Thanksgiving, Version 2013

I remember Thanksgivings BB (before blog). I do. One year BB, an American friend was here as a guest and took so too many pictures of us cleaning and stuffing the turkey!  Angles!  Guts!  Skin! When we got the developed pictures back, I wondered what in the world we would ever do with 20 pictures of a naked turkey.  Still don't know.  BUT it was nice to have an extra hand taking pictures, because when you're in the middle of it, you only have your memory of it, and never enough pictures!

That's how I feel this year - too few pictures, but plenty of memories.

We've done this enough times now that Werner no longer threatens that he will never do it again, and frankly our friends would likely protest if that came to pass.  We've found a rhythm, a dance if you will, to getting the meal together and practice makes perfect.  Almost.

Menu:  
Puréed Salsify-Orange Soup  
Turkey with cornbread dressing  
Mashed potatoes
Sweet potatoes
Green beans
Black-eyed peas
Cranberry-orange-ginger compote

Food preparations began Thursday: pick up the goodies from the market, make the gravy base, the soup base.  Friday, brine the bird, prep the veggies, make the pies, set the table, clean up!

I like everything but the "clean up" part.

And Saturday?  Bird in the oven, rice the potatoes, chill the wine - or warm it as the wine demands - cook the veggies.

And voilá!  We're ready!

We enjoy having the extra table in the kitchen for the extra dishes.

Werner insisted that we prepare less this year to avoid a mountain of leftovers.  I panicked, but he was right on everything - except for the soup which was just barely enough!  I was way wrong on the mashed potatoes which were still toooooo much!

After a sip of Pro Secco, we retired to the table and the guessing began on the soup.  I thought I would stump them a bit, but Johanna got it right away!

There was some of everything on everybody's plate, and of course there were seconds (and thirds) (and nibbles) too.

Another major success!

And then a pause - a walk around the harbor.  A couple of our guests hadn't been in this area for forever, so Werner got to be tour guide and point out some of the things we see every day and know so well, but is pleasant to see through other eyes.

Then, time for dessert. Three pies this year : pecan, pumpkin, and Key lime.

And we all have to have a little bit of each.

Finally, it was clean-away time.  Carcass in the pan for soup stock, extra turkey for lots more meals. Thanksgiving means being thankful for lots of more meals!

It was fun.  It was filling.  It was friends.

Happy Thanksgiving to all of you there in Thanksgiving land.