Photo credit: bhollar
(OK, I am sick of the word “GREEN”, and I will elaborate on that in a future post.)
I decided that its about time for me to write the obligatory “Thanksgiving dinner” post.
This Thanksgiving will be spent with my partner and a few or our friends when its normally just the two of us. Figuring out what to to make wasn’t that difficult given the fact that I cannot eat soy, gluten, most other grains, legumes, refined sugar and dairy (except for a little butter). They, on the other hand, eat just about everything.
Turkey seems like the best and easiest choice for the “main course”. Since I was originally going to feed just one other person, I purchased an organic, free range turkey breast because I didn’t want to have turkey leftovers until the end of May. Now with four people, a small turkey is a more economical idea, but you live and learn. I would list some resources as to where to buy local, humanely-raised, free range and/or organic turkeys, but its a little late for that now.
Instead of the usual cranberry sauce (which I never liked anyway), I will probably make something out of pomegranates since there are plenty of flavorful organic ones available this season at the local markets. I haven’t figured it out yet, but it should be tasty whatever it is.
I have a thing for yams (not to be confused with the sweet potato). I like to cut them up, sprinkle sea salt, cracked pepper and drizzle a little extra virgin olive oil before baking at 400-450 degrees until they’re brown. There is a local creamery that makes some of the best butter I’ve ever had.
Veggies will either be chard and/or collards complete with caramelized onions and garlic. A big salad will be severed while I finish getting everything else ready. My daily meals normally consist of about 75% vegetables, 25% protein and little to no starch and this meal will not be much different though yams are a treat for me.
Dessert will probably be local, seasonal, organic fruit; maybe persimmons and whatever else is available at the farmers market this Tuesday. If I feel like we need something else in addition to fruit, organic, fair trade dark chocolate is always a great choice.
For beverages, I will serve Blue Bottle Coffee at the end of the meal. In terms of something a little more exciting, I have been doing some experimentation with organic wine, but I don’t know much about that genre of wine yet. I may pick up a bottle or two from my local wine store, Vintage Berkeley or Whole Foods. I also have a bottle of Pierre Chermette Beaujolais 2007, and it goes down pretty easy – a little too easy, and this light, low tannin red will go well with turkey.
All in all, everything will be local, seasonal and organic (except for one of the wines). I also wanted to keep the meal simple, both for me and my dinner guests. Since I’m a pretty efficient cook, it will be a low stress, low fuss, low mess meal.
Green Thanksgiving Tips
Though we only have a few days until Thanksgiving, there is still time to apply a lot of the tips listed below and even pick out a new recipe.
Earth First 10 Tips for a Green Thanksgiving
Eat. Drink. Better. for How Local Will Your Thanksgiving Be?
Vegan/Vegetarian Thanksgiving Links
Veg Kitchen for vegan Thanksgiving recipes
Vegan Dad Blog has a recipe for Setain Roast with Wild Rice Chestnut Stuffing
Veg Cooking Blog presents: Vegan Recipes for a Canadian Thanksgiving (I’m sure you don’t need to be Canadian to enjoy these dishes)
The Organic Mixed Greens Salad with Toasted Pecan Vinaigrette posted on Vegan Fusion Blog sounds wonderful!
What are your plans?
Have a happy, healthy, and safe Thanksgiving!
I’m getting sick of the word “green” too, but it seems we can’t escape it!
I have yet to figure out how to make pomegranate recipes. I’m a cranberry fan, though.
There are more and more gluten-allergy folks springing up. I wonder why that is, or if people are just being more easily diagnosed. I hope your meal is as wonderful as it sounds!
My family is doing cornish game hens this year.
Bellesouth’s last blog post..A few totally cheap, totally green holiday gift-giving tips!!!!!
Local and simple sounds great for Thanksgiving. Thanks for sharing the thanksgiving links
Mark’s last blog post..What You Really Love
@Bellesouth – Cornish game hens sounds great! I dont know why gluten intolerance/Celiac disease is so common now. My theory is GMO foods, the overuse of gluten (its in everything now) and the fact that it can be easier now. I know I feel and look much better since I have taken it out of my diet. I’m not longer in chronic pain.
@Mark – Thanks!
Everything here sounds delicious Carla, and chosen with a lot of care. Your guests are very fortunate. Have a very Happy Thanksgiving!
Marelisa’s last blog post..30 Creativity Cards: A Gift I Made For You
Sounds like a delicious Thanksgiving! I volunteer with Eat Well Guide, a free online directory for local and sustainable foods, and I wanted to let you know about our Thanksgiving Local and Organic Challenge. Eat Well has teamed up with the Consumers Union, nonprofit publisher of Consumer Reports, to issue this Thanksgiving Challenge. We’re inviting people to take a spin on the Eat Well Guide to find local food and cook at least one local (preferably organic) dish for Thanksgiving, and share recipes at the CU site. Since your meal is already going to be entirely organic and local, perhaps you can share some of your recipes! I’m sure they’d be a hit. You can read more about it at the Green Fork:
[http://blog.eatwellguide.org/2008/11/take-the-local-organic-thanksgiving-challenge/]
Happy Thanksgiving!
The pomegranate dish sounds really intriguing. I’ve eaten them but never cooked with one.
I’m not a big fan of Thanksgiving so I’m probably going to order Thai food. Super hot yellow curry with tofu and veggies.
Kim Woodbridge | (Anti) Social Development’s last blog post..(Anti) Social-Lists 11/23/08
@ Marelisa – Thank you!
@ Joyce – Thanks for the very informative link! I will add this to my post.
@ Kim – I love how you can still get Chinese and Thai food on Thanksgiving and Christmas day!
We are having Thanksgiving dinner with friends. Thankfully, they don’t want us to bring anything except for wine. (I’m not that great with coking traditional foods). So we’re bringing a couple of bottles of wine and planning on enjoying the company.
Happy Thanksgiving!
I’m looking forward to your post on “green” terminology! (And now I’m totally hungry!
)
Sara at On Simplicity’s last blog post..The Simple Guide to Staying Out of Office Politics
We don’t go about the green thing the way others do, mainly because, through family, we have always had access to and appreciated home grown items.
My father plows an acre and plants quite a bit of it himself, giving his neighbors the opportunity to plant what they want on the rest. One of my cousins has a pear tree that is incredibly productive, my daughter’s father-in-law keeps us all supplied with pomegranates and persimmons, several relatives have pecan trees and we grow enough peppers in our city yard for the family. They are beautiful landscaping plants too.
And don’t even get me started on homegrown tomatoes!
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Sounds like a delicious meal you’ll be having!
Happy Thanksgiving Carla!
Lance’s last blog post..With Many Thanks, We Dance
@Vered – Sounds like you’re going to have a good time!
@Sara – Now I HAVE to write it, LOL!
@Donna – I so love fresh tomatoes. The tomato plant is one of the first smells/scents I have memories of.
@Lance – Thank you so much. Happy Thanksgiving to you too.
Sounds like a great meal! Mine was an odd choice in some ways for Thanksgiving, some might say… but I’m thankful for all the bounty to be found in the bay area… most of the menu items were bought at the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market last Saturday…
Cooked a goat “rolled fillet”, with braised brussel sprouts (with OMG good pancetta) and mushrooms tossed in the goat pan jus with balsamic & buttah…
yummy!