Make Ahead Thanksgiving Feast : Green Bean Casserole:

The original Green Bean Casserole recipe was created by an employee of the Campbell Soup Company called Dorcas Reilly in 1955. The recipe consisted of Canned Green Beans, Canned Cream of Mushroom Soup, and Canned Fried Onions.

What foodies like me often forget is that the era of the New Frontier celebrated convenience and new technology;

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Green Bean Casserole

Ingredients :

1 1/2 - 2 pounds frozen cut green beans (use fresh trimmed green beans when in season)

2 Tbs unsalted butter

10 oz sliced baby bella (the little portobella) mushrooms (see variation below)

3 Tbs minced shallots (if shallots are not available, finely diced onion works well)

1/4 cup all purpose flour

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Purslane and Parsley Salad

Purslane
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped shallot
• 1/2 pound cherry tomatoes (preferably assorted heirloom varieties), halved or quartered if large
• 6 cups packed tender purslane sprigs and leaves (from a 1-pound bunch)
• 4 cups packed flat-leaf parsley leaves (from 2 large bunches)

Cucumber-purslane-yogurt salad

• 5 large Cucumber, peeled, seeded and cut into quarter-round slices
• 1/4 pound Purslane, large stems removed, washed and drained well
• 2 tablespoons each, Fresh chopped mint, cilantro and chervil
• 4 cups Whole milk yogurt
• 1/4 cup Virgin olive oil
• 3 cloves Garlic, puréed with the blade of a knife
• 2 teaspoon ground Coriander
• kosher Salt and ground Black Pepper

Place the cucumber, purslane and herbs into a large bowl. In another bowl, stir together the yogurt, olive oil and garlic, coriander and season to taste with salt. Add the yogurt mixture to the vegetables and mix well. Add a pinch of ground black pepper. Taste the dressed cucumber-purslane salad for seasoning, adding a little more salt if needed. Serve chilled.

Peekytoe Crab Stuffed Zucchini Flowers

*Recipe Courtesy of Ryan DePersio owner of Fascino in Montclair, NJ

1 lb peekytoe crab meat

1 tb of sour cream

2 tb of lemon juice

1tb chopped tomato confit (Substitute Sun Dried Tomatoes)

5 leaves of basil julienned

salt and pepper to taste

10 zucchini flowers

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