AN ITALIAN CELEBRATION TO GIVE THANKS IN A TUSCAN VINEYARD

You may have noticed this by now; but it is our tradition here to give a new theme to every Thanksgiving celebration.  Back in 2018 we celebrated Thanksgiving In A Tuscan Vineyard.  Our ideas for this celebration can be found at this link: https://theinseasonlifestyle.com/thanksgiving-in-a-vineyard/.

We thought it would be fun to review that Thanksgiving celebration again this year as it turned out to be a fabulous idea.

Yesterday’s post revealed how we decorated the house to match our theme.  Today’s post gives out a few of our recipes.

So; enjoy your taste of an Italian Thanksgiving, even if it exists only in the imagination.

AN ITALIAN THANKSGIVING???

Did you know that they do not celebrate Thanksgiving in Italy?

Except for a few elite establishments; the day means nothing to them.  Well; that is understandable since Thanksgiving evolved from American history; but it makes us sad just the same.

Gratitude is for sharing; right?

This year we set out to change the world.  This family has imagined a Thanksgiving Celebration in Italy.  Our imagination is pretty strong, so we will go a step further and imagine a Thanksgiving Celebration in a Tuscan Vineyard.

Why not?

If you live in Alabama (or anywhere else that isn’t Italy) and you decide to do this for Thanksgiving; you must have a creative and cooperative family with very good imaginations.

I’m happy to report that it is possible to pull this off.

I’ve done crazier things; and I promise it will be fun!

AUTHENTICITY WARNING

Though we are trying hard to be authentically Italian in many ways; I guess you could call our actual celebration of gratitude a Southern-Traditional Tuscan Vineyard.

I say this to warn you, since just a few of our typical southern traditions might sneak into the Tuscan style of our food and festivities.

Try not to laugh and overlook the obvious.  This is all in fun.

CRANBERRIES

To make my point; take cranberries as an example.  There is nothing Tuscan about cranberries; but we will have to have them just the same.  We simply can’t imagine a Thanksgiving celebration without our recipe for warm cranberries.

The cranberries will go well with our Black Rooster Stew; and those having the Lasagna can just omit the cranberries if they so desire.

I’m sure some of my bunch will scoop warm cranberries over their Limoncello cheesecake.  That might start a whole new food fad; who knows?

WINE AND OLIVE OIL

Tuscany and Florence are most known for their wines and olive oil.  There will be plenty of those at our table.  If you have any wine left over; you might want to check out these amazing ideas and recipes:  https://thehappymustardseed.com/red-wine-recipes-decadent-comfort-food/.

Of course Italians like pasta; but it does seem to be more American/Italian than Italian.  They actually are famous for their truffles and the way they prepare root vegetables and meats which we don’t eat much of here in the states (like wild boar.)

ROOT VEGETABLES

Our sweet potatoes and regular baked potatoes are going to be our root vegetables in this celebration.  We will not have Italian truffles; but we do have lots of delicious mushrooms in almost everything we are serving.

PASTA

Americanized or not we are going to go with the pasta in our celebration. For that dish we will create a new recipe. I’m calling it Black Rooster Tuscan Chicken Stew.

Plus, we will serve up some Tuscan Lasagna.

These two dishes will be our entrees.  The root vegetables of potatoes will be our sides.

I know it is a bit strange to serve potatoes with pasta dishes; but we are going with it anyway because so many people in our family love sweet potatoes.  They will taste just great with the chicken entree.

SALAD, GRAPES AND FRUIT

We are going to compliment all of the above with a green salad that contains apples and pears and blueberries.  Plus, we will use a lovely noshing tray loaded down with fruits and veggies.  The ideas is to especially incorporate some of those famous grapes that are used in all of that good Italian wine-making.

WINE AND CHEESES

Yes; there will be wine from old fashioned wine carafes, like you find in the oldest of the old Italian restaurants.  Chianti in a little woven basket.

Tuscany is also famous for the cheeses that they serve in their vineyards for wine-tasting parties.  There will be Caprino, a soft, creamy cheese made from goat’s milk.  Caprino is very tasty rolled in herbs and pepper.  Also, let’s not forget how Italians love Pecorino.  We will scatter several small cheese trays here and there among the brightly colored dishes at our tables.

LIKE A TRIP TO ITALY

It was time to change things up a bit at our house; but maybe next year will be a completely southern-traditional Thanksgiving meal again.  This is not because we don’t love our American traditions; but this is the next best thing to loading the family up on a plane and flying to Italy.  The imaginary travel we propose will also be a lot less expensive.

AFTER DINNER DRINK

Of course we must be authentic with our after-dinner drink of Limoncello.  This drink will compliment our Italian cheesecake.  We are hoping to post an article soon about how you can make your own limoncello.  It isn’t hard.  I would recommend you find some version of grappa to go with it; as that is how it is often served in Italy.

THANKING GOD FOR BLESSINGS

Truly the Lord has been good to us.

We will definitely keep that American part of the celebration by sharing a blessing together.  No matter where we might be Thanksgiving for this family will always be about giving thanks to God.  We know He is the reason we feel so blessed and nourished from the earth He created.

I think those people running real Tuscan vineyards would heartily agree with this American tradition of thanking God.  That is why my family will read a scripture from the bible about a vineyard.  We will also sing The Johnny Appleseed Blessing.

The Johnny Appleseed Blessing is an old American tradition that we still choose to mix in because it is appropriate and we love it so much.

The words are so easy and the kids love to sing this blessing.  We taught it to our children and now our grandchildren have learned it too.  Here are the words in case you haven’t heard them before:

JOHNNY APPLESEED PRAYER OF THANKS (NOT ITALIAN; BUT VERY GRATEFUL)

The Lord’s been good to me; and so I thank the Lord;

For giving me the things I need, the sun and the rain and the apple seed.

The Lord’s been good to me.

Apples or grapes; we are so very grateful to God.

After such a beautiful scripture and a prayer of gratitude; let’s look at the whole menu we will offer.  We will print our recipes just in case you want to share them too.

MENU

Chianti/Water with lemon twist/Tea/Limoncello/Coffee

Garlic Rolls/Bread Sticks

Nosh Tray with fruit, nuts, veggies, chips and dips

Wine and cheese tray

Apple/Pear/Walnut/Cranberry Salad with balsamic/honey/apple vinaigrette.

Warm Cranberries

Black Rooster Stew  (Tuscan Chicken)

Tuscan Lasagna

Baked Sweet Potatoes/Baked Russet Potatoes with fixings (for those who won’t eat the sweet potatoes.)

Italian Style Limoncello Cheesecake

Italian Cream Cake (My Mom is making this)

Various Cookies and candies on a pretty tray

APPLE/PEAR/WALNUT/CRANBERRY SALAD

(Cranberries are not common to Tuscany; but we are throwing them in for the sake of our old  American Southern Traditions)

Ingredients:

8 cups baby spinach leaves

3 cups arugula leaves

Red apple, thinly sliced

Pear thinly sliced or chopped

2 cups toasted walnuts

1 cup thinly sliced celery

1/4 cup dried cranberries

Dried blueberries (1/4 cup)

1 teaspoon sea salt

3 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

1 small bottle Paul Newman Roasted Garlic Balsamic Vinaigrette dressing

Paul Newman Honey Apple Cider Vinaigrette dressing (One small bottle)

Directions:

Toss together spinach, arugula, apple, pear, walnuts, celery, cranberries and blueberries in a large bowl.

Sprinkle with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Spoon a small amount (two or three tablespoons) of the Honey Apple cider vinaigrette dressing into the mix and toss to coat.

Pour salad ingredients out into a flat serving dish.  Drizzle the Roasted Garlic Vinaigrette over the salad in a pretty design on top.  Set the two dressings to the side in a serving-carafe in case anyone wants more dressing.

BLACK ROOSTER STEW (TUSCAN CHICKEN PASTA)

Ingredients:

8 chicken breast, boneless, thin and beaten with a mallet.

Extra-virgin olive oil

8 teaspoons paprika

4 teaspoons Italian Seasonings

Salt and Pepper to taste

2 cups chopped sun-dried tomatoes

8 cups chopped mushrooms

6 cloves garlic, minced

Onions diced (4)

4 cups white wine

8 cups cream

4 cups chicken stock

Grated Gruyere (4 cups)

8 cups grated mozzarella

2 cups grated Parmesan

Two large bags (17 ounces each) Casa Milo Italian Pasta (all natural but very colorful and healthy because it is made from vegetables)

Directions:

Cook the pasta in a pan on the stove as instructed on package.  Cover and set aside until needed.

Coat each of the chicken breast in olive oil.   Drag through the paprika, Italian seasonings, salt and pepper.

Heat a skillet over medium heat and cook the chicken breast with a drizzle of oil when needed (about 5 minutes on each side.)  Make sure chicken is seared on both sides and a bit brown.  Cover chicken in foil to keep warm.  Set aside.

Add another drizzle of oil to the pan where you cooked the chicken.  Cook the mushrooms, onions and garlic until softened, scraping the bottom of the pan for the seasonings left from the chicken and mixing together.  Add the white wine.  Bring everything to a simmer.  Let the mixture reduce by half.

Add the sun-dried tomatoes, chicken stock and cream.  Bring all to a simmer.  The mixture should thicken slightly.  Season with salt and pepper.  Add the cheeses, stirring all together until melted.

Pour in the drained pasta and stir again.  Slice the chicken and re-heat if needed.  Remove pasta mixture from stove-top and pour into your serving dish.  Top it all with the sliced chicken pieces.

TUSCAN LASAGNA

Ingredients:

1 lb. ground beef

2 cups chopped cremini mushrooms

1/2 cup minced white onions

2 garlic cloves crushed

4 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

1 tablespoon salt

1-1/2 tablespoons dried basil

1 tablespoon Italian seasonings

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 cup low-fat ricotta

One pkg. whole lasagna noodles

Pam cooking spray

16 ounces marinara sauce (divided 3 ways)

1 cup mozzarella, divided

One cup grated Parmesan

Directions:

Heat oven to 375 degrees.  In a large pan over medium heat on the stove-top, sauté beef, mushrooms, onion, garlic, parsley, salt, basil, Italian seasonings and pepper until beef is browned and vegetables are tender.

Transfer all into a large bowl.  Stir in ricotta.

Cook noodles as directed on the package.  Drain and rinse with cold water.   Place a layer of noodles in an 8″ x 11″ baking dish coated with cooking spray.

Top with 1/3 of meat mixture, 1/3 of marinara, and 1/3 of mozzarella.  Repeat this two more times until you have 3 layers of each making the lasagna.

After the last layer, top all with Parmesan.  Cover dish with foil.  Bake for 30 minutes.  Remove foil and bake 20 minutes more.  Cool for 10 minutes before serving.

ITALIAN STYLE LIMONCELLO CHEESECAKE

Ingredients:

One cup crushed cookies (Graham crackers or crushed shortbread – I used vanilla wafer cookies with lemon cream inside)

1 tsp. melted butter

4 cups ricotta

3/4 cup sugar

Heavy whipping cream (3/4 cup)

limoncello (1/4 cup)

1/4 cup flour

5 eggs

Rind of one organic lemon (grated)

Directions:

Make the base by mixing the crushed cookies and butter.  Press into the bottom of an 8 or 9 inch springform pan.

Place base in preheated oven for 5 to 7 minutes until the edges are just beginning to color.  Remove from oven and allow to cool.

Pour ricotta in a bowl.  Beat with a mixer until creamy and smooth; gradually adding the sugar.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl.  Add the whipping cream and mix until smooth.

Add the limoncello and flour and mix again, scraping the sides with the spatula.

Next, add the eggs and lemon rind,  Mix until smooth.

Pour into a springform pan over the cooled base.  Bake for about 75 minutes.

The cheesecake will puff up and start to turn golden brown.  After baking for 75 minutes, turn off the oven.  Leave the cheesecake in the oven for one hour without opening the door.  Crack the oven door and leave inside the oven for another hour before removing.

Let cool.  Wrap in springform pan until time to serve.  Refrigerate and serve cold with a small glass of limoncello on the side.

Now for the fun part!  Enjoy the bounty of life.  Stop to be thankful to God for such an awesome and bountiful day of blessings to share with all of those you love.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING – or “BUONA FESTA DEL RINGAZIAMENTO!”

P.S.  For those of you who read the article before this one; yes; my ovens went out before Thanksgiving!  One of the things I am MOST thankful for is the old stand-by oven downstairs in our den/great room.  I’m proud to say it will do if you are still waiting on the new double oven you ordered.  God always provides; even in these every-day catastrophes.  

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