On the lighter side

I have been doing this column since 2017 and I struggle a lot with putting content together. It’s not easy pulling four new recipes every week. I am looking for ideas to help me out. To all readers of my column, let me know what you want to see! You can email me at katina@cookson.news or call the office at 918-756-3600 with your ideas.

This Saturday is Veterans Day. Veterans Day originated as “Armistice Day” on Nov. 11, 1919, which was the first anniversary of the end of World War I. Congress passed a resolution in 1926 for an annual observance, and Nov. 11 became a national holiday beginning in 1938. In 1954, President Eisenhower changed the name to Veterans Day to honor all Veterans from any war. Unlike Memorial Day, Veterans Day pays tribute to all American veterans— living or dead—but especially gives thanks to living veterans who served their country honorably during war or peacetime. I want to take a moment to thank all veterans, but especially my Dad, Terry Rawlings, and Uncle Lane Montague. My uncle was in the Army and served in Vietnam. Dad also served in Vietnam in the Navy on the USS Princeton, an air craft carrier, and later on the USS Schenectady, a LST tank landing ship. I am so very proud of the veterans in my family and want to thank all veterans everywhere for their service and sacrifice. with Thanksgiving just a few short weeks away, I want to discuss the origins of Thanksgiving.

In 1621, the Plymouth colonists and Wampanoag Indians shared an autumn harvest feast that is acknowledged today as one of the first Thanksgiving celebrations in the colonies. For more than two centuries, days of thanksgiving were celebrated by individual colonies and states. It wasn’t until 1863, in the midst of the Civil War, that President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed a national Thanksgiving Day to be held each November.

While it is not known what exactly the full menu that was served was, the Pilgrim chronicler Edward Winslow documented in his journal that the governor sent 4 men on a ‘fowling’ excursion and the Wampanoag brought five deer with them. Turkey was certainly plentiful at the time and it may have been served, but it’s likely they came back with other fowl as well such as duck or geese or even swan. They were celebrating the pilgrim’s first successful harvest so corn was likely served in some manner on the table as well as beans, onions and carrots. Fruits from the region would have included grapes, cranberries and raspberries.

Pumpkin is very much a fall vegetable and may well have been served but it wouldn’t have been in pie form. By now the sugar that was brought with them would have been running low or gone all together. Flour and butter would also not be in stock for the crust and they had no ovens for baking. More likely it was served as a custard with milk and honey or a soup simply roasted over an open fire. Potatoes are served on almost every table these days, but would not have been at the first Thanksgiving. They were not native to America and the English did not favor them enough at the time to have brought them along for the trip. They may have eaten turnips or other groundnuts in its place however.

One thing the original feast would most likely have had that is not seen much these days is shellfish. Remember, they were located on the coast. Mussels were bountiful and easily harvested as they would have been clinging to the rocks. The colonists occasionally served mussels with curds for any meal, so it is highly likely they served it at Thanksgiving. Lobster, bass, clams and oysters might also have been part of the feast.

We still celebrate Thanksgiving but today’s menu is far different from what the original pilgrims ate. It doesn’t matter what is served on the table however. The point of the day is to be thankful and appreciative of what the year has brought to you and your family, your yearly harvest so to speak. So remember to reach out to your family even if you can’t be with them for Thanksgiving and count your blessings.

Holiday season is right around the corner and with that comes lots of sweets and heavy meals. So this week, I cooked a full meal that was easy to put together and gave us a well-rounded meal without being super heavy. Make your grocery list and hit the store for what you need. Then, meet me in the kitchen for a dinner that’s on the lighter side!