A Thanksgiving newsletter, pt. 1
Plus: an easy appetizer, and all the recipe links
An important housekeeping note: Today’s newsletter is free to all; you will not be charged if you had a paid subscription when I went on hiatus in July. Paid subscriptions will remain OFF as I slowly regain a regular publishing cadence, and I will give you ample notice before I turn paid subscriptions back on again. Any questions, shoot me an email at gentlefoods@substack.com.
Hello out there! I’m making a slow return from newsletter hiatus with a pair of Thanksgiving-themed newsletters this week, in honor of everyone’s favorite cooking holiday. Today, I’m sharing the pared-back Thanksgiving menu I’m making this year, plus a recipe for Endive Cups with Boursin, Sautéed Dates, and Celery, a simple appetizer that makes use of lots of things you’ll likely already have on hand for cooking Thanksgiving dinner (such as bread, celery, and thyme).
But first, a little update on what’s been happening with me: Since I pressed pause on this newsletter in July, I’ve been hard at work writing and testing (and retesting) recipes for my upcoming cookbook. I’m preparing for the massive two-week photo shoot where we’ll photograph every recipe in the book, which starts the Monday after Thanksgiving. And the manuscript is due at the end of the year. Ahhh! And yet in the midst of this race to the finish line, I wanted to come back here and start sending out a few newsletters leading up to the new year, when I look forward to having more time to devote to all things newsletter. If you’ve stuck around until now, thanks so much for reading and for being here. I’m looking forward to what this next iteration of Gentle Foods will bring.
Amidst all the book planning and writing, Hunzi and I are also hosting Thanksgiving this year. Dipping into Thanksgiving menu planning has been a welcome respite from book work for me. Normally I like to go big and cook up to a dozen different dishes, but in the interest of making it to 2025, this year I’m opting for a pared-back Thanksgiving and serving only the Greatest Hits: turkey (which I do in fact consider A Hit—I LOVE TORKI), stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, cranberry sauce, green beans, a simple fall salad, and pie with whipped cream. Critically, I’m outsourcing a lot more than usual this year. Hunzi’s making the mashed potatoes, my mom is bringing green beans, and my sister is in charge of dessert. This, I am choosing to believe, is good for my inner control freak. (Nb: Hunzi read this and was like, “This is pared back?” Which…I get. To me, “pared back” means skipping things like homemade dinner rolls, multiple desserts, 3-5 vegetable dishes, a bespoke cocktail, and the like.)
In addition to the hits, I’m keeping cocktail hour simple this year. I’m making one simple appetizer of endive cups filled with warm dates, breadcrumbs, and celery (recipe below!) and supplementing with some good store bought treats. My friend Laurie Ellen Pellicano recently gifted me a sampler of her incredible (award-winning!!) cookies and sweet and savory snacks. The Everything Cheddar Crackers and Herb & Urfa Chili-Spiced Nuts, in addition to being absolutely delicious, are pretty enough to serve straight out of the tin and perfect with a glass of something bubbly. (They would make a gorgeous holiday gift, too.)
Okay, here we go:
The Menu
To Start
Endive Cups with Boursin, Sautéed Dates, and Celery (recipe below)
Laurie Ellen Everything Cheddar Crackers and Herb & Urfa Chili-Spiced Nuts
The Big Dinner
Sage and butter spatchcocked turkey
Simple Is Best Stuffing
Mostly make-ahead gravy
Make-ahead mashed potatoes
Cranberry sauce with orange and warm spices (a simpler take on this recipe)
Garlic-sautéed green beans
Radicchio salad with pecans, roasted delicata squash, apples, aged cheddar, and Maple-Sherry Vinaigrette (recipe coming tomorrow!)
Dessert
Store bought pie + homemade vanilla bean whipped cream
Tomorrow, I’ll share my prep list that breaks down my cooking game plan over the course of the week and explain how to group tasks together. It’s the one thing I do every year to stay sane and organized throughout the week, and I highly recommend making a list of your own if you’re in charge of the cooking. I’ll also share the recipe for my favorite fall salad dressing, a great one if you like to serve a big bowl of bitter greens at your Thanksgiving table like me.
With gratitude,
Chaey
Endive Cups with Boursin, Sautéed Dates, and Celery
4 to 6 servings
The idea for these bites came from a recipe I recently saw over on for goat cheese and date endive bites with crispy prosciutto, which also sounded so good. I wanted an appetizer you could make using mostly ingredients you’d already have to cook the rest of your Thanksgiving meal, such as stuffing bread and fresh thyme. The result is a delightful jumble of flavors and textures (and vegetarian, too): crisp and refreshing from the endive leaves, salty and sweet from the garlicky Boursin and warm dates, and crunchy from the celery and toasty breadcrumbs. Assemble these fairly close to when you plan to serve them, as the endive can go a bit limp if left out for too long.
Ingredients
2 large endives, root ends trimmed, large leaves separated (toss the very small inner leaves into a salad)
2 slices bread, any kind, crusts removed (you can lop this off of your stuffing bread)
4 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, divided, plus more
Kosher salt
8-10 Medjool dates, coarsely chopped
1 tsp. fresh thyme leaves (skip if you don’t already have fresh thyme for the rest of your meal)
2 celery stalks, finely chopped, plus a handful of celery leaves from innermost part of celery, if you have them
½ lemon
Freshly ground black pepper
1 5.3-oz. package Boursin Garlic & Fine Herbs cheese
Flaky sea salt (for serving)
Preparation
Arrange the endive leaves on a pretty platter.
Tear the bread into very small pieces—you’re going for coarse breadcrumbs. Heat 2 Tbsp. oil in a small skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add the bread; reduce heat to medium-low. Cook the breadcrumbs, tossing occasionally, until golden brown and crisp, 3-5 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl and immediately season with a tiny pinch of salt.
Wipe skillet, add remaining 2 Tbsp. oil, and return to medium heat until shimmering. Add the dates and thyme and cook, stirring a few times, just until the dates are warmed through and starting to color, about 2 minutes (they burn easily, so keep a watchful eye). Tip the dates into the bowl with breadcrumbs.
Add the celery, celery leaves if using, a big squeeze of lemon, and a few grinds of pepper to the bowl and gently stir to combine; season with salt and adjust with more lemon if desired.
Schmear about a teaspoon of Boursin on the bottom of each endive leaf, then top each with leaf with a spoonful of the date mixture. Top with a drizzle of oil, a good sprinkle of flaky sea salt, and a few more grinds of pepper.
More Thanksgiving reads from the archives:
Endive cup is my new favorite concept - I need to try this!
Hello Again Christina. Realise I was reading your TG dinner out of order and also that it is my third reply to you this morning. There is a reason. I was woken as the possum that has recently been roosting in my verandah roofspace returned home at about 0330, and some times makes a very loud noise at lands on our roof. They forage great distance in many suburbs , tending to stay well off ht ground by using the network of trees , rooves and overhead power lines. Even their tail is very strong and prehensile. Although same name as US, different species completely. I have found now its entry point, but they are clever at fining gaps and loose roof tiles. At least it is not mating season as they make a hell of a racket.
Our sunrise is v early now at 0445. And sort of can't easily get to sleep again AM chores done so nice to read your stuff.
Loved your appetiser a lot. In distant past if entertaining for a lot, one v simple finger food type of thing we did ( it was the 70's and people did use splades!) was ?Devils on Horseback, Bacon wrapped around large date and grilled and served on a piece of crisp lettuce.
Agree v much that must boil potato with skin on and a ricer is the only way.
And a great table pic! With pumpkins. Saw an article just back about how much was spent on their purchase and the estimate of wastage
A great Total Use of the Pumkin (except the stalk bit) Recipe : Use the skins for chips by roasting, the seed also roasted, and roast the flesh and then soup for which so mant iterations, but do like with some orange juice in mix.
And Homage to Turkey !( and many other poultry). My Great Grandfather as well as being a sheep farmer (a lot of ), raised ostriches for their feathers then, around 1900. After that fashion passed , after a trip to the US, he imported Bronzewing turkeys and won prizes and intrduced them locally This was in Central Queensland, So not just feral foxes, large raptors (eagles and Kites wich can carry even a turkey aloft, but very big goannas ( smaller version Komodo dragon) to contend with.
And to sign off, Congratulations as you completion of your book draws near.
Hope some or more of this interesting and/or entertainig, Cristoffa.