Thanksgiving, the Canadian Thanksgiving, is quite different from the American celebration based on a supposed banquet shared between settlers and natives.
In Quebec (and Canada), the holiday has religious, aboriginal and pagan origins. It’s a moment of gratitude for the abundance of the late summer harvest.
Historically, most European civilizations have had a feast or festival to celebrate the end of the harvest and the return of the darker days.
Since every festival of plenty needs its feast, and Quebec is a farming and ranching region, we’re well placed in Montreal to cook a Thanksgiving dinner with local ingredients and grandma’s recipes.
And, if you’re not much of a cook, you might just as well bring along some (wild) flowers, (fresh) fruit or a nice bottle of wine…
For those who cook…
Roast Turkey
Everyone has a family recipe for roast turkey, and we won’t try to tell you (or your mother-in-law) how to make it…
In Quebec, we keep it pretty simple, with a touch of maple syrup, a little bière rousse, a few sprigs of rosemary and a lemon where you know it.
Recipe? We did find a recipe from 1963 on @museepop’s account-if you can read the fine print.
Tourtières/ Meat pies
It’s the English colonial side of Quebec that endures with meat pies, chicken pies…
It’s more of a holiday recipe, but it’s our favorite, so we’re adding it here-and if we have several Thanksgiving dinners or potlucks , it’s easy to make with leftovers… Because we’re green, too.
For a recipe to try, we turn to Quebec’s culinary guru-the Ricardo website (which now has an app).
Recipe? Ricardo’s best chicken pâté
Pecan Pie
This is the best (sorry pumpkin and apple pies) of all Thanksgiving pies, and one of the easiest to make.
But be careful! We’ll have to check if it’s not already someone else’s “specialty”-or else, we’ll jump on it and become the expert.
Recipe? Ricardo’s Pecan Pie (the best)
The Sides
In truth, the most important part of a Thanksgiving meal is the side dishes: brussels sprouts with bacon, oven-roasted sweet potatoes and squash, sautéed mushrooms, garlic beans…
For recipes, this time we’re going to the Tastet website and their recipes from Montreal chefs-because we’ve got a culinary edge , yes.
- Milling-inspired squash à la manière du Baumier
- Pan-fried Radishes from Parcelles
- Roasted carrots with bacon, goat cheese and basil from chef Pascal Turgeon of restaurant Tandem
- Roasted Brussels sprouts with sunflower from Gia
And finally… the recipe for Bloomfield’s Unemployed Pudding
For those who don’t cook…
Don’t panic! We’re not all cooks at heart, but we’re all well behaved and (hello, we’re Montrealers) have impeccable taste.
Whether it’s with in-laws, friends, our crush or French people invited to a potluck, we’ll bring it back;
Flowers
This is a classic, and we have the best florists in Montreal – right here!
But, for Thanksgiving, we’re in the mood for something a little more curated, possibly with a pretty gold ribbon, or a card. And, for that, we recommend stopping by the Olive et Gourmando boutique for flowers, coffee and a cinnamon roll.
Where? 351 rue Saint-Paul Ouest
When? Open 7 days a week, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Fruits
Because the most luxurious of all is a basket of figs. At the moment, in the markets (they have to be organic and/or local) there are..;
- figs
- apples
- pears
- pumpkins (classic, bonus if you bring the decorative mini-pumpkins)
- grapes
- and if not, we’ll bring walnuts for the aperitif
Wine or Cider
Since we’re going to be out and about in the region (because it’s autumn and we’re going to be seeing the colors), we recommend stopping off at all the vineyards and cider houses you can find, and stocking up on local bottles (and jams) to bring back when you’re invited to the season’s suppers, dinners and brunches.
- Our Favourite Cider Houses
- Chelsea’s “Gilmore Girls” vineyard and ride
- Our autumn road-trips less than 2 hours from Montreal
Happy Thanksgiving!