Now that the cooking extravaganza has passed and the relatives
have gone home, I have some time to reflect on what makes Thanksgiving one of
my favorite holidays. There’s the food, of course—traditional dishes that I
only make or eat at this time of year.

But much more important than the food
are the people you share it with. When I was growing up and continuing well into my
twenties, my mom usually made the meal for our extended family. Some of my best
memories are from around that table. In more recent years, my own family’s
Thanksgivings have been less predictable, but no less memorable.
Chris and I have celebrated at the homes of friends in
Vermont and in France, at his sister Leanne’s, and once at a restaurant (which I
would never choose to do again, no matter how good the meal is). We’ve also hosted
several times ourselves, at the end of which I always am happily exhausted.
This was one of those years, and our refrigerator is still stuffed full
of leftovers just begging to be made into a triple decker turkey and stuffing
and mashed potato sandwich.
My mom (now sous chef extraordinaire) was here for the holiday,
along with Chris’s sister Leanne, her husband Bob, and their teenaged son
Garrett. At the beginning of the meal, we all followed the tradition of taking
a turn saying what we’re thankful for. I never have to think very hard about
it: family and friends are first and foremost.
When I make the meal, I always try to use as many local
foods as possible, in celebration of the bounty that surrounds us here in
Vermont. This year these foods from around the state graced our table: turkey
(from
Misty Knoll Farms, just a few miles up the road), cheeses, rolls,
potatoes, butter, shallots, onions, eggs, garlic, bread for the stuffing,
cranberries, pears, maple syrup, leeks, celery, green beans, acorn squash,
mushrooms, cream, milk, and apples. Thank you, farmers!
Here’s a taste of Thanksgiving chez nous, with special thanks to Faye, a
budding photojournalist. I hope your holiday was grand as well.
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Frosty sage | | |
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Turkey necessities |
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Never too much shallots and garlic |
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Afternoon light
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Catching up |
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Twinkle in her eye |
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Simmering away |
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Hiding place |
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Favorite tools |
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Getting close |
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Time to carve |
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Les pommes de terre |
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View from the porch |
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Candles lit |
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To the table |
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