The First Thanksgiving

Don't worry, I won't be telling you a story about the Pilgrims. But this is a First Thanksgiving tale of sorts, in that I made Thanksgiving for the first time on Sunday. (Yes, I'm aware Thanksgiving hasn't happened yet. The BF and I are going our separate ways for Turkey Day, but wanted to celebrate together, so there you go).

When I think of Thanksgiving, I think of an endless array of food laid out for my eating pleasure. Juicy turkeys and delicious pies, and enough food to feed an army. Literally. I can't remember a single Thanksgiving where my mother cooked the meal, but I can remember several meals spent in the army mess hall, where my father was required to be as an Army officer. And let me tell you, those soldiers can cook. While these holiday meals left me with many a pleasant memory, they didn't leave me with any recipes. I've often lamented the fact that I don't have very many traditional recipes in my family, especially in the way of Thanksgiving. However, with my constant desire to cook new recipes, this is kind of a good thing, since I'm not limited to the traditional in any way.

But given that I was cooking for only two people, and lacking traditional family recipes, I wanted to go the more modern route. Rather than cook an entire turkey, I went for a roulade with cranberry and nut stuffing. Instead of mashed squash or sweet potatoes, I made a roasted butternut squash soup. Rounded out with mashed potatoes and some from-scratch crescent rolls (take that Pilsbury!), it was a simple, elegant, and not too-heavy meal. I have a real southern-fried Thanksgiving to look forward to, and eating two greasy, buttery meals in two weeks was not an option! Sure, it was hard work, and I was completely exhausted when I finished, but it was SO GOOD. Delicious in fact. Maybe even worthy of tradition.

Butternut Squash Soup (from Epicurious.com, with changes)

2 heavy Butternut Squash
1 large yellow onion, chopped
2 1/2 tsp chopped fresh sage
2 large cloves garlic, minced
4 cups low sodium chicken stock
1 cup water
2 TBSP Olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste

- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
- Cut each squash in half, length wise, and place on large baking sheet
- bake for 35-45 minutes, until starting to soften
- let cool, and then scoop out seeds and remove rind, and dice squash into 1-inch pieces
- meanwhile, heat olive oil in large pot over medium heat, and add onions and sage
- saute until soft and golden, about 10-12 minutes, being careful not to char or burn the onions
- Add garlic, and cook for 3 more minutes
- Add in squash cubes, and saute with onions, garlic, and sage for two minutes
- Add chicken stock and water to the pot, and bring to a boil
- simmer for 25 minutes, then remove from heat
- Let the mixture cool slightly, then pulse through a blender until pureed.
- Return to pot, and serve warm

More on the turkey later...it was so good, it deserves its very own post.