About halfway through the year, the withdraws kick in. I start dreaming about one meal a year that truly defines me as a human being: Thanksgiving. It’s a truly proud moment to think that those who came before us were able to achieve such perfect balance within a meal. Thus raises the ultimate question: How do you make Thanksgiving in the summertime?
I crave each element of the quintessential Thanksgiving dinner, without the heavy, rich flavors that are more appealing in the colder months. Here is your guide on how to have the ultimate Thanksgiving, summer style.
Thanksgiving Turkey Burger
Instead of Turkey and Cranberry Sauce, make these Cranberry and Herb Turkey Burgers. You will get the flavor dynamic you’re used to on Thanksgiving, without spending hours in a hot kitchen. Plus, they look unreal.
Panzanella of Plenty
If you are doing Thanksgiving right, you’re eating some good stuffing. A panzanella is a Tuscan bread salad, typically served with tomatoes and soaked in dressing. As Americans, it is our duty to reinvent other countries creations into the most extra, unhealthy iterations we can think of.
So now, I present to you, a Thanksgiving Panzanella salad, chocked full of Brussel sprouts, butternut squash, dried cranberries, and toasted bread. This salad will help cut the richness from the burger, while delivering stuffing-esqe flavors and textures.
Garlic Rosemary French Fries
Although french fries rarely need any sort of explanation, these babies will fill the void only curable by adequate consumption of potatoes. Instead of getting bogged down with rich mashed potatoes, these fries will perfectly accompany the burger and panzanella, while still giving you a taste of Turkey Day.
Dark Chocolate Pumpkins S’mores
Summer is not complete without a few (or like, a lot) of s’mores. Spice up your next bonfire with some pumpkin graham crackers. Top them with a roasted marshmallow and a chunk of your favorite dark chocolate, and you probably won’t want to eat a normal s’more ever again.
Mulled Wine Sangria
Ah, alas. No holiday is complete without the greatest gift to mankind, a little liquid courage. This Mulled Wine Sangria will tide you over to the real Thanksgiving, while keeping you cool during the summer months. The frozen fruit and club soda help cool things down, without compromising the rich, developed flavors that we love about mulled wine.
Thanksgiving is a culmination of all of the best things in life: family, friends, and food. Therefore, it definitely should not be limited to just once a year. Now you have absolutely no excuse not to celebrate Turkey Day at least twice a year.