It's nearly Thanksgiving, that uniquely American holiday. Friends in France love to get invited to Thanksgiving dinner at our house, so they can see what it's like.
Today let's take a minute to pay tribute to the animals who give their lives for us all year, and it is a sad fact that most of them suffer terribly for our benefit. (If you don't believe it, read what Mark Bittman,one of our foremost American food writers, has to say, here and here, . See if you can still eat industrially raised meat after watching the video).
I can't get away with skipping the bird at my house, I've got to please our carnivorous members, though I'm a vegetarian (I'll be sure to buy a humanely raised bird, though). But I'll be putting a vegetarian main dish on the table as well, which needs to be special, since it's Thanksgiving. And if you've got a big enough family to have a variety of diets, you may be doing the same.
My ideal Thanksgiving consists of a whole bunch of wonderful side dishes. So if you're going vegetarian, forget the tofu turkeys, just make something fabulous! Have you ever noticed, you can fix a big honkin' steak or pork chop, but put a great side with it, and watch what people dig into first. That's the kind of vegetarian dish you want for Thanksgiving. So just make some wonderful new sides and skip the bird, or not.
I'm reminded of this when we go to one of our favorite brasseries here, Chez Jack. With the main meat dish they bring a huge steaming casserole for the whole table, a Gratin Dauphinois. Everyone's eyes pop out and they dig in. Even the carnivores at the table often suggest we order ONLY the potatoes on the next visit.
And if you do cook a turkey, please respect the bird by choosing a free-range one and by making use of every bit of it, from carcass to gizzards to drippings–and because those parts can be the best.
And now, it's time for me to start cooking, and to wish everyone a very Happy Thanksgiving!
RECIPES: Thanksgiving Vegetarian Dishes, to Stand Alone or to Sit by the Turkey
Below, I've listed some ideas for enticing vegetarian side dishes, with links, that could stand alone as a main dish. Some go well alongside a turkey, some could replace the turkey or be a great main dish another day. Some I've tried, some are on my list to try. I'd love more contributions, please jump right into the discussion! (photos below are not mine, see links for credits).
Tomato cobbler with cornmeal-cheddar biscuits (pictured, right). Let's start with something really southern. It's possible to get good cherry tomatoes year-round now, and roasting them brings out even more flavor.
Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese. No reason not to try this one with pumpkin, too.
Mushroom Mille-feuille with Tomato Coulis. Been meaning to try this one. It's fancy enough to stand alone, and really different. What the French call mille-feuille is what we call a Napoleon, and it means "a thousand layers".
Corn, Cheddar, and Scallion Strata. A make ahead dish, and great for a crowd.
Pumpkin Ravioli with Sage browned Butter Sauce and Pecans. A classic combo. This one uses canned pumpkin and wonton wrappers, but if you can find some fresh pumpkin ravioli, it's even easier.
Mushroom and Wild Rice Casserole. Topped with a deep layer of toasted breadcrumbs. Definitley on my to-try list.
Gratin Dauphinois. From Chez Jack.
Below, Pumpkin Ravioli, Corn Strata, Mushroom Wild Rice Casserole, and Mushroom Mille-feuille
In the COMMENTS: Yea! It looks like there are many kindred souls out there who prefer an independent café to the Starbucks of the world.Those Pumpkin Spice Lattes are not lowfat either, just ask Natalia! Who, by the way, has a good roasted pumpkin recipe for us. Jan suggests a stuffed pumpkin, a pretty presentation for sure. Robyn, I agree that canned pumpkin has many good uses, as in one of the recipes above. Just wish I could get it in France. Angie, I know, and love, those 5 hour meals! Jan, I know pumpkins as potirons, but I've heard citrouille too. I poked around on some French sites and read that potiron is the edible one, and citrouilles are decorative pumpkins for carving or display, a different variety too tough to eat. Any French folks care to weigh in on this?
FAVORITE READS: This week I met author Jerry Marterer, who lives in Paris part of the year. He wrote a great book about Paris, an insider's travel guide called Paris 201: Uncommon Places in the City of Lights. You can read a review of it in the December issue of France Magazine. Find his book, and his blog, here.
My friend Sandi, always up on the latest books, loved The Bonjour Effect: The Secret Codes of French Conversation Revealed
Jane Webster, who lives in Normandy, has put out a new design book called French House Chic
10 thoughts on “Thanksgiving Heresy: Skip the Bird?”
Happy Thanksgiving…Patty Flournoy
Thank you so much Lynn!! I have been searching for wonderful side dishes I can prepare for my guests. Some are vegetarians, some need dairy free. It is perfect timing for me to receive some new fabulous side dish recipes to choose from. Please share more posts like this! 😃 I’m so thankful you can share France with those of us not able to be there. ❤️
Happy Thanksgiving and . . . . . .
May your stuffing be tasty
May your turkey be plump
May your potatoes and gravy
have nary a lump!
May your yams be delicious
May your pies take the prize
And may your Thanksgiving dinner
Stay off your thighs!
Herm
Lynn,thank you for this yummy–and thought provoking–post.
What wonderful recipes!!! I repeat:YUM!!!
We are skipping the turkey this year,as we did last,for rib roast done on the rotisserie.
(I did do the Gratin Dauphinois but this time I will try Chez Jack’s version)
Also fresh cranberry sauce with oranges and,to totally blow the calorie count into the stratosphere,baked sweet potatoes topped with maple syrup mixed with marscapone(and I was complaining about lattes?????)
Wishing you,Ron,and your dear family a very happy Thanksgiving–and,of course the same happy wishes to all.
Lynn,
I love your wonderful post with recipes! Yes, I can’t totally skip the bird either. But we are getting very close! I love all your ideas, but especially love that you are on “my side”, and willing to spread the word! Happy Thanksgiving! And spare the bird! Can’t wait to see you this summer! xoxo,a.
Thanks for the recipes. I always struggle to come up with flavorful recipes for vegetarian friends. Saving these! (P.S.: it’s heresy, not heresy.)😊 –Janet
Such a feast filled post Lynn and thank you for these recipes. I agree, love an abundance of side dishes. Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family.
Hello my sweet friend! Just stopped by to see what you were cooking up for Thanksgiving and you got me at the tomato cobbler. We are a small group this year for Thanksgiving which means I have time to experiment! I am doing this! Hope you are all well! Big hugs!
Cindy
PS – The Daily Basics just merged with ArtisansList.com !!
Bonjour,
Yes you are correct on this but I also think that citrouille is a more general term and potiron is more a word used in certain regions only.Bon Thanksgiving a vous. Ca doit etre drole de feter Thanksgiving en France un jeudi!! Francine
We did it! We set aside the mashed potatoes (very good for requiring gravy) and made your shared recipe of gratin dauphinois for our T-day feast yesterday. It was outrageously good! No one noticed the absence of mashed potatoes. Next year, if I host again, I will have a proper sized baking dish for a big gratin; splitting it in two for the baking dishes I had available wasn’t ideal. Thank you for making Thanksgiving fun, innovative, and delicious! (Oh, and I made a “flat pie” of pears and cranberries instead of the usual suspects, apple and pumpkin pies, and it was very well received.) Traditions are meant to be messed with?