True Harvest: A Vegetarian Thanksgiving Menu

In the story True Harvest in Issue #142, vegetarian chef Linda Monastra explores the tradition of the meat-free Thanksgiving recipes, and hosts her first completely meatless meal. Though planning a menu that embodied Thanksgiving's ideals of sharing and gratitude without the holiday bird that symbolises it all was a challenge, the resulting menu was a resounding success: "...We sat down at the table laden with dish upon meat-free dish. The buzz of conversation lapsed into satisfied murmurs as our guests tucked into their food. I watched my crowd dig happily into all of the Thanksgiving recipes—the vegetable patties and the cranberry chutney, the tempeh and the pilaf and the gratin, and felt the warmth of the occasion. Even without the bird, the meal was complete." For this menu it's beer, not wine, that will pair best with each course. It cuts through all the spices, and it, too, has historical significance: The Pilgrims carried ale with them from England and made the decision to land at Plymouth Rock due to "our victuals being much spent, especially our beer," as one Mayflower diary noted. For pairing notes with these Thanksgiving recipes, see Party Like the Pilgrims.