Thanksgiving, Chez Nous

That's right: we're finally hosting Thanksgiving dinner. I'll be making dinner for 8 or 9, from soup to nuts. We're talking appetizers, soup, Turkey, all the sides, sauces, and fix-ins, and of course, pies galore. According to her family tradition, D gets a whole pumpkin pie designated for her. Not one to flout these family customs, I'll be following suit. One pumpkin pie for D, a couple more for the rest of us. Oh, and pecan, cranberry apple, and maybe something else, too. We'll see.

For now, here's my menu. It's pretty traditional, with some nips and tucks to suit our style (low-key) and our needs (no dairy). Some of you out there must be Tday veterans; I'd love your feedback -- what am I missing?

I'll add recipes and tips as I start the actual cooking, which probably won't happen until this weekend. Stay tuned, and please, pretty please: if you're also making Thanksgiving, share your menus in the comments!

Thanksgiving Menu

note: some of these recipes are NDP standbys. Several come from the wonderful community of cooks on Food52, and I imagine these are just a few of the Tday-friendly recipes on that site. I'll add links as I settle on recipes for the other dishes, so again -- stay tuned. Aperitif: Sour Cherry Liqueur Oven-Roasted Olives Pickles, Pickles, Pickles Tomato Soup with chive coulis OR curried carrot soup (haven't decided yet) Turkey with citrus and thyme, probably adapting this recipe Stuffed squash with quinoa, pears, and cranberries Green beans with horseradish-mustard vinaigrette Brussels sprouts Mrs. Wheelbarrow's challah stuffing (vegetarian) Forgotten sweet potatoes with maple syrup, adapting this recipe Cranberry sauce or chutney (if you have a great recipe, send it over!) Onion confit Butternut butter Gingerbread Pumpkin Pie Pecan Tartlets Apple Cranberry Pie, or adapted from this recipe

Thanksgiving Menu Planning

This year, I'll be out in Michigan for a turkey-filled T-Day with D's family. However, longtime readers of this site know that I grew up in a vegetarian household, and as such, am accustomed to a turkey-less (but no less festive) holiday. Before you scrunch your face into a frown and get all judgmental, let me sing my annual chorus of "it's the sides that really count!" I'm a side-dish gal. I invest my gastronomic pennies in the yams and the stuffing, the mushrooms and onions and pretty red-orange hued fall salad; for me, the sides are the main event, the turkey playing a supporting role (if that). Also, given that I've never actually made a Thanksgiving turkey, you'll have to look elsewhere for that recipe. However, I think it's fair to say I have a proven track record of producing great vegetarian Thanksgiving menus, and that will hold true this year as well, Detroit excursion notwithstanding.

Here are some of my favorite Thanksgiving-friendly vegetarian mains and sides from the NDP archives:

• Wheatberry Salad with Cranberries and Mint
• Broccoli with Capers and Olives
• Broccoli with Pine Nuts and Raisins
• Braised Pearl Onions
• Braised Sweet and Sour Cabbage
• Polenta with Tomatoes, Shallots and Goat Cheese: a nice alternative to cornbread. Tomatoes and shallots lend a savory kick, and goat cheese gives that finishing tang.
• Roasted Brussels Sprouts: a simple preparation of one of my favorite fall vegetables.
• Squash stuffed with quinoa, pears, and cranberries: it's hard to imagine a vegetarian main dish that's more Thanksgiving-appropriate. This has the wow-factor I'm always looking for.

If that list isn't quite enough, I've also compiled a bunch of great ideas from across the web that I thought you might like:

• Washingtonian featured a great piece this week on vegetarian recipes for Thanksgiving. The list includes a mouthwatering broccoli dish, among others, from Rasika chef Vikram Sunderam.
• NYT has pulled together a very nifty guide on Thanksgiving cooking, which includes this year's compilation of sides (many of which are vegetarian and delicious-looking) as well as some all-star posts from previous years.
• Heidi Swanson, over at 101 Cookbooks, has compiled two very useful lists: one of vegetarian Thanksgiving recipes, and the other of Vegan recipes for T-day. As usual, Heidi is an endless source of ideas. Definitely check out her compilations.
• Chow weighs in with a list of its top 10 vegetarian Thanksgiving recipes.
• And finally, the recipe pictured at the top of this post: an awesome stuffed pumpkin number, filled to the brim with a rich bread pudding-like stuffing and baked until fall-apart tender. Don't miss this.

Hopefully you'll find these resources useful. And if all else fails, remember -- Thanksgiving is about more than perfect turkey and delectable sides. It's about relishing fall before winter sets in, enjoying family and all the drama involved in these get-togethers, playing board games until when you blink you see Monopoly money, and soaking up a rare four day weekend. The food is only part of the game -- don't sweat it.

Wishing you all the happiest of holidays!