Thanksgiving.....Finally

After some technical difficulties, I think I'm back.  Thanksgiving, as always was fabulous.  The company was great and the food....superior.  This was not so much "Marilyn's Table" as, The Clay Table.  Here is what we had:

Caramelized Onion Spread with Melba Toasts
Roasted Vegetable and Goat Cheese Terrine
Spiced Nuts

The spread was simple but very nice.  Sliced onions are caramelized with a bit of garlic until browned.  Cream cheese and yogurt are added.  The spread is chilled for easier spreading. The nuts are tossed with a mixture of beaten egg whites, sugar and spices.  They are then spread on a baking sheet and toasted until crispy.  The terrine was the biggest challenge.  I had never attempted one before, but a group in my class made one and I thought, why not?  Vegetables (zucchini, yellow squash, eggplant, tomatoes, and portobello mushrooms) are thinly sliced and brushed with a marinade.  They are spread on baking sheets and dried in a low oven.  They are alternately layered in a plastic wrap lined loaf pan. A layer of goat cheese and egg is spread over all.  Another layer of vegetables and goat cheese is added ending with egg plant.  The plastic wrap tightly covers the  pan.  A cover of foil is put over the pan and it is placed in a hot water bath and cooked.  When done, the pan is cooled slightly.  A couple of heavy cans of vegetables are placed on top and the pan is refrigerated for a couple of days.  At serving, the cans are removed and the foil.  The plastic loaf is removed, uncovered and sliced.  Very pretty layers and quite tasty.



Roasted Turkey Breasts and Gravy
Rice and Wheat Berry Pilaf with chopped Vegetables
Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon, Shallots and a Panko and Cheese topping
Loretta's Holiday Molded Salad

Pumpkin Cheesecake with Rum Nut Glaze and Whipped Cream

For dinner, we had not one, not two, but three turkey breasts.  Two were brined with a mixture from World Market.  Excellent flavor and very juicy.  The third was a smoked breast and gave a very different flavor.  Excellent as well.  The pilaf was very pretty and the wheat berries added a crunch to the dish.  I need to get the recipe!  The sprouts are roasted and tossed with sauteed shallots and bacon.  The Panko and cheese are spread over the top and baked until crusty.  As always the molded salad special.  Fruit pieces in red gelatin. Something we all look forward to.

What can I say about cheesecake??  It was creamy and very pumpkiny. (not a word, but a very abt description)  The glaze and whipped cream set it off perfectly.

Though I have photos, this new browser does not seem to recognize them?  Will work on it for next time

I hope your Thanksgiving was a nice as ours.  Time to start making the Christmas menu.