the petite pig: a belated gobble-gobble wish

2008 marked a new thanksgiving tradition that i could definitely get used to . . . for the first time in ten years, i didn't travel. there was no stressful security line to get through, no traffic to fight, just great friends, feasting and well, some festive headgear to celebrate "thanks-wig-ing." five hostesses carved up the menu and two hosts took on the bartending duties to prepare for our party of thirty. yes, you read it right, we had thirty mouths to feed, and boy were they fed. there may have not been enough forks (so some made do with chopsticks for a truly international thanksgiving) but there was plenty o' food.

thanks to tim, my 3.5 quart le creuset is still filled with braised broccoli rabe. our conversation at the market when something like this:

jess - "do you really think we need 6 mutant bunches of broccoli rabe?"

tim - "that's barely enough! each bunch is only going to feed 5 people."

jess - "but we also have celeriac-mashed potatoes, sage-roasted brussel sprouts & butternut squash, an autumn persimmon, radicchio salad and that's just the veggies!"

tim - "well, i'll eat all the leftovers but i'll be shocked if there's anything left."

hmm . . . then how is it that i still have what looks like 5 lbs. of broccoli rabe in my fridge?

so, with no turkey leftover for turkey-cranberry sandwiches, but 5 lbs. of broccoli rabe sitting in my fridge, i've thrown it in about every dish i've made this week. broccoli rabe tacos, broccoli rabe pizza, broccoli rabe quiche, broccoli rabe soup, broccoli rabe creme brulee - you'd be shocked how well brocolli rabe caramelizes with some sugar and flame! but my favorite dish was the morning-after thanksgiving broccoli rabe & fontina, omelette topped with creme fraiche. and now i'm down to 4 lbs. of broccoli rabe . . . perhaps broccoli rabe ice cream is next?

spicy braised broccoli rabe

serves 6 (or just 1 if you're tim)

1 bunch broccoli rabe

1/4 cup olive oil

1 cup vegetable broth

2 tbs. olive oil

1 garlic clove, minced

1 tbs. red pepper flakes

1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted

1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives, chopped

salt & pepper

1 meyer lemon

wash broccoli rabe and cut up into more manageable 2 inch pieces. heat olive oil in a 3.5 quart dutch oven over medium-high heat and add broccoli rabe. add vegetable broth, cover and bring to a boil. turn down heat to low and let simmer for 30 minutes. greens should be tender but still have it's bright green flavor.

remove from pot and drain out any residual liquid. set aside.

now you could just stop here and finish by adding a little season. however, i think finishing it off with a quick saute in garlic & red pepper infused olive oil adds a couple other flavor dimensions to the somewhat bitter green. so in a saute pan (or same dutch oven), heat remaining olive oil over medium-high heat. add minced garlic clove & red pepper flakes. add broccoli rabe and toss with the oil. add pine nuts and olives. season with salt & pepper to taste and finish with a couple squeezes of lemon for some acid.

leftovers can be made into tacos, pizzas, quiches & soup. i hope you all knew i was kidding with the dessert variations although i'm sure it could be done . . .

hope you all had much as fun (and as many leftovers) as we did!

who's the turkey here?