As Thanksgiving Day draws closer and closer, it’s time to start those holiday meal preparations. Here’s a taste of some delicious dishes and desserts shared by Whidbey residents:

Savory Glazed Carrots

Stefan Bosworth, chef and co-owner of downtown Langley restaurant, Savory, is offering this twist on a classic side dish. His simple and tasty rendition of glazed carrots includes some unusual ingredients. “The date molasses/syrup brings an earthy sweetness while the sumac adds a hint of citrus for balance,” he said. This recipe yields 5-6 servings.

2 pounds carrots (prefer medium size around the thickness of your thumb)

Olive oil

Kosher salt and black pepper, freshly cracked

For glaze:

4 oz unsalted high fat butter

4 oz date molasses/syrup

2 teaspoons sumac

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon black pepper, freshly cracked

Freshly chopped parsley to garnish

Instructions: Slice carrots into 1-inch odd-shaped cubes (yes, uniform sizes cook more evenly but it looks a bit precious. This is home cooking!)

Toss lightly in olive oil, kosher salt and pepper and place on a parchment lined casserole. Cook in a preheated 350 degree oven for 35-50 minutes until just fork tender.

For glaze, melt butter in a saute pan (preferably non-stick) over medium-low heat. Do not allow it to burn. Add the rest of the glaze ingredients and cook at a simmer, stirring frequently until the glaze thickens.

Toss the glaze and carrots together and place in a serving dish, garnish with parsley.

Pecan Pie From a French Friend

Langley resident Rhonda Salerno, who is spending Thanksgiving abroad this year in Scotland, has a recipe for maple pecan pie that was shared by a French friend at a recent “Friendsgiving” event. “I loved it so much (because it didn’t have corn syrup in it), I asked him for the recipe,” Salerno said.

For filling:

2 1/12 cups pecan halves

5 tbls butter, melted and cooled

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1 tbls flour

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 large eggs, room temperature

1 cup pure Maple Syrup

Instructions: Prepare your favorite blind baking pie crust, brushing the edges with egg wash (egg beaten with a little milk or water) before baking for about 15 minutes. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread pecans inside warm pie crust and set aside.

Whisk melted butter, brown sugar and flour in large bowl, then add salt, vanilla, eggs and maple syrup. Spread mixture over the pecans.

Bake pie for 40 – 50 minutes. Remove pie from oven and top with a little cracked sea salt.

Cool pie until set. Top with fresh whipping cream and enjoy.

Farm-Fresh Berry Crisp

When South Whidbey resident Sabine Wilms ran a farm in New Mexico, she was accustomed to whipping together variations of this berry crisp for guests, based on which fruits were in season. The following recipe has been published in a German cookbook with recipes from Chinese medicine teachers.

2 pints blueberries washed, remove stems if there are any

OR

4 cups cut up rhubarb with 1/4 cup sugar, nectarines or peaches

For topping:

1 cup rolled oats

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon salt

4 tablespoons butter cut in small pieces

Optional: 1/4 cup chopped almonds

Instructions: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Pour blueberries into a buttered 8 x 8 x 2 inch baking pan.

In a different bowl, mix together the oats, almonds (if you are using) brown sugar, cinnamon, salt and butter with your fingers (or a pastry blender) until the consistency of wet sand. Sprinkle all over on top of the fruit. Pat down lightly.

Put into the oven and cook for 30 – 40 minutes or until the topping is lightly browned and the fruit is bubbling.

Cool slightly and serve with lightly sweetened whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

Colonial Pumpkin Pie

Coupeville resident Harry Anderson, a retired Los Angeles Times journalist and a current Whidbey News-Times columnist, offers this traditional pie recipe.

2 cups mashed fresh pumpkin (grown on Whidbey, preferred)

(a store-bought16-ounce can could be used but don’t tell anybody)

¾ cup sugar (half brown, half white granulated)

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

¾ teaspoon ground nutmeg

¼ teaspoons ground cloves

3 slightly beaten eggs

½ cup whipping cream

½ cup whole milk

1 unbaked 9-inch pie shell

Combine pumpkin, sugar, spices and ½ teaspoon salt. Blend in eggs, cream and milk. Pour into pie shell. Bake at 400 degrees until knife inserted off-center comes out clean, 40 to 50 minutes.