Happy November!
One of my favorite Thanksgiving traditions is that everything is a tradition. Because we only make, serve, and eat the feast just once a year, my family doesn’t mess around much with the menu. The few parts of the meal that are up for debate, like dessert, well, it’s even a tradition to debate them.
Is one dessert for every two guests normal?-we ask this time and again.
Should we make the pound cake this year, even though no one touches it after dinner, because toasted slices make such divine leftovers?-that is a perennial question.
Though I have a few signature dishes, namely braided biscuits, Thanksgiving happens at the home where I grew up, and I am a sous chef. I wouldn’t have it any other way: it’s tradition.
But here, I want to do something different. In this post, and in a mini series to follow, I’m sharing recipes that you could contribute to a Thanksgiving potluck or a Friendsgiving party if you’re neither host nor sous chef. Sure, if you’re hosting, you might like to serve one or several of these dishes beside your turkey. But each and every one would fit the bill if you’re going to someone else’s party and they say, “bring something.”
First up, a bright yogurt dip filled with herbs. Though full-fat Greek yogurt delivers a richness worthy of Thanksgiving day, a bundle of parsley, cilantro, dill, and thyme ensures this feels almost like a salad. You can make the dip ahead of time, though the green will fade just slightly. Serve with carrots and whole wheat pita.
**Recipe**
Mediterranean Yogurt Dip
Serves 12
Adapted from Mollie Katzen
Leftovers make a great topping for anything-rice, eggs, chicken, fish, etc.
Ingredients
4 dried apricots
1 medium clove garlic
Salt
1/3 cup parsley
1/3 cup cilantro
1/3 cup fresh dill
1/3 cup fresh basil leaves
1/3 cup fresh mint leaves
2 tablespoons fresh thyme or a pinch dried thyme
2 teaspoons honey
1/3 cup toasted walnuts
Juice of half a lemon (about 1 tablespoon)
2 cups full fat Greek yogurt
Boil a little bit of water. Pour it over the apricots and leave for about 15 minutes to soften. Drain well.
In a food processor, combine the garlic and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Pulse to pulverize the garlic, then add the herbs, honey, apricots, and walnuts, and pulse to form a paste. If it won’t form a paste, add a few spoonfuls of yogurt to make it happen.
Transfer the herb paste to a bowl. Add the lemon juice and the yogurt and stir together. Taste for balance of flavors, adding more salt, lemon, and/or honey as needed.
