Going Vegetarian for Thanksgiving (ny times)

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http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/11/11/going-vegetarian-for-thanksgiving/

 

 

Going Vegetarian for Thanksgiving

By TARA PARKER-POPE

 

Brian Snyder/Reuters

 

No turkeys were harmed in the making of this blog.

Who needs turkey? Thanksgiving is an ideal time to test out new vegetarian

recipes that could quickly become everyday favorites.

 

 

A Vegetarian Thanksgiving

Vegetable dishes to fill your holiday table.

 

Losing Your Appetite for Turkey

Ate Too Much? Tight Pants and More

Paying for an Organic Thanksgiving

 

Forget garden salads, steamed broccoli or cooked carrots. The Thanksgiving table

is crowded with creative side dishes that include stuffing, vegetable-and-rice

combos, green bean or squash casseroles, and fall favorites like pumpkin and

sweet potatoes.

 

Given the variety of delicious side dishes served this time of year, some

diners, including myself, eschew the turkey altogether. Most turkey does not

taste all that special anyway, and I would rather fill up on the good stuff. In

addition, claims about bird abuse by animal rights groups can quickly dull your

appetite. (I wrote about this last year in my post “Losing Your Appetite for

Turkey?â€)

 

Whether or not you have invited a vegetarian to join you this Thanksgiving or

you are planning to eat turkey yourself, the holiday is an ideal time to

celebrate vegetables. To help you discover a new vegetarian favorite, the Well

blog will offer daily vegetarian recipes from now until Thanksgiving as part of

our new Eat Well series.

 

We will hear ideas from top chefs like Alice Waters of Chez Panisse and Dan

Barber of Blue Hill, both of whom have raised the standard for fresh and

delicious vegetable dishes. We will also keep you apprised of the variety of

vegetarian options offered by dining writers from The New York Times, including

Mark Bittman, Julia Moskin, Kim Severson and the Temporary Vegetarian columnist

Elaine Louie.

 

Eat Well starts today, with a Thanksgiving smackdown between Ms. Severson, a

turkey fan, and Ms. Moskin, a believer in side dishes. Fortunately for us, the

turkey versus side dish standoff leaves us with some great new recipes. Here

they are:

 

Two-Way Chanterelle and Pear Bread Stuffing: It isn’t a vegetarian dish, but

Ms. Severson says it can be. Just substitute vegetable stock for the turkey

stock and omit the pancetta. You’re left with a delicious bread stuffing

flavored with mushrooms, pears and shallots and cooked in a muffin tin.

 

Fiery Sweet Potatoes: A holiday favorite sweetened with brown sugar but spiced

up with Thai red curry paste and coconut milk.

 

Caramelized Corn With Fresh Mint: The name says it all — butter browns and

flavors fresh corn, livened with mint.

 

Roasted Cauliflower With Lemon Brown Butter and Sage Salt: A simple dish that

uses roasting to draw out the flavor of the cauliflower.