Australians’ don’t celebrate Thanksgiving. But I read so many Canadian and American blogs that I can’t help but want to get involved with pumpkin pie, and I don’t mind some turkey. So I thought I’d host my own dinner party!
I think I did it right – there’s no traditions to start with here, so I wanted to go for ‘normal’.
We had:
Turkey – I went for a rolled roast, with a simple ‘put in oven and cook for this long’. Not zero waste, but zero risk of failure
Sweet potato fries – the BF likes there, and thanks to Economies of Kale for teaching me how – although mine never end up crispy.
Potato gallete – thinly sliced potato, with butter and garlic almost every layer. MMM mmm.
Green beans – cause otherwise, it’s be a little monochromatic
Cheese and garlic biscuits – there’s nothing I love more than garlic, and cheese. So even though I try to eat gluten free, well I didn’t on this night!
Stuffins – when you don’t have a real turkey, you don’t have a place for stuffing. Thanks to pinterest, I had stuffins!
There was no gravy, I’ve never mastered it. There was a jar of cranberry sauce.
Dessert failed to be photographed – I made a pumpkin pie with a hazelnut meal base, and my mother made an apple pie, which was lucky, as not everyone has a taste for pumpkin pie here.
Here was my tablescape:
I can’t see any reason not to repeat this next year!
Sounds yummy and looks lovely! 🙂 I rarely set the table (I usually leave the food on the counter and we carry our laden plates to the table) but your pictures make me want to do so!
Actually the food was laid out on the raised ledge of the kitchen counter, but I got Pinspired, and collected some leaves the week prior to the dinner, as well as making flowers and creating table mats (now I don't have enough craft paper for Christmas wrapping!)
Yum, that potato galette looks delicious 🙂 I'm glad the BF likes my sweet potato fries – maybe try cooking them longer to get them to crisp up.
I also fell off the gluten free bandwagon big-time last week (eating both pizza and bread for the first time in a year). Fortunately I didn't end up feeling too bad, so my body must be healing!
Oh it'd be interesting to hear more about your fall from gluten free – and how you've stayed so constant on it til now. The galette is pretty easy with a mandolin slicer, I'd be lost without it. I'll try the longer cooking time
That's gorgeous and looks like fun. I'm with whoever doesn't like pumpkin pie. I've tried to like it for the sake of American friends, but sweet pumpkin puree just doesn't do it for me..
Thanks Jo – I love me the spiced goodness in anything! Are you generally a sweet tooth?
It all looks so delicious! I am liking this idea of an Aussie Thanksgiving! I have never made a pumpkin pie and would love to try it. We do pumpkin soup all the time but I've been told that this is a rarity in Canada and the US? Pie is the go!
Fiona, feel free to make it an excuse to entertain – I spent about $60 for all the specific foods, and fed 6 people, plus six serves of leftovers, at least. So in my calculations, pretty cheap on a per serve basis. Pumpkin pie is delicious in my opinion but this time the pumpkin wasn't as pureed as I'd like, so I'll just have to make another one 😉
Sarah, what a nice feast! I've never made a galette. I love pumpkin pie (and pumpkin soup!) Once I had the same style of pie made from sweet potatoes. Most people buy the pumpkin pie filling in a tin, though! Good idea for the stuffing, too – again, a lot of people here buy a pre-packaged kind.
Since Canadian Thanksgiving is in October, we usually have turkey for both Thanksgiving and Christmas, and ham for New Year's and Easter.
We don't get pumpkin in a tin here (yet) so I have to cook it, then mash it, and go from there. It's a labour of love (and it's hard to find non can recipes too!).
Funny, Aussies have ham and turkey (if they go traditional) at Christmas, but I'm not sure it's common to have it at Easter.
The galette is yummy – so yummy, i have two recipes, which is proof that each time I see it, I think 'I want to eat/make that' (same with pumpkin pie, two recipes there). In both cases, I hybridised the recipes to add what I like best!
It all looks yummy! I bought a similar style turkey breast joint for our Christmas dinner – I like zero risk cooking too lol!
Oh it's so easy when it tells you exactly how long to cook it for. I can't imagine regularly basting something.
Looks very yummy! I am glad you enjoyed the start of your new tradition. I really need to try making the potato galette and biscuits, they look amazing! Garlic and cheese or butter is my weakness, too.
I definitely recommend the biscuits – so easy with a food processor too. And the galette is easy if you have a good slicer, otherwise, I'm not sure I'd be bothered! The biscuits make a great lunch box snack too – both of these feature in my lunch today actually mmmm mmm.
Sarah, your Thanksgiving feast and table is beautiful. I had never heard of potato galletes but now want to make a pan of them. I love potatoes just about anyway and add the garlic and butter I would be in heaven. I'm sure I could make them in the slow cooker.
I can't imagine anyone not loving pumpkin pie it's such a necessity around here that everyone looks forward to pumpkin season, although most people buy the pumpkin canned.
How did your family enjoy their first Thanksgiving?
Thanks Lois – simple too, just old leaves, leftover tissue (I bought some, but realised I had enough leftovers) and craft paper for giftwrapping. I invited friends rather than family and I think they enjoyed it – I know the one American was delighted that all the standard fare was there (including pumpkin pie).
Here's a simple galette recipe (I have it on hand): http://recipes.coles.com.au/recipes/891/potato-ga… I'm sure it would work in your slow cooker!
This has to be the cutest post I have ever read. 🙂
We don't celebrate Thanksgiving as a family either, but it's hard not to get caught up eh?
Thanks mochimac! I just had to get in on the fun and games, and I think I'll do it every year – why not make it an excuse to have people over, right?
How fun to try a tradition from another country….now you have me thinking I should do the same. Maybe I'll start by finally making this cake I've dreamed of after having it in Norway in 1994. I have had the recipe the whole time, just haven't tried it.
I'm one of those Americans who isn't fond of the traditional Thanksgiving dishes. Turkey, yes please, but I can't eat a bit of pumpkin pie…the texture, the taste – ick! Also not fond of cranberry sauce (we've never had it at my family dinners), stuffing or gravy. We always add cheese covered cauliflower to our dinner for a bit of veg.
Do it! Create your own traditions, even if no one around you is enjoying them. I don't like cauliflower at all – since having it in the US and being violently ill soon afterwards. Lucky, really, cause I'm not sure it was cauliflower, but I'd never liked it, and it gave me an out with my parents. I will, however, make cauliflower rice or pizza bases, so I think I take issue with the 'trees'. And interestingly, I like 'normal' turkey, but this rolled turkey wasn't the right texture to me.