Thanksgiving dinner in 2019 (Provided photo — Yvona Fast)

On Thanksgiving Day, turkey, squash, potatoes, pie gobble, gobble, gulp. For food, fun, friends, family, give thanks today, and always.

Thanksgiving — a time to be grateful and give thanks — is an American tradition. We give thanks for the blessings we’ve received: blessings of food and shelter, blessings of friendship, family ties and love.

Thanksgiving is a truly American holiday. Some indigenous cultures had multiple harvest festivals throughout the year. These were times set apart to gather together, share blessings and enjoy each other’s company. Some indigenous people still celebrate this holiday, ingrained in cultural traditions valued by native cultures: community, gratitude and care for our planet. Others, however, commemorate Thanksgiving as a day of mourning for the genocide that followed the arrival of Europeans on the American continent.

Most Americans today can’t claim native ancestry and are descended from immigrants. We’re transplants and outsiders whose ancestors chose to become Americans. We can be grateful for America, thankful that our ancestors were able to make this our home.

We have become divided, polarized and demoralized, not unified. But in spite of political views that divide us, we’re all Americans.

The Thanksgiving holiday unites us. On Thanksgiving Day, 300 million Americans will all eat the same basic menu: turkey, stuffing, potatoes, gravy, winter squash, green bean casserole, sweet potatoes (with factory-made marshmallows), salad, cranberry sauce (often from a can), dinner rolls. Today, many of those food traditions are not rooted in immigrant food traditions, but in the mid-20th-century food industry, which brought ultra-processed food into the mainstream. For example, green bean casserole is made with Campbell’s canned condensed cream of mushroom soup and French’s French-Fried Onions. And in northern climates like ours, green beans are long past their harvest season. Why not replace it with seasonal green vegetables, like Brussels sprouts or kale?

Thanksgiving celebrates the harvest. Many traditional sides like winter squash, pumpkin, sweet potatoes, apples and cranberries are in season now. Buy them fresh and support our local farmers. They will have more flavor than their processed, frozen or canned versions.

We celebrate our immigrant cultures. What do we share in common? Where do we diverge? How can we live together, embracing principles like the greater good and opportunity for all that allow everyone the freedom to contribute what we’re able, regardless of culture or heritage?

According to the New York Times, there are about 52 million immigrants in the United States, or about 15% of the population. A little more than half are naturalized citizens, like myself. Of the rest, many have legal status; others don’t. Most are part of the workforce. Today, many live in fear brought on by the current administration’s policies.

80% of farms are family-owned; most employ immigrants. We must continue to welcome the immigrants who work hard on our modern farms.

We need to reach out to the poor. We are told to love our neighbors, many of whom worry about putting food on the table.

The spirit of the season isn’t based on cultural or religious beliefs. We give thanks for what we have, sharing with our neighbors.

American food is not American; it’s a microcosm of world cultures. There are so many traditions and flavors we can add to our festive table! Use recipes and cooking methods your ancestors would have used.

For example, if you have Oriental ancestry, serve rice with turkey instead of potatoes. Or discover Indian Biryani, a dish made with basmati rice, potatoes, spices, yogurt, onions and herbs. If your ancestors came from the Middle East, serve hummus, a traditional chickpea dip.

What’s your heritage? Chinese, Indian, Latin, Lebanese, Greek, Italian, French, Irish? What foods can you add to the Thanksgiving table?

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Cranberry Chutney

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Chutney combines the British love of sweet fruit jams with hot spices from the Indian subcontinent.

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Ingredients

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1 cup water

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup cider vinegar

2 cups cranberries

1/2 cup black currants (optional)

1 medium onion, chopped

2 apples, peeled, cored and chopped

1 Tablespoon minced fresh ginger (one 1 1/2 inch piece)

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. allspice

1/4 tsp. cloves

Directions:

In a medium saucepan, bring to a boil water, sugar and vinegar. Lower heat and simmer for 2 minutes. Add cranberries, cover and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until they pop. Add currants, onion, apple and spices. Cook over low heat, stirring often until mixture starts to thicken, about 15 minutes. It will thicken more when it cools.

Put chutney in a jar or bowl, cool and refrigerate up to one month.

Makes 2 to 3 cups.

Thanksgiving Tsimmes

Made with seasonal autumn fruits and root vegetables, tsimmes is a traditional Jewish dish often served for Rosh Hashanah. It uses seasonal produce and is a great accompaniment for turkey.

Ingredients:

2 lbs. sweet potatoes (about 4)

1 Tablespoon olive oil

2 large onions

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 lb. carrots (3 or 4)

1/2 lb. parsnips (3 or 4)

1 large apple or pear

2 cups dried cranberries

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

2 oranges or 1 cup fresh-squeezed orange juice

1/3 cup chopped walnuts or 1/4 cup fine bread crumbs

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Directions:

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Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil, and lower heat to medium; add sweet potatoes in their skins, and cook for 10 minutes. Drain, run under cool water and peel. Cut into 1-inch cubes and place in a large bowl.

Heat the oil in a large skillet to medium heat. Peel and dice the onions, sprinkle with salt and saute until translucent. Slice the carrots and parsnips, add and continue to saut until onions and carrots are golden.

Transfer to a bowl with the sweet potatoes. (You can omit the above steps and just mix everything together and double the baking time to 1 1/2 hours, or until everything is tender.)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 3-quart baking dish.

Stir spices, cranberries and apple into the vegetables. Peel and seed the oranges. Chop and mash to release juice. Stir in.

Turn contents into a prepared casserole. Drizzle with honey, if you like. Sprinkle walnuts or bread crumbs over the top. Bake for 45 minutes, or until the top becomes slightly crusty. Serve hot.

It’s OK to make ahead and reheat a day or two later.

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Italian Style Green Beans with Gremolata

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Ingredients:

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1 to 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil

1 pound (14-ounce bag) of frozen whole green beans or wax beans

(can also use fresh, will need to cook longer).

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 large cloves of garlic

Grated lemon zest from 1 large lemon

1/2 cup tightly packed Italian parsley leaves (or 1/3 cup each parsley and arugula leaves)

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

1/2 cups coarsely-grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

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Directions:

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Heat a large skillet or saute pan over medium heat; coat with oil. Add beans, sprinkle with salt and pepper and cook about five minutes or to desired tenderness. It’s OK if they brown a little, but they shouldn’t burn; add a little water and cover the skillet if needed.

To make the gremolata, crush the garlic. Mince the parsley. Grate lemon zest.

In a small bowl, combine minced garlic, lemon zest and fresh minced parsley.

Cook off any liquid left in the beans and transfer to a serving bowl. Toss hot beans with the cheese and gremolata and serve.

Makes about 8 1/2 cup servings. This can be served hot as a side, or chilled as a salad and is delicious at room temperature also.

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Mom’s Polish Bread Stuffing

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Ingredients:

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8 cups cubed stale bread

1 onion

4 Tablespoons butter

1/2 cup milk

3 eggs

liver (from the bird)

1 cup chopped parsley

salt and pepper to taste

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Directions:

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Cook the onion in butter. Place cubed or crumbled bread in a bowl, and add the onions, melted butter, milk and eggs. Mix well to moisten. Chop the liver. Chop or mince the parsley. Add to the bread mixture. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Stuff into the turkey before roasting.

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Author of the award-winning cookbook Garden Gourmet: Fresh & Fabulous Meals from your Garden, CSA or Farmers’ Market, Yvona Fast lives in Lake Clear and has two passions: writing and cooking. She can be found at www.yvonafast.com and reached at writeyvona@gmail.com.