Thanksgiving is a great holiday for folks who love to cook. Given that a meal is central to the holiday, Thanksgiving offers an excellent opportunity to experiment, cook old favorites, and share your craft with those you love. Though it may seem to present a lot of complications for those of us who choose to abstain from the turkey, butter and cream, I have actually found Thanksgiving to be an excellent excuse to eat a wealth of fruits and veggies. Thanksgiving is, after all, a festival that celebrates the end of harvest, and the other – oft-neglected – symbol of the holiday is a bountiful cornucopia brimming with produce. Though it may be hard if you are not the one in charge of wielding the knife, there are so many options for delicious dishes that Thanksgiving is the perfect opportunity to share hearty, savory vegan fare with those you love.

I worked for several years with a fellow teacher and dear friend, Dan. Dan really inspired me to take Thanksgiving to a new level. Every year, right after Halloween, Dan would bring out his cook books, magazines and recipe cards, and begin to plan his elaborate, gourmet Thanksgiving menu. His final step in planning was usually to procure some locally made microbrew that paired with his menu perfectly. Dan took such delight in planning his meal that he inspired me to make my own Thanksgiving traditions.

So, every Thanksgiving season, after the family meals have been eaten, we gather together with some of our closest friends to share in our own Thanksgiving meal. This menu is always vegetarian, and many items we make are vegan. Over the years, I have developed my favorite dishes, and I wanted to share this menu with those of you responsible for feeding your communities – vegan, vegetarian and carnivorous. While this menu might never replace turkey for those who are attached to the tradition, it will leave everyone at the table satisfied.

You may notice that several of these dishes come from Sunset Magazine. A few years back, they published a Thanksgiving issue with several amazing recipes. Kudos to the recipe developer working that year, as these recipes have become staples for our meal.

Menu:

• Endive with cannellini beans with lemon and basil
• Spinach salad with persimmons and hazelnuts and ginger vinaigrette
• Quorn Roast
• Blue cheese, leek and mushroom cornbread stuffing
• Mashed Yukon Gold potatoes
• Mushroom gravy — see previous post – replace soy milk with broth for dinner-style gravy
• Earl Grey Cranberry Sauce
• Sweet potatoes, candied with pineapple and a pecan crumble
• Braised brussel sprouts with apple cider and caraway seeds
• Creamed onions
• Cauliflower and broccoli with cheese sauce
• Sautéed green beans
• Mascarpone Pumpkin Pie with Bourbon Whipped Cream