giving thanks

of course we are in switzerland and we are not even american, though we have lived the past 12 years in the US, we have grown to love the thanksgiving tradition. preparing a meal together, enjoying fellowship for a day with family and friends and getting ready to share a wonderful meal. giving thanks for all and everything we have been given.
tomorrow would be the day, though here it is a regular weekday, we decided to celebrate last saturday at my parents. i was really excited. the planning started a while ago and i was leaving through cook books and magazines for inspiration. when i was in boston just a month back i grabbed a magazine before boarding the plain definitely a helpful deed, as it turned out to be.

lettuce wedge, roasted wallnuts with a wallnut vineagrette and roquefort cheese to start the meal off

i managed to find cranberries, they were not the best quality, never the less, the relish turned out yummy, perfect not just to turkey but also to our pork roast. we decided on a pork roast as it is what my brother raises on his farm, maybe i can convince him to raise a hand full of turkeys next year...
the cranberry relish was as simple as ever, chopping cranberries, the flesh of an orange and add some of its zest. i forgot to bring the allspice along, o well we made up with ground cloves and some nutmeg and that was working out just fine. added brown sugar did it. (the relish was definitely needing that extra day to sit and gain it's full flavor)

a favorite of joel's brussels sprouds, the kids are not too fond of those green "soccer balls" the adults loved them

my dad fell for the yam, we prepared them very traditional, baking, pealing, pureeing, except we did added a yellow and orange not to hot chili pepper. this turned out to give it a little bit more savory taste. the potatoes were cooked and bacon bits sauteed, to the bacon fat i added a bit apple vinegar and brown sugar, this made for a bit different texture and taste of the slightly mushed potatoes. not to forget, there is some cilantro added at the end, but don't add to much if you don't like cilantro, add dill or parsley or chives for that matter.

enjoy your thanksgiving tomorrow, would love to be at your house...