Thanksgiving Feast

Roasted vegetable platter with homemade hummus

Yesterday was Canadian Thanksgiving. We celebrate the holiday on the second Monday of October during our abundant harvest season. Autumn colour usually peaks around this time in Southern Ontario, with sugar maples and oaks displaying vibrant red and orange foliage in forests, woodlots and city streets. It is a beautiful time of year. 

Turkey, with stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, and cranberry sauce, has been the traditional meal for many generations of Canadians. But I see that changing as Baby Boomers stop hosting Thanksgiving (and Christmas) dinners. I went to a large grocery store after church on Sunday to pick up some turnips. Refrigerated cases of fresh turkeys were being marked down to $1.49/lb. In comparison, I paid $2.49/lb for fresh, unwaxed rutabagas. Our city is home to people from many cultures, and a traditional turkey dinner is not their menu choice for special occasions. How can a bowl of bland mashed potatoes compare to a fresh, hot samosa from the local Indian grocer? We have far more food choices now than people had in the past, with a global food market and the increased availability of ethnic dishes.

Our Thanksgiving feast was abundant with tasty options for vegetarians and those who didn't want a traditional meal. I bought the smallest turkey available and served it with dressing, gravy, and mashed potatoes, but we still had lots of leftovers. On the other hand, our side dishes shone! We had roasted vegetables with hummus (my daughter makes the best hummus), turnip and apple casserole, hot artichoke dip, and layered bean dip with refried beans, olives, and bocconcini, all served with fresh taco and pita chips. Dessert was fresh, homemade pumpkin pie and apple pie. We have one of the top farmers' markets in the country, and the abundance of fresh produce is visually spectacular. I enjoyed buying local vegetables for dinner. 

Fall colour and a field of unharvested cattle corn

We live in prime farming country, but most of the acreage is planted with corn and soybeans for animal feed. I visited a friend's farm last week and bought some of their organic grass-fed beef, but those cuts will be stretched over several meals. Shopping responsibly and locally is possible year-round, even if we no longer preserve fruit and vegetables the way older generations did. I have no regrets in giving up meat almost 20 years ago. Eating as a vegetarian has encouraged me to try many new grains, legumes and vegetables and to experiment with dishes from other cultures. I am thankful for the diverse cultural scene in our community and appreciate that much of the world does enjoy our abundance. There are communities in Northern Ontario within a day's drive of our home where groceries are far more expensive, and the land is not good for farming. 

In 1976, Doris Janzen Longacre published the first edition of the More-with-Less Cookbook. Mom bought a copy for herself and another for me. My book is well-used, but Mom's was worn out; the cover was off, with many notes written in the margins. Mom knew how to cook healthy meals and could make more expensive grocery items stretch to feed all of us. The new cookbook included meat recipes, but it introduced basic vegetarian meals from Mennonites around the world.  Mom, Dad and my younger brothers moved to Mexico the next year, and she used the cookbook extensively for decades.

Fifty years have passed, and an anniversary edition of the cookbook was released this month. The introduction reads,

"For 50 years, More-with-Less has invited cooks to embrace simple, wholesome meals as an act of faith and compassion. With nearly 1 million copies in print, this beloved classic from Doris Janzen Longacre launched a movement connecting everyday choices with global hunger, sustainability, and justice.

Social media feeds are full of photogenic meals, and cooking shows entertain as chefs use expensive and unusual ingredients to create unique dishes. I am tempted to order the new edition, partly for the recipes, but also to renew my commitment to food justice and sustainability.