Gingered Cranberry-Fig Chutney
Whew….I just put the finishing touches on our menu plan for Thanksgiving Day, and I'm pretty excited about the spread we have planned for our gang of twenty this year. For the most part, we have guests bring all our hors d'oeuvres and desserts so that we can concentrate on everything in between. I'm lucky my family is loaded with great cooks who are eager to pitch-in so I can cross a good chunk of the planning and prep off of my list to concentrate on the bird and side dishes.
I like switching things up year to year and trying new recipes, so long as they fit within the general parameters of what my family expexts from a traditional Thanksgiving feast. By that I mean that we always have a turkey with gravy, some sort of potato dish, a green veggie side, creamed or glazed onions, dressing (I don't stuff our bird), some sort of a squash dish, and cranberry sauce. As long as I offer up something in each of those gategories, I feel free to experiment and have fun.
So , what are we having this year?
Well, in addition to some lovely, but as of yet unknown appetizers, and a fine collection of homemade desserts to include apple, pumpkin, and mincemeat pies, cranberry and maple walnut tarts, and some crunchy biscotti, we'll be having the following:
Cider Brined Turkey w/ Smokey Sage Gravy
Kale, Prune and Sausage Stuffing
Pommes Dauphinoise
Haricot Verts with Roasted Fennel and Shallot
Caramelized Butternut Squash w/ Sage Hazelnut Pesto
Gingered Cranberry-Fig Chutney
Homemade Wheat Bread
For those of you still working on your plan of attack for the big day, I thought I'd go back through the Oui, Chef archives and suggest a few dishes that would help you in your quest to serve up a memorable and delicious holiday spread for your loved ones. Ok….here goes.
Brussels Sprouts w/ Fennel and Cider Cream
Fennel, Stilton and Walnut Smashed Potatoes
Lamb Sausage, Feta and Mint Stuffing
Rainbow Chard and Chevre Casserole
Butternut Squash Soup w/ Cider Cream
Pumpkin Cake w/ Cream Cheese Frosting
There….that should keep you busy for a while!
Whatever you end up cooking for Thanksgiving, I hope your day is filled with friends, family, joy, laughter, full bellies, and plenty of thanks for all that is good in your life.
As I give thanks for all the blessings in my world, know that I count you all, our readers and friends, among the people I am grateful to have as part of my daily life. You are what makes all that we do here at Oui, Chef worthwhile and fun.
So….THANK YOU for being a big part of Oui, Chef, and from my whole gang to yours…..Happy Thanksgiving!