The other day, we were having dinner with the family and my mom said “so, do you want to host Thanksgiving this year?” My first instinct was – heck no, that sounds like a lot of work! Of course, what came out of my mouth was a noncommittal “ok, sure? I guess?” Later that night, as the idea settled in my mind, I thought of the beautiful fall harvest-y type dishes I could make and I started to get excited. I got warm and fuzzy feelings picturing my family gathered around the kitchen in our new home, drinking wine and talking about “the game” (football?), as my mom and I rotate dishes in and out of our Wolf double ovens (that will now come in super handy). As the one who usually shows up to Thanksgiving at the last minute, straight from the airport, this hosting gig seems like a big adult step. What does all of this have to do with the beautiful salad up there? Well, the inspiration for both hosting Thanksgiving and the salad were from a trip we took to Madison hosted by Sub-Zero and Wolf. We’ve loved working with them over the past couple of years, and we’re totally on board with their philosophies – to inspire people to cook and create memorable experiences with their families, and to enjoy fresh, seasonal food.
Something that I didn’t know before this trip, is that Sub-Zero and Wolf appliance are made right here in Madison. We toured both factory floors, and while they didn’t let us take photos of their proprietary processes, it was fascinating to watch the appliances being built from start to finish and to learn about the rigorous testing they do at each and every step. It gave me peace of mind knowing that the appliances in our home are going to last through the rigors that we put them through – holidays, cookbooks, and more. I was also reassured that if I (or anyone) have a problem with an appliance, someone from Madison (not overseas) will be on top of the repair.
Also in Madison we met their resident chef, Joel Chesebro. He cooked for us and explained to me why I should almost always use the convection setting on my oven. Since I use the oven mostly to roast veggies, he explained that the consistent heat creates a nice, even brown crispness around the edges. In fact, the only time he doesn’t use convection is when baking cakes or quick breads so that the tops of the baked goods don’t brown before the inside is done cooking. Next, (the prettiest part!), he took us on a tour of their new barn and the dreamy Harvest Haven gardens where they source the produce for guests of Sub-Zero and Wolf year round. The blue skies and epic amount of fresh produce growing right there(!) made me want to move to a farmhouse in Wisconsin and make my #farmhousegoals come true.
above: the freshest butternut squash below: barn dreams, and a spread of delicious pickled vegetables that Chef Joel made for us. Note to self: I need to get the recipe for those pickled Moroccan carrots – the spice combo was amazing!
After strolling through the farm, their team made us a wonderful meal, and well, this salad (pictured at the top of this post) just floored me. It was so simple, but it was made from the freshest lettuces, tomatoes, turnips, and carrots that we just saw – proving yet again that delicious, beautiful food doesn’t have to be complicated! This will be the perfect start to my Thanksgiving meal. I just had to get the recipe from Chef Joel to share with all of you, and he kindly sent it, so here it is!
Special thanks to Sub-Zero and Wolf for partnering on this post. All opinions and images are my own – thank you for supporting the sponsors that keep us cooking!
