Pantry: Add some green to the holiday table

Thanksgiving is our lovely fall indulgence, when we celebrate the harvest, feel grateful for countless things, eat a bit too much, enjoy each other’s company and attempt not to insult the vegans among us.

Although I’m frequently asked how to create harmony at the dinner table, especially at this time of year, I’ve given up making specific suggestions about how to please those committed to a niche diet, as I always offend someone. I think the best thing to do is simply offer a wide array of foods - personally, I love a lot of fall vegetables on my holiday table - and then leave guests to their own preferences. A home is not a restaurant; it’s one meal and anyone with a limited diet typically takes responsibility for their own needs. Or should.

When you offer several vegetable dishes, you mitigate some of that overly full feeling that follows many holiday suppers. Plus, lighter fare heightens enjoyment of richer dishes by refreshing the palate and by adding a counterpoint in both taste and texture.

Personally, I don’t want, say, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, creamed spinach or green beans and turkey dressing all at the same time. Give me one, maybe two, along with something bright, like wilted spinach or sautéed celery. Add a bit of grated lemon zest to either and I’m in heaven.

And here’s a little secret I probably shouldn’t tell you; consider it my holiday present. Libby Batzel of Beet Generation Farm has truly sensational spinach, so good you should probably double the amount you think you’ll need. You’ll find her at the Santa Rosa Original Certified Farmers Market.

The other night at dinner, my grandson Lucas, who is now 13, didn’t want more potatoes or more Greek meatloaf.

“Isn’t there more spinach?” he asked. Now that’s an endorsement!

Sadly, I had to tell him no.

Adding spinach to your holiday table couldn’t be easier. When everything else is ready, the table set and guests slipping into their seats, put the spinach, with leaves still damp from rinsing, into a large pot - a wok is prefect - over high heat. As the spinach begins to collapse, use tongs to turn it and when it is fully limp, add a few pinches of salt and some lemon zest, transfer it to bowl and add it to the table.

It takes under two minutes and almost anyone - carnivores, omnivores, vegetarians, vegans, anyone who is gluten intolerant or on a paleo diet - can eat it.

Unless they’re allergic.

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Sometimes I start Thanksgiving dinner with a favorite fall soup or with fresh cracked crab, but this starter, paired with smoked fish or not, is wonderful, too, especially with a chilled Brut Rosé alongside.

Root Vegetable Remoulade with Smoked Salmon

Serves 6 to 8

1 small to medium celery root, peeled and trimmed

2 medium carrots, peeled and trimmed

2 parsnips, peeled and trimmed

1 bunch radishes, trimmed

1 lemon, juiced

1 cup creme fraiche or a blend of ½ cup creme fraiche and ½ cup mayonnaise

? cup Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon brined green peppercorns, optional

2 tablespoon fresh snipped chives

- Kosher salt

- Black pepper in a mill

10-12 ounces gravlax, smoked salmon, smoked trout, smoked sturgeon or other smoked fish

Using the large blade of a box grater or the large grating blade of a food processor, grate the vegetables and transfer them to a medium mixing bowl. If you prefer, use a mandoline’s narrow blade to cut the vegetables into small julienne.

Add the lemon juice and toss well. Set aside briefly.

Put the creme fraiche (and mayonnaise, if using) and mustard into a small bowl and stir until smooth. Add the green peppercorns, if using, and the chives; taste and season with salt and pepper.

Set aside about ? cup of the dressing. Add the rest to the bowl with the grated vegetables. Toss gently but thoroughly. Taste and adjust for salt and pepper as needed.

Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

To serve, divide the remoulade among individual plates and top with some of the smoked fish.

Add a dollop of the reserved dressing and serve right away.

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If you don’t have mustard seeds in your pantry, one of the best sources is at Oliver’s Markets, in the bulk spice section. You’ll find white mustard seeds labeled as “yellow,” which refers to their color; these are what you want. White is their technical name but using it confuses a lot of people, so many purveyors use yellow to identify them.

Mustard seeds are inexpensive and last forever, or almost, without a deterioration in flavor.

Cabbage and Celery with Mustard Seeds and Fresh Sage

Serves 6 to 8

1 small green cabbage

3 tablespoons butter

2 teaspoons white mustard seeds

1 small yellow onion, trimmed and very thinly sliced

Kosher salt

3-4 celery stalks, trimmed and cut into thin diagonal slices

Black pepper in a mill

2 teaspoons minced fresh sage

Sage leaves, for garnish

Trim the cabbage, cut out the core and cut into very thin ribbons. Set aside.

Put the butter into a deep sauté pan set over medium heat and, when it is melted, add the mustard seeds. Cook for 1 minute. Add the onion, toss and cook until it wilts, about 5 to 6 minutes. Add the celery, cook 2 minutes more and season lightly with salt.

Add the cabbage, turn to coat it with butter and, when it begins to wilt, cover the pan, reduce the heat to low and simmer until the cabbage is tender, about 10 minutes.

Taste, correct for salt, season with black pepper and transfer to a serving bowl. Garnish with sage leaves and serve right away.

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Roasting celery root concentrates its flavor and creates a rich texture, unlike steaming, which dilutes the taste and makes it a bit watery. Don’t worry about the exact temperature if you have other things in the oven; celery root is flexible as long as you turn it now and then and make sure it doesn’t burn.

Roasted Celery Root with Brown Butter & Sage

Serves 4 to 6

1½ pounds celery root

Olive oil

Kosher salt

2-3 tablespoons clarified butter

1 tablespoon minced fresh sage

Black pepper in a mill

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Peel the celery root and cut it into wedges about 2 inches wide at their thickest point. Put the wedges onto a baking sheet, drizzle with a bit of olive oil and toss to coat each wedge. Season with salt and spread out over the baking sheet in a single layer.

Set on the middle rack of the oven, reduce the heat to 375 degrees and cook until tender, about 45 minutes; turn once during cooking.

Remove from the oven.

Just before serving, put the butter in a sauté pan set over medium-low heat. Watch the butter carefully and when it begins to give off a nut-like aroma and take on a deep golden hue, add the wedges of celery root.

Saute for about 1 minute, turn, sauté 1 minute more, add the minced sage and several turns of black pepper, taste and correct for salt. Remove from the heat, tip into a bowl and serve right away.

Michele Anna Jordan has written 17 books to date, including “Vinaigrettes and Other Dressings.” Email Jordan at michele@saladdresser.com. You’ll find her blog, “Eat This Now,” at pantry.blogs .pressdemocrat.com.