Thanksgiving Food

Thanksgiving 2009 was spent at Pop and Sharon's house again this year, and it's wonderful to see how far it's come along since last year.


Everybody contributed a dish to the feast, and many of the vegetables were harvested from Pop and Sharon's garden.


Mike and I made two dishes for the table: Mike's favorite, Sweet Yam Bake, and a new one from Martha Stewart, Marinated Cauliflower Salad.

Sweet Yam Bake

Ingredients
3 cups mashed yams
1/2 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup melted butter
1 cup coconut

Topping:
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white flour
1/3 cup soft butter
1 cup chopped pecans

Preparation
Peel, boil and mash the yams. Mix them with all the other ingredients (except the ones for the topping) and pour the mixture into a butter 9" x 13" baking dish.
For the topping, mix together all the ingredients and sprinkle it on top of the yam mixture.
Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes.



Marinated Cauliflower Salad

Ingredients
1 large head of cauliflower, cut into small florets
1/4 cup white-wine vinegar
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons brine-packed capers, drained and rinsed
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Preparation
Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Working in batches, blanch cauliflower until just tender, about 2 minutes. Drain; transfer to a bowl.

Whisk together vinegar, onion and mustard in a small bowl. Pour oil in a slow, steady stream, whisking constantly until emulsified. Season with salt and pepper. Drizzle vinaigrette over warm cauliflower and add capers and parsley. Stir to combine.

Cover, and refrigerate overnight or up to 1 day. Serve chilled or at room temperature.