Food/Thanksgiving Menu

Those of you who have been reading my posts for the last several days may have detected a nascent structure to my musings, broadly hinted at by my headings. I can’t help myself—I’m the sort of person who needs some basic order in her life. My daughter used to warn her friends not to be surprised when they went down to our rec room in the basement and caught a glimpse of my pantry. All the cabinets (the original pale green metal cabinets that had been in the kitchen before it was renovated) were labeled with their contents: soups, pasta, canned tomatoes, olive oil, preserves, etc.). It was so much easier to unpack the groceries or find something when I needed it.

So, like my basement pantry, my blog will be labeled. It’s my intention to focus on a different theme each day of the week: Craft, Discoveries, Inspiration, Encounters and Food.

That being said, I’m throwing out the structure for this week because all I’ll be doing between now and Thursday is cooking. As long as I’m focused on food in the real world, I figured I might as well be in the virtual world.

I have always cooked Thanksgiving dinner for my family and assorted guests. When all our parents were alive and our siblings lived close enough, it was a very full table. This year, we are hosting only eight. Although the quantities are smaller than in years past, I’m still making the same variety of dishes.

Here’s my menu for this Thanksgiving:

Crudités
Assorted Cheeses
Artichoke Pesto
Olive Tapenade

Roast Turkey with Gravy

Quorn Roast with Mushroom Gravy (for the four vegetarians at the table)

Chestnut Stuffing

Mashed Sweet Potatoes with Brown Sugar and Walnut Topping

Sweet and Sour Red Cabbage

Green Beans with Olive Oil and Lemon Dressing

Brussels Sprouts with Maple Syrup

Mushrooms Baked with a Garlic, Parsley, Parmeggiano and Breadcrumb Topping

Cranberry-Orange Sauce

Homemade Breads

Tossed Green Salad

Apple Pie

Pumpkin Pie

Figs, Dates and Nuts

Roasted Chestnuts

Assorted Fresh Fruit Bowl (Apples, Pears, Grapes, Tangerines, Pomegranates and Persimmons)

I’ll be sharing the recipes for some of these dishes later in the week. For now, I’ve got to go check on the homemade chicken stock simmering on the stove—the basis for the gravy.

Happy cooking!