Farmers' Market Friday - Fending Off the Buzzards {Easy Autumn Appetizers}

Just in case you hadn't noticed, Thanksgiving will be upon us in about 3 weeks. Menu planning will begin in earnest around the TGK soon. I have a stable of tried-and-true-cannot-vary-recipes that will always appear on the menu, but I do also like to play around with a few of the sides. Some of my new introductions have made their way into the regulars list and others, well, let's just say, we should never speak of them again. Regardless of what you are making for your feast, one thing is certain, folks get hungry and start circling like buzzards around the kitchen. They just hope you won't be looking when they nab that little morsel of crispy skin from the turkey as it rests or the missing spoonful of mashed potatoes from the serving dish. 

Of course, the last thing anyone wants to do is *add* work to the already full day of cooking. But, a really great way to keep the pests hungry on-lookers away is to serve up some appetizers. Simple, yet tasty, is the key here. The following are two such items that will keep your guests happy and keep you sane in the kitchen.

Items from the market: 

• Brazos Valley Brie
• Pumpkin Pecan Butter from Star Farmers Market
• Watermelon Radishes from Star Farmers Market

Baked Brie with Pumpkin Pecan Butter

• 1 quarter wheel wedge of brie
• 1 jar of pumpkin pecan butter

1. Heat oven to 350F. 
2. Slice cheese very close to the top rind to make a thin "lid".
3. Spread a generous amount of pumpkin pecan butter over the bottom cut part of the cheese. Replace lid on top.
4. Place cheese on an oven proof baking dish and pop into the oven for about 5-7 minutes until soft and melty. (from the photos, you can see what happens when you get distracted and go a bit longer - super runny, completely delicious, but not so photo lovely).
5. Serve with hearty crackers of your choice or even sliced fall apples.

Watermelon Radishes with European Butter and Sea Salt

One of the great things about the farmer's market is that you will find varieties of common vegetables that you won't see at the standard supermarket. Case in point, the watermelon radish. This heirloom variety of the daikon radish is noted for its creamy to pale green exterior and lovely pink hued center. They are tender, crisp and firm. Their flavor is mild with a slightly peppery taste (which, Farmer Terry reports can be diminished by peeling them.) They range in size from a golf ball to soft ball and are great served fresh or cooked; hot or cold. For our purposes, raw and cold is the order of the day for this very traditionally French presentation of a light snack.

• 1 (or more) bunches of watermelon radishes (depending upon size); sliced to 1/4"thickness
• European-style butter (available at most local HEB stores, it has a tangy flavor and higher milk fat content and is a perfectly matched topping here)
• sea salt

1. Wash radishes well. Slice as directed. 
2. Serve with a dish of butter and sea salt.
3. Diners should smear a bit of butter on the radish slice, sprinkle with sea salt and enjoy.
4. If desired, you can also serve this with a nice round cracker and have folks top their cracker with the radish, etc. but honestly, the buttered radishes on their own are surprisingly delicious. 

I hope that having these 2 easy appetizers in your arsenal will help with your Thanksgiving menu planning and also will help avoid any sneaky buzzards from hitting the main attractions before its time!

Happy Cooking!

sld

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