My thoughts are with the many people still suffering the after-effects of this week’s epic storm. My sister- and brother-in-law extended their visit last weekend to ride out the worst of the hurricane here in Seattle with us, and we were glad to be safe and dry and together. But seeing the aftermath unfold on the other coast, with all its tragedies big and small, is heartbreaking. I hope that you and your families are safe and warm. Let me know if I can send you cookies. And if you are lucky enough to live at a distance and can give $10 or more, please join me in making a donation to the Red Cross.
In The Kitchen
This week I roasted everything. Winter squash, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, tomatoes, carrots. Roasting vegetables sweetens them and makes the house smell good. 
Menu 1: Roasted squash wedges and roasted Brussels sprouts were finger food straight from the pan before falafel for dinner. Leftover roasted squash became a tahini-laced dip (also good with falafel!).
Menu 2: More leftover roasted squash & the leftover Brussels sprouts went into quinoa cakes, which I served with a kale caesar salad.
Menu 3: And speaking of comfort food, I made pasta with white beans, red onion, garlic, roasted broccoli, roasted tomatoes, and parsley, sauced with some of the cooking liquid from the homemade white beans. I served it with a variation on that lemony celery salad that I’ll be sharing soon.
Complete Fail: I made a gummy, heavy pasta dish with potatoes. For company. Whoops. Sorry, company. I won’t link to that recipe.
And the granola, this week, was a salted maple pecan. I’ve been adding ground flax seeds, I think they’re supposed to be healthy.
Preserving
Remember my first batch of sauerkraut?
Yeah, the one I spilled all over the floor? Well, my next batch is well underway. It’s in week 3 of fermenting in the basement and I tasted it today. It’s ok. The taste seems a little…flat. Is that going to improve with time? Help me out, fermenters!
I also made fruit leather under Janet’s tutelage. Oh, it’s good. I think I need a dehydrator of my own.
On My Plate
I browsed back through my archives and pulled together some vegetarian Thanksgiving recipe ideas. More on that topic soon!
And did I tell you that I brought home grape leaves from California last week? I have in mind some kind of grilled grape-wrapped goat cheese thingy, maybe, or the grape leaf pie from Plenty.
Thanks for Cooking with Emmy Cooks!
Kalyn’s Kitchen featured my Green Olive and Celery Salad and my Greens With Lemon, Dill, and Feta. Good choices!
I had a great time cooking with my friends and eating (ok, reading) my way through the offerings in the Virtual Vegan Potluck. I brought a creamy roasted celery soup.
And finally, don’t forget to enter the Cookbook Giveaway this week! It’s a way to say thanks for reading and cooking along with me. Thank you!
Emmy Cooks 
Roasted veggies rock! :-)
I agree. We did delicata squash with carrots and parsnips tonight–like candy! :)
I’ve been roasting brussels sprouts for the first time this week. They were never amongst my favourite vegetable before, but roasting seems to suit them well. With the left over sprouts, and some leftover roast potatoes, I made “bubble and squeak”.
I had to look up bubble and squeak and next I am going to have to make it! Do you mash the vegetables into cakes and brown them on both sides? That sounds like a heavenly bed for a poached egg, in my book. And I agree that roasting in a hot oven may be the highest calling for a Brussels sprout. Those crispy outer leaves are my favorites. (Although I love this raw Brussels sprout salad too: https://emmycooks.com/2012/02/12/shaved-brussels-sprout-salad-with-red-onion-lemon-and-pecorino/.)
A dehydrator is a lot of fun, you won’t regret getting one of your own!
We really loved the fruit leather, but I think I’m going to have to try making it in the oven so I can make bigger trays. :) What else do you dehydrate?
Love it, Emmy! And it’s hard to believe that you had a cooking fail!
Ha, ha–only all the time! So glad to know that you’re home safe and sound.
Thanks, Emmy! Sandy-cation over :-)
I’ve got no fermentation skills so can’t help there!
Me neither, I’m just winging it. I’ll let you know in a couple weeks. :)
Hope it works out!
Thank you for your East Coast nod. We only got brushed by the edge of this behemoth and it was pretty awful. I can’t imagine if we were on the coast. Now that we have power and such, I think it may be tie for some of your celery soup.
So glad to hear that you are up and running–I can’t imagine what life is like for the people who still lack power or whose houses are no longer standing. What a tragedy. I do always think soup is a small comfort, though. Take care.