the Great Expatriate American Thanksgiving: or how the foreigners feast in Provence

One of the many delightful elements of belonging to a joyful worship community is our propensity for throwing big parties.  We have a lot to celebrate, because the more difficult life becomes, the more clearly we see where and how to give thanks.

Take the French respect and admiration for a perfect meal, add the American art of pot-luck, and a universal longing to connect, and you’ve got the ICCP Thanksgiving dinner.

This means YOU, too, so if you’re in a bind about what to bring, here’s a sample from the table of my PA Dutch family feasts, not forgetting to add corn, green beans or Succotash (lima beans & corn), and fruit salad.  I have a feeling that I’m forgetting something…

Applesauce

Core & grate:

         2 cooking apples

Cook, covered, until tender, about 7 min with:

         2 T lemon or orange juice        

         2 t honey or sugar or (maple syrup!)

Sprinkle with cinnamon & serve.

Aunt Linda’s Creamy Coleslaw

Shred:

         1 head white cabbage

Sprinkle with:

         1 t salt

Let drain for 1 hour or more; squeeze off salt water.

Blend:

         1/4 C cider vinegar        

         1/4 C evaporated milk

         1/4 C water           1 C sugar

         2 T mayonnaise

Toss with cabbage and:

         1-2 grated carrots

Craley Cranberry Relish

Chop together:

         600 g (4 C) cranberries        

         3 peeled & seeded oranges

         1 C sugar

[A non-Craley addition:

         1 C chopped walnuts                

         1 chopped apple]

Let set a day in refrigerator.

Puréed Potatoes

Peel & cook:

         1 kg peeled potatoes

Mash while hot.  Beat in:

         2 T butter                          

         [100 g grated cheese]

         250 ml (1 C) milk*                 

         [nutmeg or dill]

* A variation that will change this dish entirely is to steep a generous pinch of saffron strands in the hot milk for about 15 minutes before adding to the purée.  And so would an addition of prepared mustard rather than saffron.

...Or why not cook other root vegetables rather than just potatoes?  Carrots or beetroots make a beautiful accompaniment to a roast and green vegetables.  Start a new tradition!

Baked Sweet Potatoes*for 8-10

Layer in casserole:

         6 cooked & sliced sweet potatoes

         4 peeled & sliced cooking apples

Sprinkle with:

         1/2 C brown sugar         1/2 t salt

         1/3 C butter

Bake 180ºF/350ºC for about 30 minutes.

*Or bake as normal white potatoes; serve in their shells with butter (and chilies)

Stuffing for 10-12

Cover & let stand for 30 min:

         1 kg cubed stale bread (day-old baguettes sont manifiques!)

         1-1/2 litre (6 C) hot milk (let a cup of that be white wine)

Meanwhile, sauté:

         125 g (1/2 C) butter        

         2 or more pressed cloves garlic

         4 minced onions                 

         salt & pepper

Beat together:

         12 eggs                          

         1 t paprika

Combine all ingredients with:

         1 minced bunch parsley

The quantities really don’t matter here.  You don’t want it to be too dry or too gloppy, but there’s a lot of freedom here.  After 5 hours in those French turkey drippings, it’s going to be ooh, la la, anyway!

Spread in greased casserole or stuff poultry* or boil as dumplings or

Bake 200ºC/400ºF for 30-40 min.

*Don’t think you’re making any clever shortcuts by stuffing the turkey the night before you bake it.  That’s food poisoning just waiting to happen!  Please prepare the filling (“fiwwin” as my York County people say) just before you cook the bird.  It’s all about the fresh eggs going back into the chicken, you know.

Colonial American Cornbread

Beat together:

         150 g (1 C) buttermilk, yogurt or milk                 

         2 T melted butter                          

         1 egg

         2-4 T honey OR 75 g (1/4 C) sugar

Combine; then mix in:

         125 g (3/4 C) corn meal                 

         1/2 t baking soda

         125 g (3/4 C) white flour        

         1/4 t salt

         2 t baking powder

Spread in greased skillet, pie plate or muffin cups.

Bake 190ºC (375ºF) until golden, 20 minutes for muffins; 30 minutes for bread.

Aunt Etta’s Gingerbread

Sift together:

         600 g (4-1/2 C) flour        

1 t ground ginger

         1 C sugar                          

1 t ground nutmeg

         2 t baking soda                 

1 t ground allspice

         2 t ground cinnamon        

1 t ground clove

         1/2 t salt

Cut in:

         250 g (1 C) butter or lard

Set aside 1/2 C for crumb topping.  To the rest, add:

         2 eggs                           1/2 C dark molasses

         2 C buttermilk

Spread in greased 9” x 13” baking pan.  Sprinkle with reserved crumbs.

Bake 180ºC (350ºF) for 45 minutes.

Nana Craley’s Pumpkin Pie

Combine:

         1 C cooked, mashed pumpkin

         250 ml (1 C) milk         

         1 t vanilla

         1/2 C sugar                  

         1 t ground cinnamon

         1 T flour                       

          1/4 t ground ginger

         1/4 t salt                      

         1/4 t ground nutmeg

         2 eggs                          

         1/4 t ground clove

Pour into pie shell.

Bake 180ºC (350ºF) for 50 minutes.

[More recipes here.]