Thanksgiving 2011

In the past, Thanksgiving overseas was always an adventure. Would we be able to get a turkey, sweet potatoes and cranberries? While living in Croatia, I drove every November to the airbase in Aviano, Italy, which a huge shopping list of turkeys and trimmings for our community back in Zagreb. I enjoyed the drive to Italy, admiring the beautiful mountains right behind Aviano. It was a long day, but definitely worth it. Everyone was happy to pick up their turkeys, sweet potatoes, green beans and fresh cranberries the next day from my office (which resembled a mini grocery store).

Belgrade was less adventurous, since we did have a small commissary in the embassy which organized a special order right in time for the holidays.

So this being our first year back in the U.S. and one of our daughters (the one who likes meat) in college on the West Coast, we decided to have a vegetarian Thanksgiving. I looked through my collection of recipes and old magazines and came up with this delicious menu for five (my father-in-law and sister-in-law joined us from Charlottesville, VA):

Shaved Vegetable Salad

Food and Wine, November 2011
http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/shaved-vegetable-salad)

Pumpkin Stuffed with Vegetables

Gourmet, November 2007
 http://www.gourmet.com/recipes/2000s/2007/11/pumpkin-stuffed-vegetable-stew

Apple Cranberry Pie

Martha Stewart Living, November 2011
http://www.marthastewart.com/857649/sky-high-apple-cranberry-pie?search_key=Apple%20Cranberry%20pie%20recipe

Polly's Pumpkin Pie

(a delicious pumpkin pie my sister-in-law prepared)