Oh just because we live in Morocco doesn't mean that we don't celebrate Thanksgiving.
And so it was that invitations were made...and the Peacock Pavilions kitchen was abuzz....with good food.
We gathered in the salon where a fire was roaring.
There was a late harvest cocktail and appetizers:
* pears wrapped in prosciutto and arugula, with shaved parmesan drizzled with balsamic vinaigrette
* white bean paste crostini with black Hawaiian sea salt
* mini zucchini cakes (zucchini, toasted bread crumbs, scallions) with a dot of spiced yogurt
Then we moved to the Peacock Pavilions dining tent and friends filled their plates....
We sat at low tables that had been dressed for the occasion.
The menu included:
*2 kinds of turkey, one smoked and one slathered with organic honey, and two accompanying gravies & cranberry relish
* Roasted pumpkin with sage brown butter sauce (made with pumpkin from our garden instead of squash)
* Mashed potatoes with crispy shallots (We added roasted garlic as well as toasted garlic.)
* Sauteed parsnips with dates and spiced yogurt
* Roasted brussel sprouts with garlic and onion
* Green bean and roasted red pepper salad in a sherry vinaigrette
* Wild rice with mushrooms
We went around the table and gave thanks, all 20 of us.
We were thankful for friends & family, a freshly elected president and even a book that had been published. We were also grateful we weren't living in Gaza and our hearts went out to families living in conflict.....
One 13 year old boy was thankful there were girls in his class....
While another thirteen year old was grateful that we had evolved from homo sapiens to be the very people we are today...
And after the gratitude there was....dessert:
* pumpkin pie made from scratch (no canned pumpkin here) with whipped cream
* apple tart with vanilla ice cream
And tea, of course.
Why we ate so much that even the fancy dogs that had been invited for Thanksgiving could barely roll out the door....
Happy Thanksgiving to you no matter where you live today and every day....
PS Merci to Michelle, Alexia, Bob, Lise and Kimo for all their help in making this Thanksgiving so delicious and pretty. You all are swell.