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Thanksgiving is full of local traditions, both regional and individual (or, more likely, familial). Thanksgiving could mean turkey (of course), or lobster (a New England tradition), or maybe wild-rice casserole (if you’re in Minnesota). The regional variety makes sense, as different things are seasonal across all the different climates in America. This year, I’m focusing on local and seasonal Thanksgiving recipes, and experimenting with slight variations on traditional dishes.
Did you know that there were multiple “First Thanksgivings?” We may think of the one we learned about in school that took place in Plymouth, Massachussetts, but there were other Thanksgiving celebrations that took place first. For example, the Thanksgiving that took place in St. Augustine, Florida occurred 56 years before the one in Massachusetts. The Thanksgiving that took place in Jamestown, Virginia happened two years before the one in Plymouth. Some trivia you can bring up at the Thanksgiving table, I suppose, for the history nerds among us.
Anyway, onto the food!
Appetizers
Did you know that nuts are a seasonal crop? In California, walnuts are generally harvested from late August through the end of November. Try making spiced nuts as an easy, make-ahead appetizer. Bake it Paleo has a good guide for rosemary toasted walnuts, but if you don’t like rosemary, you could change the spices. Try pumpkin pie spice or chili powder for different flavor profiles.
I really like the idea of these Potato Gratin Stacks from Delish. But instead of only using potato, I’d mix in slices of parsnip, which I find to be a wholly underrated vegetable. Parsnips have a wonderful nutty flavor that would pair well with both potatoes and cheese (maybe a gruyere or taleggio). This would also be a great way to sneak in a new vegetable for picky kids (or adults, for that matter). The parsnips are white and have the same texture as potatoes when cooked, so they really do blend right in.
Side Dishes
Try my Roasted Green Beans with Tomato Confit, instead of the typical green bean casserole with cream of mushroom soup. I love green beans, but I find green bean casserole to be heavy and bland. The tomato confit really punches up the flavor and although it is made with copious amounts of oil, this roasted green bean dish tastes infinitely lighter than cream of mushroom soup. I made this for last year’s Thanksgiving and it was a huge hit. And yes, it is on this year’s Thanksgiving plan as well.
I love the Baltimorean tradition of serving sauerkraut with the Thanksgiving turkey. Sounds weird, but trust me, the sharp sourness is the perfect counterpoint to all the rich food, and the probiotics are a great digestion aid when you’re eating such a large meal. And the fun part is that cabbage isn’t the only thing that you can turn into sauerkraut – I plan on making this kohlrabi kraut, with a few modifications.
My husband makes a sweet potato soufflé every year. It’s the tail end of sweet potato season, and the later harvest tends to be sweeter than those picked earlier in the season, so no marshmallows needed. As I note in my sweet potato guide, I recommend O’Henry sweet potatoes because of their balanced sweetness and the super smooth string-less flesh.
Mains
Try stuffing the turkey with seasonal citrus to keep it moist and impart extra flavor. I like this recipe from the LA Times for a grapefruit and rosemary stuffed turkey, which would act as a great starting point. I might substitute the pink grapefruit and rosemary with another citrus/herb for a slight variation. Pomelos stand out as an obvious substitution idea, since they have similar flavor, but I’d love to try stuffing the turkey with calamansi for a punch of sour flavor.
Do you prefer stuffing or dressing? Not that there’s really much of a difference in the grand scheme of things, but I have to say that I’m on Team Dressing. Cooking the stuffing/dressing outside the bird means that you can make a lot more of it! Try the Apple Sausage Stuffing recipe from Fixed on Fresh. Lauren’s recipe calls for either Honeycrisp or Granny Smith apples, but I think I’d be more likely to use my favorite variety – Mutsu!
Dessert
Pumpkin pie doesn’t have to be made with pumpkin purée; you can use almost any winter squash that you find from the farmers market. Serious Eats has a guide on using butternut squash to make “pumpkin pie,” but I think using red kabocha squash would be an excellent substitute (the red kabocha squashes, as opposed to green ones, are sweeter and would pair nicely in a dessert).
Thanksgiving is only two weeks away, so now is definitely the time to get all the plans in order. And maybe make a few things ahead of time.
