Georgia Organics Farm to School Intern Lena Enciso shares much-loved family food traditions from the Farm to School team!
By Lena Enciso
Lena’s family dinner, photo credit: Carlos Maraviglia
Cooking is one of my favorite ways to connect with the people in my life and show appreciation for my loved ones. I enjoy any opportunity to exchange recipes and learn about the foods other people like to make for their friends and families. Since Thanksgiving is this week, the Farm to School team has decided to share some of our favorite holiday recipes.
Growing up, I wasn’t a big fan of stuffing. My dad’s recipe had a mushy consistency and flavors I didn’t enjoy. In high school, I took my Thanksgiving stuffing destiny into my own hands and decided I would prepare a different recipe for my family. So, I asked my friends and their families about their favorite recipes and one of their moms told me about this cornbread stuffing/dressing recipe from The Slate. Every year since then, we have prepared both dishes and our family members vote on their favorite (it’s a tie every time, but I choose to believe they’re just protecting my dad’s feelings).
Diana Peña shared that she doesn’t usually have what some would consider “typical Thanksgiving” dishes with her family. She showed us a recipe for one of her favorite dishes--with a vegan twist that incorporates jackfruit instead of beef! She shared, “Birria (sauce with beef) is one of my favorite Mexican dishes and something my mom cooks on special occasions, however, she has her own recipe (which I do not know), but I found this vegan chef who makes traditional Mexican dishes. This is a vegan birria recipe that I have been meaning to try. She has other dishes as well.”
Vegan Birria Tacos from Dorastable.com
Kimberly Koogler’s Glorious Greens
Kimberly Koogler, Georgia Organics Farm to School Coordinator, decided to tell us about a recipe for “Glorious Greens,” which comes together in less than 15 minutes. It’s a great way to incorporate more veggies on the dinner table!
She explains, “I learned how to make this when I was working as an AmeriCorps VISTA Garden Coordinator at The Garden Kitchen in Tucson, AZ, where I started learning how to grow food. It's a super quick and easy, yummy, versatile recipe--you can use any hardy green you have on hand.
I like to make it for my family at Thanksgiving (when I get the chance to) to put something green on the table.”
Farm to School Director Kimberly Della Donna shared her favorite cranberry sauce recipe, which has parsley and orange peel to level up a Thanksgiving classic!
Cranberry Sauce by Kimberly Della Donna
She said, “I've been making this since Bon Appetit published it in 2005. It's a good thing everyone loves it- because it makes a ton!
“I usually end up eating it late at night on Thanksgiving over vanilla ice cream- it's one of those transcendent dishes that works for both dinner and dessert.”
If you decide to try any of our favorite holiday recipes, be sure to share photos over social media with us by tagging @GeorgiaOrganics!
To learn more about Georgia Organics, visit georgiaorganics.org, and follow us on social media @GeorgiaOrganics and at facebook.com/GeorgiaOrganics.