Editorial Features
Happy Thanksgiving from 200 Lex!
With Thanksgiving just a few days away, you may have already dreamed up this year’s menu or table setting but before you perfect the details, take a cue from Brad Ford, interior designer, creator of the modern makers craft fair, Field+Supply, and founder of the FAIR showroom at 200 Lex; and Sarah Copeland, award-winning writer, cookbook author, and tastemaker, on how they plan to entertain at home — quarantine style — this year.
Q: Tell us your Thanksgiving Menu!
Sarah: I’m making a Capon! It’s the first time I’m making a capon for Thanksgiving. A capon is bigger than a chicken, smaller than turkey. It’s supposed to be juicier and more flavorful so I’m excited to try it. And I’m planning to do the buttermilk-brined from Samin Nosrat’s “Salt Fat Acid Heat.” What about you?
Brad: We’re gonna have a simple menu. I’m going to do my brother’s stuffing this year. The recipe is from Williams Sonoma and the real crowd pleaser in the recipe is the chestnuts. It’s super full of flavor and I love the textures. One new thing I am going to try to make this year is a beet salad. Using jarred beets over arugula, goat cheese and candied pine nuts. What do you think?
Sarah: Don’t forget your herbs! Herbs are the hero of Thanksgiving. For your beet salad, I would add chopped parsley or dill, mint, thyme. Whatever you have. That will really make your salad come to life.
Q: What recommendations do you have for appetizers?
Sarah: With COVID it’s hard because you don’t want to serve shared platters. So this year, cocktails are the new appetizer! You also can’t go wrong with the classics like bacon wrapped dates.
Q: What does your Thanksgiving table look like?
Brad: Well, I’m actually sitting at the table. But the room where we eat has a wood-burning fireplace so we will have a fire in the background while we eat. I love building a fire.
Q: Any recommendations on leftovers?
Brad: What about stuffed mushrooms? Stuffed mushrooms with leftover stuffing.
Sarah: I love mushrooms. Anything mushroom has my attention.
To hear more from Brad and Sarah, visit the New York Design Center Instagram (@NYDC) for a special Thanksgiving themed Cocktails & Conversation or pick-up a copy of Sarah’s newly released book, Instant Family Meals, featuring delicious and wholesome recipes for the whole family. Buy now via penguinrandomhouse.com, and see below for a sneak peek of Sarah’s “No-Fuss Steamed Beets,” the perfect Thanksgiving side dish. And if you are still looking for the perfect finishing touch for this year’s tablescape, check out Brad’s gift guides at fieldandsupply.com. You’ll find a curated selection of items for the entertainer, the chef, the design fanatic, and more.
No-Fuss Steamed Beets
with Parsley Herb-Caper Vinaigrette
Recipe Source: Instant Family Meals by Sarah Copeland
PREP TIME: 5 MINUTES
TOTAL TIME: 55 MINUTES
SERVES 4 TO 6
GLUTEN-FREE, DAIRY-FREE*, VEGAN*, VEGETARIAN
This bracing side dish—a perfect accompaniment to anything meaty, fatty, cheesy, gooey, or bready—is a chore under normal circumstances, because beets are messy to peel and time-consuming to roast or steam. But as you’ve learned by now, cooking with a pressure cooker is not exactly normal circumstances. You can just scrub the beets (no peeling!) and steam them whole (I use a steamer basket, but if you don’t have one, just add the beets directly to the pot). Then you can slip the skins right off before slicing the beets and tossing them in oil and vinegar. Give them a gloriously fresh finish with hazelnuts, capers, and herbs.
2 bunches (about 2 pounds) beets (red, golden, or a mix), scrubbed and trimmed
1⁄4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar or apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1⁄2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1⁄3 cup capers, drained
1⁄3 packed cup fresh dill, roughly chopped
1⁄3 packed cup fresh parsley, roughly chopped
FOR SERVING
Homemade Yogurt (page 160) or store-bought plain whole- milk yogurt
*For dairy-free and vegan, use dairy-free yogurt
Toasted hazelnuts (or any nuts), roughly chopped
Flaky sea salt, such as Maldon.
Place the beets in the steamer basket and set the basket into the inner pot of the pressure cooker. (If you don’t have a steamer basket, just add the beets directly to the cooker.) Pour in about 1 cup water, and Pressure Cook on high pressure for 20 minutes for small beets and 25 minutes for large ones. Let the pressure release naturally (about 20 minutes) or release it manually, then open the lid. Remove the beets from the pot—they should be fork-tender—and let cool until easy to handle.
Whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Stir in the capers, dill, and parsley.
Slip the beets out of their skins, and slice into halves or quarters. Add the beets to the dressing and toss to combine.
Spread a few spoonfuls of yogurt on a platter or serving plates, and spoon the dressed beets over the top, sprinkling them with hazelnuts and flaky salt. Serve at room temperature. (You can refrigerate the steamed beets, dressed or not, in an airtight container for up to 1 week.)
