Thanksgiving Tidbits

I wish I could say that I reinvent myself every Thanksgiving, but that’s just not true. If you were at my house five years ago, you might very well have had many of the same dishes that you had TEN years ago.

I do occasionally add things, but I almost never take anything away, so that leads to quite a few things on the table. I change up the hors d’oeuvres and starters, but I could never follow Ina’s olives and nuts strategy. I always feel that Thanksgiving is SUCH a big blow-out and that that applies to EVERY part of the meal.

These Martini Puffs look like fun. I’m definitely going to be serving them for Thanksgiving and so much the better if I can persuade some young folks to assemble them.

I also love this Sun-Dried Tapenade recipe. I’m skipping the polenta and mixing it with sour cream and using it as a dip.

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This is how I’ll be cooking my green beans. They can be served hot, warm or somewhere in between. The hardest part is “topping” all the green beans.

Pretty Great Green Beans (serves 8 - 12)

Printable recipe here.

3 pounds of green beans, tops cut off (You can leave the tails alone)

1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved

(If you halve the recipe, you can still use 1 pint of cherry tomatoes.)

2 tbls. olive oil

1 tsp. Kosher salt

1 yellow pepper

To finish:

2 tbls. olive oil

1 tbl. red wine vinegar

1 garlic clove, center stalk removed and put through a garlic press

Big pinch of salt

Optional: 1 cup pitted kalamata olives, halved (I leave out the olives on Thanksgiving, but normally I add them)

Preheat oven to 425 deg F.

Toss the beans with the cherry tomatoes, olive oil and salt. Place on two baking sheets which have been lined with foil. They should be in one layer. Cook for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile cut the pepper in half and core. Cut each piece in half width-wise. Cut into thin strips.

Remove baking sheets from oven (stop the timer for the moment), mix well and add half the yellow pepper slices to each baking sheet. Place back in oven for another 15 minutes, cooking for 25 minutes total.

In a large bowl, mix 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar, garlic and salt. Add olives, if using. Add green bean mixture and stir well. Taste for seasoning.

You can serve them immediately at room temperature. If you want the green beans hot, toss over hot flame for 5 minutes, stirring all the time or return to a hot oven for 5 to 7 minutes.

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Dessert is my most favorite part of the Thanksgiving meal to make. Even for those who can't eat one more mouthful of sweet potatoes or reach for another piece of turkey, there’s always room for pie.

My Pecan Pie crust is done. I’ll make the filling and bake it tomorrow. My Pumpkin Chiffon Pie crust is also done and will be filled tomorrow.

I don’t know where this Plum and Nectarine Crisp recipe originally came from. I’ve been making it for ages and I plan to make it with cherries and plums, maybe for the night before Thanksgiving.

My menu is just about there, but I still have lots to do and lots to decide. Time to go and make more lists!

NOTE:

How could I have forgotten to tell you about this? THIS Sliced Orange Salad with Sauteed Olives and Ricotta Salata of Michael Chiarello’s is going to be my first course.