Being vegetarian, our Thanksgiving dinner is a bit different. Yes, we host. Laura’s parents usually come down from Bellingham, which isn’t a bad drive, 90 minutes to 2 hours, depending on traffic. We’ve gone up there before, but with small kids, it’s logistically more feasible for us to host. Other family members are welcome, but none have ever accepted the invitation, and after so many years we’ve gotten tired of repeatedly offering. It’s now just a standing and open invitation.
So, again, Thanksgiving dinner is at my house, which means I cook. And while most people think of this holiday feast as centering on turkey, we do our own tradition, but certainly no less gut-busting.
The main dish for a few years was never set, but the November 2001 issue of Vegetarian Times changed that. It had a few recipes we tried out, and have since stuck around, with the main course being a three layer torte. I should give that torte a blog post of its own. It takes me three days to make.
Harvest Vegetable Torte
This sucker is massive. I’ve never weighed it, but here’s a short version of the ingredients. Almost 2 pounds of sweet potatoes, cooked and mashed make up the bottom layer. The next is 2 pounds of mushrooms cooked with leeks. The final layer is a container of ricotta cheese and chopped spinach. This all fits in two separate layers of puff pastry dough in a inch torte tin and winds up over two inches thick.
Potato Gratin
This is also from the same issue of Vegetarian Times, and it’s a recipe I bust out more than once a year. Instead of milk and cream, which I am adverse to cooking with, knowing my own limitations, I find this to be a decent substitute. I uses just a little bit of vegetable broth, and layers red onion and basil with some fancy potatoes and is smothered in Asagio cheese.
Green Beans
Steamed.
Stuffing
Another item I bust out more than once a year, sometimes as a main dish. Ever since we bought our massive crock pot last year, I’ve been remiss and not done much stuffing over the last winter, and now I’ve forgotten what all I usually put in it. I hope it turns out alright.
Bread
Laura wants to try and make a nice bread to eat. I don’t think she’s going to have time with parent teacher conferences and the other things she’s baking
Cranberry Sauce
I was surprised at how easy to make this was. I mean, wow. Cranberry sauce is ridiculously easy to make.
2 Pies
Laura bakes 2 different pies every year. Usually one is pumpkin and the other a fruit or pecan pie. This year we’re looking at Apple Cranberry Pie and Sweet Potato Pie.
I defy you to come to our house for Thanksgiving dinner and walk away hungry.