The Thanksgiving meal is remarkably consistent in its elements: the turkey, the stuffing, the sweet potatoes, the cranberry sauce. Barring ethical, health, or religious objections, it is pretty much the same meal for everyone, across latitudes and longitudes, and through the years of their lives. We stick with the basics and simply change the seasonings.
But what about that first Thanksgiving in the fall of 1621 (historians don’t know the exact date, but place it sometime between September 21 and November 9), when British settlers hosted the first documented harvest celebration? What did they eat, and how similar is it to the traditional American Thanksgiving meal?
Here’s how Edward Winslow described the first Thanksgiving feast in a letter to a friend:
“Our harvest being gotten in, our governor sent four men on fowling, that so we might after a special manner rejoice together after we had gathered the fruits of our labor. They four in one day killed as much fowl as, with a little help beside, served the company almost a week. At which time, amongst other recreations, we exercised our arms, many of the Indians coming amongst us, and among the rest their greatest king Massasoit, with some ninety men, whom for three days we entertained and feasted, and they went out and killed five deer, which we brought to the plantation and bestowed on our governor, and upon the captain and others. And although it be not always so plentiful as it was at this time with us, yet by the goodness of God, we are so far from want that we often wish you partakers of our plenty.”
So venison was a major ingredient, as well as fowl, but that likely included pheasants, geese, and duck. Turkeys are a possibility, but were not a common food in that time. Pilgrims grew onions and herbs. Cranberries and currants would have been growing wild in the area, and watercress may have still been available if the hard frosts had held off, but there’s no record of them having been served. In fact, the meal was probably quite meat-heavy. Likewise, walnuts, chestnuts, and beechnuts were abundant, as were sunchokes. Shellfish were common, so they probably played a part, as did beans, pumpkins, squashes, and corn (served in the form of bread or porridge), thanks to the Wampanoags.
What didn’t they have at the first Thanksgiving? Potatoes (white or sweet), bread stuffing or pie (wheat flour was rare), sugar, Aunt Lena’s green bean casserole.
But how about bringing a little more truly traditional flavor back to your table? Back in 2003, we consulted with historians at Plimoth Plantation and asked writer Jane Walsh to devise a menu that incorporated some of the foods that would have been served at the first Thanksgiving. We didn’t eliminate any favorites or try to go sugar-free. We skipped the venison. Really, like everyone else who will gather around a table on November 22, we simply changed the seasonings.
Watercress-Currant Salad with Mustard Vinaigrette
Total Time: 10 minutes; hands-on: 10 minutes
Yield: 8 to 10 servings of salad; about 1/2 cup vinaigrette
Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons honey
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 large bunches watercress (about 8 ounces each), washed, dried, large stems removed
- 3/4 cup dried currants
Method:
In a medium bowl, whisk vinegar, mustard, honey, salt, and pepper continually while drizzling oil in droplets. Whisk until smooth; adjust seasoning. Toss with watercress and currants until lightly coated.
Stuffing of Jerusalem Artichokes, Currants, and Grapes
Total Time: 85 minutes; hands-on time: 25 minutes
Yield: about 12 cups stuffing, enough for a 12- to 14-pound turkey
Ingredients:
- 1 medium sweet onion, chopped
- 1 cup chopped celery
- 8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter
- 1 pound Jerusalem artichokes, scrubbed and cut into 1/4-inch cubes
- 1/2 cup dried currants
- 2 teaspoons Bell’s seasoning
- 1 14-ounce package prepared herbed stuffing cubes (we used Pepperidge Farm brand)
- 2-1/2 cups chicken broth
- 1/2 cup halved red seedless grapes
- 1/3 cup chopped parsley
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
Method
In a large nonstick skillet (do not use iron, which discolors the Jerusalem artichokes), sauté onion and celery in the butter until onion is transparent. Add Jerusalem artichokes, currants, and Bell’s seasoning; cook 5 minutes longer. Add stuffing cubes, chicken broth, grapes, parsley, and black pepper; toss gently to mix. At this point you can refrigerate the mix up to 24 hours.
Loosely stuff prepared turkey according to the directions on your bird. Put rest of stuffing in a covered buttered casserole dish and bake 30 minutes at 350 degrees F. Stuffing should reach 165 degrees F before serving.
e first feasters might have eaten. We didn’t eliminate any of the foods we loved, just changed the seasonings.
Pumpkin Chiffon Pie with Sweet Walnut Crust
Total time: 3 hours, 45 minutes; hands-on time: 35 minutes
Yield: 8 servings
Ingredients:
For the Piecrust
- 1 cup walnuts
- 1 cup graham-cracker crumbs
- 1/4 cup firmly packed light-brown sugar
- 5 tablespoons salted butter, melted
Preheat oven to 350°. Set a rack to the second-to-bottom position.
Grind walnuts coarsely in a food processor. Add graham crumbs and sugar; then pulse to blend while drizzling in melted butter. Press into a 9-inch pie plate.
Bake 10–15 minutes. Set aside to cool. Piecrust can be made up to 3 weeks in advance and frozen.
For the Filling
- 1 tablespoon whiskey or brandy
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1 package powdered gelatin
- 2/3 cup firmly packed light-brown sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup pumpkin purée, fresh or canned (not pumpkin-pie filling), such as One-Pie brand
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 1/8 teaspoon table salt
- 11/2 cups heavy cream
- Walnut halves
Method:
In a heavy-bottomed 2-quart pot, whisk whiskey or brandy, milk, and gelatin together over low heat, continuously until gelatin is completely dissolved, 2–3 minutes. Whisk in brown sugar, then eggs one at a time; continue whisking over low heat (don’t let it come to a boil) as you add pumpkin, spices, and salt. Cook 5–7 minutes, until custard is smooth and steaming.
Turn off heat and transfer custard to a large ceramic bowl to cool at room temperature. Don’t refrigerate, because you don’t want the custard to firm up.
In a separate bowl, whip cream to stiff peaks. When custard has cooled to room temperature (about 45 minutes), fold cream in gently. Fold filling into cooled pie shell; chill at least 2 hours. Garnish with walnut halves.
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