But I think the main underlying reason is that it is the quintessential American holiday. No matter what our ancestry or ethnic background, our religion or lack thereof, we all seem to identify with the concept that brought our forefathers here from somewhere else and we share in the thankfulness for being Americans. Thanksgiving is American Pride Day.
One year, for a host of reasons, our gathering was very small: my husband, a Latvian, his mother, also Latvian, and me—a card-carrying member of the DAR. What was on our menu? Turkey, stuffing, potatoes, gravy, cranberries, sweet potatoes and pumpkin pie, of course—same as yours. Food always has a way of being so much more than nourishment for our bodies—it symbolizes our shared humanity and sometimes our shared culture. All of the immigrants, children of immigrants, and native Americans will share in this menu—the tribute to the brave people who dared to leave security and strike out to a new place in order to experience freedom.
At that first Thanksgiving, the fare was more meager than we sometimes like to think. The Pilgrims were only marginally successful with their first year’s crops and half of their population had been lost over the prior winter. Massasoit, chief of the Wampanoag tribe was invited to attend and when he showed up with a large assortment of other tribesmen, the Pilgrims must have been more than a little worried. But as Providence would have it, these Indian people saved the day. They began by going hunting and showing the Pilgrim men tried and true methods for bringing back the five deer--along with game birds and eel--which are listed along with leeks, wild mushrooms, groundnuts, dried berries, wild plums, watercress and other “sallet” greens as the foods eaten during the three day meal. Corn bread and succotash were on the menu too. Perhaps it wasn’t until later that pumpkin and turkey and cranberries became staples on the Thanksgiving menu.
Never mind. Those foods were native to the new world and surely showed up soon afterward and our Thanksgiving menu pays homage to the ingredients available during the earlier periods of New England’s history. So here’s our traditional menu with a couple of recipes that I especially like—but do your own traditional take on this. If you want to be innovative and also historically accurate, include a small venison roast alongside your turkey.
Thanksgiving Day Menu
Roast Turkey with Giblet Gravy
Wild rice Dressing
Cranberry-Orange Relish
Jellied Cranberries
Sweet Potato-Apple Casserole
Green “Sallet” with mushrooms, Leeks and Watercress
Buttered Brussels sprouts with Chestnuts
Parmesan Rolls
Pumpkin Pie
Pecan Pie
Sweet Potato-Apple Casserole (8 servings)
2 medium Granny Smith apples, cored, peeled, and halved to fit feed tube of food processor
2 16-oz cans sweet potatoes, drained (or peel and boil fresh sweet potatoes to equal about 3 cups)
1 stick butter, melted
½ cup dark corn syrup
One-third cup plus 2 Tbsp. firmly packed brown sugar
2 Tbsp. dry sherry
½ tsp. cinnamon
One-eighth tsp. salt
Butter a casserole. Preheat oven to 350 deg. Slice apples in food processor with steel knife. Remove. Combine sweet potatoes, butter, corn syrup, brown sugar, sherry, cinnamon and salt in work bowl and process until well blended and pureed. Spread ½ mixture in casserole; arrange ½ apple slices over, overlapping evenly. Repeat layers. Brush top of apple slices with 2 Tbsp. melted butter. Bake 30 minutes.
Green “Sallet” with Mushrooms, Leeks and Watercress (8 servings)
6 Tbsp. olive oil
1 large leek (white and light green parts only), halved lengthwise, thinly sliced crosswise
1 medium carrot, halved lengthwise, thinly sliced crosswise
½ tsp. dried crushed red pepper
1 pound mushrooms (wild and/or button), thickly sliced
One-fourth cup white wine vinegar
1 tsp. dried marjoram
6 cups mixed baby lettuces
1 large watercress bunch, trimmed
Heat 2 Tbsp. oil in heavy skillet over high heat. Add leek and carrot and sauté 1 minute; add crushed red pepper and sauté 1 minute. Add mushrooms, vinegar and marjoram. Reduce heat to medium and simmer 15 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove skillet from heat. Add remaining 4 Tbsp. oil; season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer mushroom mixture to small bowl. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Combine lettuces and water cress in large shallow bowl. Drain marinade from mushroom mixture into small bowl. Toss greens with enough marinade to season to taste. Arrange mushrooms in center of greens. Serve, passing any remaining marinade separately as dressing.
(Adapted from Bon Appetit November 1993)
If you’re looking for a different or an additional dessert to add to your dinner besides the usual pies, I have one that is absolutely delicious. Last Saturday I was fortunate enough to judge (along with Marie Mikel of Oar D’oeuvres and Scott Atkison) a cooking contest held at The Galley Room downtown. The 9 contestants were given a jar of Robert Rothschild Pumpkin Curd and Tart Filling and asked to come up with an original recipe using it. Wow, was it hard to judge the wonderful dishes the contestants brought in. But the winner is just that—a winner. Please give this wonderful dessert, entered by Sam and Jodi Lewis, a try.
Pumpkin Mousse Cheesecake—8 hours preparation time (includes baking and chilling)
Three-fourths cup crushed graham crackers
Three-fourths cup crushed ginger snap cookies
Three-fourths cup chopped pecans
6 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
One-fourth tsp. ground ginger
One-fourth and one-eighth tsp. pumpkin pie spice
½ cup sugar
1-1/2 tsp. vanilla (divided use)
2 lbs. cream cheese, room temp
1 jar of Robert Rothschild Pumpkin curd and tart filling
3 eggs, room temp
1 cup heavy cream
1-1/2 Tbsp confectioner’s sugar
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter bottom and sides of 9” spring form pan. Mix cracker and cookie crumbs, ginger, melted butter, and pecans until moist. Press into bottom of pan. Bake 8-10 minutes until slightly brown. Cool completely on rack.
Reduce oven heat to 325 degrees. Beat cream cheese with mixer low speed until smooth. Add three-fourths cup pumpkin curd, 1 tsp. vanilla, sugar and one-fourth tsp. pumpkin spice and beat on low until just combined. Add eggs, one at a time, beating on low until combined. Pour filling onto cooled crust and place on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake, covered with another baking sheet until center still moves slightly, but not soupy. Bake 50-60 minutes. Cool 2 hours on rack, then cover and chill.
Beat heavy cream, confectioner’s sugar, one-eighth tsp. pumpkin pie spice and ½ tsp vanilla until stiff peaks form. Fold in remaining pumpkin curd gently and spread over top of chilled cake. Cover with plastic wrap and chill 2 hours.
Serves 10-12
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