mushrooms, celery and salt and cook 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Celery should be tender.
In a large bowl, whisk vinegar, sugar and mustard. Slowly add oil, whisking until blended. Stir in wild rice; mix well. Refrigerate until cool. Add apples, vegetables, and blue cheese and mix well. Refrigerate an additional hour before serving. Serves 4-6.
Cranberry sauce with pears and ginger
There's almost nothing on the holiday table easier to make than cranberry sauce, so it's a mystery why so many family dinners are accompanied by the canned variety. This version is tarter than most, with a minimum of sugar, but sweetened also with pears and ginger.
3/4 cup water 1/2 cup sugar 1 teaspoon powdered ginger 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 12-ounce bag cranberries 2 pears, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
Bring water, sugar and spice to a boil in a heavy medium saucepan; stir. Then stir in cranberries and pear pieces and return to boil. Reduce heat to simmer. Sauce will begin to thicken; may take up to 15 minutes for a jellied effect. Cool and serve. Serves 10. Adapted from Cook's Illustrated.
Parsnip and carrot mash with nutmeg
This slight variation on an Irish dish fits right in with the Thanksgiving feast. This version avoids the heavy cream called for in some recipes, favoring instead the flavors of the root veggies.
6 parsnips, cleaned and cubed 6 carrots, cleaned and cubed 6 tablespoons broth 2 tablespoons olive oil 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Gently boil the parsnips and carrots in the same saucepan together, about 12 minutes. Drain and mash. Add broth and olive oil, then spices. Serves 8.
