Thanksgiving for the Turkeys

One of my goals in the work I do is to “take veganism out of the box” and encourage people to see that “vegan food” is food that everyone is familiar with – it’s vegetables and fruits and nuts and seeds and beans and mushrooms and herbs and spices. People have a notion that vegan food is somehow alien food or food that’s in its own food group – but it really is everything you already cook with and already love.

And this is the case – even on such holidays as Thanksgiving. There’s a notion out there that you can’t eat in a way that reflects your values AND honor traditions at the same time - as if these two things are mutually exclusive. When non-vegetarians think of the idea of being vegetarian on Thanksgiving, they’re usually aghast. They can’t imagine what vegetarians eat if they don’t eat birds! I’ve also heard the accusation that vegetarians are flying in the face of tradition, that it’s culturally blasphemous to not eat turkeys on this day. Well, I beg to differ.

Now, I know some people have spent much time trying to determine what exactly was served on that first Thanksgiving in order to justify eating certain things on this holiday. But, for me, I don’t care what they ate in 1621, because it doesn’t matter.

THE FIRST THANKSGIVING
Everything historians today know about the First Thanksgiving is based on two passages written by colonists. One is a letter dated December 1621, by Edward Winslow in which he wrote: "Our harvest being gotten in, our Governor sent four men on fowling, that so we might after a more special manner rejoice together, after we had gathered the fruit of our labors.” That is the basis of what we know about that first Thanksgiving, and you’ll note what he says: “Our harvest being gotten in,” after gathering the “fruit of our labors” they sent “four men on fowling,” not because they were starving or needed it or didn’t have food but so that they “might after a more special manner rejoice together.” What they were rejoicing was the harvest – the abundance of fruits and vegetables – the bounty of the harvest – the cornucopia – the “horn of plenty.” And just to cap it off, they went out to hunt birds.

In a second account of the First Thanksgiving, a man named William Bradford wrote a book twenty year AFTER the actual event and just mentioned that the colonists killed wild turkeys during the autumn; he doesn’t say specifically that wild turkeys were killed for the First Thanksgiving or any similar event thereafter. Though his book does give clues to what WAS on this first menu, his book disappeared for many years (it was stolen by looters during the Revolutionary War) and didn’t reappear until 1854, so it didn’t have any influence on how Thanksgiving was celebrated for many years – until a woman named Sarah Josepha Hale came into the picture.

A WOMEN'S MAGAZINE HOLIDAY
Sarah Josepha Hale, who lived from 1788-1879 a writer, an editor, a champion of women’s rights, a promoter of child welfare, and a fund-raiser for civic causes. She is perhaps most well known as the author of the popular nursery rhyme "Mary Had a Little Lamb." As early as 1827, Hale, who became the editor of a popular magazine, began calling for a national celebration of Thanksgiving and so began a 40-year quest to make this happen.

Now remember, Bradford’s book about the First Thanksgiving was recovered in 1854, and around that time, Hale, in her magazine, began writing romantic accounts of the First Thanksgiving, taking liberties to appeal to her readership and including recipes for roasted turkeys, bread stuffing, and pumpkin pies - all the things that today's holiday meals are still likely to contain – and none of the things that would have actually been on the table of the first Thanksgiving. They wouldn’t have had flour-based bread or pie or cranberries or sweet or white potatoes, and they didn’t eat with forks.

So does that mean we shouldn’t have sweet potatoes and rutabagas and mashed potatoes and pumpkin pie and cranberry sauce or flour-based biscuits or any of the things that WEREN’T on the table of the First Thanksgiving? NO. Does that mean we shouldn’t eat with forks!? NO! I point this out merely to emphasize that we selectively choose what to celebrate and what to include on our dinner tables and how we want to celebrate – we selectively choose this all the time, especially when it comes to this holiday. Much of what informs our consciousness about this holiday is myth – a romanticized notion rather than informed facts, which, by the way, is fine. It’s fine to use myth to create our rituals and traditions. The point I want to make is that when we eat turkeys and pumpkin pie and cranberries on Thanksgiving, if we think we’re being true to some sacred tradition based on a real event, we’re not. We serve what we serve because that’s what we were taught, that’s what we’ve enjoyed, and that’s what we’ve always known. Our desire to feel connected to something bigger than ourselves, something older than ourselves is greater than any desire to perfectly replicate the original source of our tradition. Does that make sense? We can have whatever we want at Thanksgiving, but let’s not justify the use of something like dead turkeys at Thanksgiving with any kind of rational explanation or historical reference. It’s just not there.

This is why it’s just as traditional NOT to have turkeys on the table as it is to have turkeys on the table at Thanksgiving. We shape our traditions out of our ideals. Sarah Josepha Hale shaped this tradition out of her ideals, and she selectively chose what to include on her menu, and we can do the same. We can create a beautiful feast that reflects our values. They are not mutually exclusive.

CONSTRUCTING OUR PLATES
I think one of the reasons people think vegans and vegetarians eat only side dishes or salads is because we’ve all been taught from Day 1 that meat is the centerpiece of a meal. This is a cultural, social, familial construct. It’s all taught. There isn’t a Meal God in the sky determining how we should eat and how we should plate our food – it’s all taught.

Many, many cultures all around the world do not plate their food this way. Meat is not the center of their plate. But it is here, so when people in our western culture think of a plate without meat, they think of a plate with a big empty space where the meat should be and then just some token side dishes – because that’s what their experience has been. This is why I say that changing our diet, changing from an animal-based to a plant-based diet is as much about changing the way we THINK about food as it is changing the way we actually eat.

So, for the main dish, I think what makes people feel that the meal is complete is if we have a focal point, a centerpiece, something that fills that blank space. Right? And for this main dish, we have many beautiful options. We can have stuffed acorn squash, filled with rice and nuts and celery, onions, squash, apples, etc; we can have butternut squash risotto– any number of seasonal dishes that also create a beautiful presentation. Hollow out a pumpkin and serve the pilaf in the pumpkin on the table – it’s gorgeous! I have a number of Thanksgiving recipe packets on my website. As far as side dishes go, this is generally what’s on our table every year: Mashed Potatoes, Mushroom Gravy (chunky and smooth versions), Bread Stuffing, Cranberry Relish, Corn, mashed rutabagas, Sautéed green beans, roasted Brussels sprouts, Corn Bread or biscuits, and Green Salad. All of these things are familiar to everyone – wherever you are on your path. As far as desserts, check out The Joy of Vegan Baking for delicious, traditional goodies!

On behalf of the turkeys, I hope that you enjoy creating new traditions and celebrating old ones while still honoring your values.

Talking Turkey

Humans are funny birds. We get so wrapped up in habits, comfort zones, and traditions that sometimes we forget who we are, what we care about, and why we even do what we do. Thanksgiving is one such instance, sadly exemplified by its alternative name: "Turkey Day." Thanksgiving is meant to be a day when we celebrate the bounty of the harvest, pause in gratitude for the abundance most of us experience, and share what we have with others. Most people don't stop to think about the nearly 300 million birds that are killed each year in the U.S., just to satisfy our taste buds. Of this number, 45 million are killed for Thanksgiving alone.

As someone who teaches vegetarian cooking classes, I’ve seen many people turn away from meat, dairy, and eggs and embrace the array of delicious, nutritious plant-based foods available to us. I’ve also seen them change the lens through which they view the world, which I think is critical for shedding the comfort zones of the past and creating new ones. Some people have a real fear that they will no longer have satisfying, filling meals – especially on Thanksgiving. I can say with confidence that they can put their fears to rest.

Our Thanksgiving feast every year is full of comfort foods galore, prepared with organic ingredients from local farms: mashed potatoes with mushroom gravy, bread & nut stuffing, mashed rutabagas, cranberries with pecans and cranberries, stuffed acorn squash, corn bread, Brussels sprouts, corn, peas, pumpkin pie with cashew cream, and apple pie. This was our menu last year, and I’m sure I’ve left something out. Indeed, there is no dearth of food on our table on this special day, as we share it with our closest friends and family.

For those who have never met them, turkeys are magnificent animals, full of spunk and spark and affection, with individual personalities and charms. These animals, who have been abused and discarded by human beings, whose beaks and toes have been mutilated, and whose genetically overgrown bodies are susceptible to heart disease and leg deformities, still display immense affection towards humans. They are incredibly curious and follow you wherever you go, and their wonderful vocalizations include an array of clucks, purrs, coos, and cackles.

Turkeys love to be caressed, and people often remark that they respond just like their own dogs and cats. Turkeys even make a purring sound when they are content, and not until you’ve had a hen fall asleep under your arm have you lived. She will literally melt under your touch, relax her body, and begin to close her eyes, softly clucking all the while. It’s a sight to see, and I’m moved every time I have the privilege to witness it.

Some individuals are more affectionate than others, climbing into your lap and making themselves as comfortable as can be. At an animal sanctuary I frequent, a particularly friendly turkey became infamous for her propensity to hug. As soon as you crouched down, she would run over to you, press her body against yours, and crane her head over your shoulders, clucking all the while. It’s amazing how so generous a hug can be given by someone with no arms.

They’re not all saints, but some are heroes. One turkey became my personal protector when I was trying to clean a barn and was continually accosted by a particularly rude and aggressive bird. Each time the aggressor would begin to close in on me, my hero would waddle over and get between me and his barn-mate. It was remarkable, and it happened over and over (turkeys are very persistent). What made this scene even more touching was the fact that these toms suffered from bumble foot, an occurrence of abscesses on the footpads that resemble corns, a common occurrence in domesticated turkeys. Between their grotesquely large breasts and inflamed feet, turkeys walk very awkwardly and with a lot of effort. I was very touched that such an effort was made on my behalf.

I grew up eating turkeys’ breasts, turkeys’ legs, and turkeys’ wings, and I'm still making amends to these extraordinary animals. I believe we’re able to mutilate certain animals for our gustatory pleasure because we don’t have relationships with them. We never meet them face to face. Once I met a turkey, I was never the same again. Once I began to celebrate Thanksgiving as turkey-free holiday, I learned for the first time what “Happy Turkey Day” really means.