This post was created in partnership with Target Grocery. All opinions are my own.
If ever we, collectively, were in need of a holiday that purported to bring people together, it would be now. Now, in the wake of an election that tore the country apart, in the wake of bitterness and frustration and confusion and anger. These may be common emotions at family Thanksgivings around the country, but it’s a couple weeks early to be bringing out the vitriol en masse. Thank goodness we’ve got the time for at least oneThanksgiving test run before the real deal descends. And thank double goodness we get to dub those test runs “Friendsgivings” and invite those closest to us to kvetch around a table in peace.
This year, Target Grocery invited me to join them in celebrating a Friendsgiving meal using some of their specialty holiday ingredients and the many beautiful serving-wear items available in store. I quickly began assembling the ranks of available friends, and spent hours perusing the aisles of my neighborhood Target, in search of the perfect Friendsgiving accoutrements.
Here’s an important piece of information to know about me + Thanksgiving: It’s far and away my favorite holiday. It’s the only holiday I fly home to Maui for, and it’s the only holiday that feels really worth celebrating, non-religious human that I am. And, let me be clear, that has absolutely nothing to do with its (deeply troubling) historical origins.
The reason I love Thanksgiving is purely because it encompasses three things I love: Food, community, and a conscious celebration of the moments and people that have been most significant to me over the past year. When I was a child, we’d take turns going around the table sharing one thing we were grateful for in the past year. The tradition, though it felt taxing or even nerve-wracking at times, instilled in me the importance of pausing, reflecting, practicing gratitude. There is always something for which to give thanks. Even if it’s simply the grace and forbearance Hillary Clinton exhibited in her concession speech earlier this week.
So a couple weeks ago, eager as I was to begin trying out cozy Thanksgiving recipes, I invited a few dear friends over to enjoy a meal with me. I set out to make this Friendsgiving feel easy, rather than complex or overwhelming, since adding an extra Thanksgiving meal into the mix sounded like stress city.
My niece Danielle, her friend Danny, and my friend (and first LA neighbor) Rachel came over for an abundant cheese plate, lots of sparkling beverages, a brussels sprouts salad, and the two recipes featured here: Maple Roasted Winter Squash with Yogurt & Tahini, and Polenta with Miso-Braised Kale and Mushrooms. And pie, of course!
We came together on a miraculously rainy day in Los Angeles, which added a delicious layer of autumnal chill to our meal. Since our Friendsgiving crew included two vegetarians—and, as most of you know, I eat predominantly veg despite my official label as omnivore—I decided to focus on vegetarian sides and mains that could also transition to being vegan if desired.
I began with my love for red kuri squash—a pumpkin-like, orange-fleshed squash that looks like an orange kabocha, but with much sweeter flesh. Roasted with fennel, cumin, coriander, and maple, it’s incredibly delicious. I top it with tahini, yogurt, and fresh pomegranate arils. And a handful of Archer Farms’ glazed pepitas, for some extra spice.
And then there’s the polenta. This dish arose from one created by the extraordinary Chefs Jon Shook and Vinny Dotolo, who created an ultra-creamy polenta dish with marsala-braised greens and mushrooms for an event I was at last month. After tasting it, I decided I needed to recreate it, using the umami of miso paste to draw out the rich flavor of fresh wild mushrooms. Miso’s sweetness counters the bitter depth of kale, and black pepper adds a kick to the creamy bed of polenta below.
These two dishes pair beautifully together, and could form the bulk of a vegetarian meal, or be served as side dishes for a larger feast. All together, this is the perfect start to an afternoon of laughter, gratitude, and delicious food.
Especially now, in moments when our collective consciousness is tasked with reinvigorating its sense of hope and possibility, shared meals are paramount. We must come together to remember why community is at the core of how we live and govern ourselves. We must come together to remember what is important, to remember how to listen to one another even when we disagree, to remember how to care for each other when we are hurting.
And the food just makes it that much sweeter.
From prep to plate, Target is a haven for affordable, simple, and unique Thanksgiving solutions. Here are some of my favorite tableware items for our lovely spread:
Marble & Wood Mortar & Pestle
Brushed Gold Serving Utensils
Oval Marble and Wood Serving Board
Polenta with Miso-Braised Kale & Mushrooms
Ingredients
polenta
- 7 ½ cups Simply Balanced Organic Vegetable Broth
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 2 pinches baking soda
- 1 ½ cups polenta coarse corn meal
miso-braised kale and mushrooms
- ½ pound cipollini onions or sweet onion
- 1 cup Simply Balanced Organic Vegetable Broth
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoons miso paste
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ pound fresh oyster mushrooms cleaned and sliced in half
- 1 bunch lacinato kale tried and leaves torn
- grated parmesan optional, to garnish
- freshly cracked black pepper to taste
Instructions
Make the polenta.
- Place vegetable broth in a large pot and bring to a boil. Add sea salt and baking soda and stir to dissolve. Add corn meal in a constant stream, and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Turn heat to lowest setting and put lid on. Let cook another 25 minutes, then remove from heat, and leave covered. Serve as quickly as possible, but stir occasionally to break up clumps and add liquid + heat to dissolve congealed polenta as need be.
- While the polenta cooks, make the miso-braised kale and mushrooms.
- Trim and halve cipollini onions (or slice a regularly sized onion into 1 ½-inch chunkand place in medium saucepan with 1 cup of vegetable broth and 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until onions are translucent and tender, 25-30 minutes.
- Stir in miso paste until completely dissolved, then add the black pepper and mushrooms. Stir to incorporate, then cover again and let mushrooms cook for 7-9 minutes, until tender. In last few minutes of cooking, stir in the torn kale leaves. Remove from heat and let sit, covered.
- When ready to serve, dish the kale and mushrooms over the polenta, and finish with parmesan and cracked pepper.
