If there wasn't crying in the kitchen on Thanksgiving at my house last year there was at least gnashing of teeth. I resolved that this holiday I would take my time planning, shopping and preparing so that I could sort of glide into the dinner feeling organized and optimistic.
Dinner was on Sunday so I began the process last week: I planned the menu on Tuesday, did all of the shopping on Wednesday and started preparing things on Thursday. By the time Sunday rolled around things were indeed unusually calm, the dinner came together seemingly without effort.
This is how it all came together:
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Cranberries for the chutney.
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On Thursday I made the cranberry chutney. I found some miniature jars which I knew would be attractive and fun on the table. I used a recipe quite similar to
this one, though I omitted the raisins because the Rascals hate them.
With those little jars tucked inside the refrigerator I felt like I had the ball rolling. Confidence is everything.
I decided to do some baking on the Friday as well as cooking up a batch of something that would start the Thanksgiving weekend off on the right note... the note redolent of both a pumpkin festival and autumnal glory that is...
How about a pumpkin gnocchi? So easy and just the thing if you have to open up a can of pumpkin anyway,
here is the recipe I used.
I don't have any patience for cooking fiddly things, this dough is quite forgiving and easy, and look at the pumpkin colour:
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| Gnocchi dough. |
I served this to my youngest Rascal and a few of her friends, it was a thumbs-up.
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| Frying the sage in butter for the sauce... |
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| The finished pumpkin gnocchi with brown butter and balsamic sage. |
I decide to bake a sort of pumpkin pound cake type loaf, perfect for a quick breakfast leading up to the big dinner and to be made magnificent with cream and caramel for dessert following the turkey and fixings.
I used a recipe similar to
this one (though I substituted ground cardamom and a bit of nutmeg for the pumpkin pie spice, and I also used sour cream rather than milk).
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The dry ingredients for the pumpkin loaf.
I used ground cardamom and nutmeg. |
I found this rather long loaf pan at the kitchen store:
After baking it on Friday I wrapped it in plastic until Sunday, a few slices went missing before the big day but as it was such a long loaf to start it didn't make much difference.
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| Long pumpkin loaf: perfect for stealing slices from. |
We went to visit family on the Saturday but I did think to chill some booze before we left. On the Sunday morning I was awake bright and early to bake up a batch of Thanksgiving Granola:
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Thanksgiving Granola
Oats, pumpkin seeds, golden flax, walnuts, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds and dried cranberries. |
Granola is so easy to bake and can be customized to suit your tastes. I use a
basic recipe similar to this one though I substitute coconut oil for the vegetable oil. For this Thanksgiving granola I used maple syrup only, rather than a combination of maple syrup and honey. Any nuts or dried fruits can be substituted, for example I never use raisins due to the Rascal Hate Factor but I will use dried cranberries (or dried cherries and sour apricots).
I made an extra batch of granola to be sent back to Uni with my son and his girlfriend. Saying goodbye to our son after a holiday at home is always so fraught with anxiety and sadness to see him go... having something good from home to tuck into his backpack is a helpful coping tool.
Another helpful coping tool is of course a nicely stocked bar, this holiday I even bought some mead:
We forgot to drink it but it lies in wait for Christmas, unless I can think of a suitable excuse beforehand...
On the day of the dinner, while the granola was baking away, I set the table with some simple plates and linens. The individual jars of cranberry chutney were laid out at each place:
Then it was time to get on with the stuffing for the bird. I always make a bread stuffing as it is a favourite of the Rascals, and there's one key ingredient that is a deal-breaker:
The thing about Bell's is that I have never been able to find it up here in Canada. I usually stock up on it when we go skiing or when I visit my family in Georgia. I'm running dangerously low so if you are fortunate enough to be sitting in the fine United States just now maybe you could send me some, I'll trade you some maple syrup!
I like to serve three vegetable side dishes on Thanksgiving, and luckily root vegetables are easy to prepare ahead of time.
I peeled the carrots and the butternut squash, accessorized with rosemary, leeks and some brussel sprouts, swished olive oil and salt over the whole lot and slid them in the oven to await their roasting:
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| Vegetable prep:easy. |
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| Fortunately I have two ovens, these trays waited in one of them while the bird roasted in the other. |
The third vegetable dish I like to prepare can be accomplished on the stovetop: brussel sprouts with shallots and chestnuts. I placed everything in a large cast iron skillet (including the butter on the bottom) and left it waiting on the stove.
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| Sliced brussel sprouts, shallots, chestnuts and lots of butter. |
Then it was down to the potato prep: I peeled six pounds of russet taters and placed them in water.
At this point we took a break so we could walk Scout and marvel at the falling leaves etc. Also we drank some cider, watched some football and went on Pinterest (that was just me). After all of these pleasantries it was easy to get back to the task at hand: whipping some cream for the pumpkin pound cake, or what was left of it:
I put the bird in the oven 3.5 hours ahead of dinner. I tend to buy a smaller bird these days, at one time I would try to source a 20 to 25 pound turkey but I would find that I would overcook it, it was too heavy to manage, it would lead to general frustration which as we all know is the prelude to Crying In The Kitchen...
A smaller bird is more manageable and easier to afford if you're looking for a free-run bird etc. This one was 13 pounds:
I use
this recipe, which is fairly basic, though I do tend to accessorize the turkey with some sage leaves. I also use a basic chicken stock from a tetra pack rather than turkey stock, it works out just fine.
How easy is it to decorate in the autumn? Pumpkins, simple mums and candlelight are a comforting and winning combination, all of those golden amber shades...
The timing of a big dinner is everything and this is where delegating becomes a good skill to have. I give MrBP the job of mashing the potatoes and whipping up the gravy, while I get the vegetables onto attractive serving dishes with garnishes of fresh herbs:
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| Roasted vegetables with some fresh rosemary. |
I use a combination of green stoneware and terracotta serving pieces for Thanksgiving, in keeping with autumnal colours:
Cleanup? That's easy: give it to the kids to do. We retired to the television room with some tea to watch the sports while they earned their keep scrubbing pots and re-organizing the fridge to contain all of the leftovers.
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| Sparkling clean dishes: those Rascals have been earning their keep. |
Today shone brilliantly with a blue sky reflecting on the fall garden. I planted these yellow and pink mums this last month, I just love the colour combination in this brown french pot:
This pot on the terrace reminds me of my Colour Story (blush-pink, golden yellow, brown and a more vivid pink) for wardrobe this autumn (a story I've been working on this last weekend on the old Frock Philosophy blog, I'll update this post with a link when I have it up later this week).
If you have celebrated Thanksgiving here in Canada this last weekend I hope it was a happy one, and if you are still looking forward to yours (November 26th in the USA this year) let it be calm, merry and may it contain Bell's seasoning.
xoxDani
