Thanksgiving Centerpieces Celebrate Bountiful Farms and Gardens

Summary: Whether the main dish is a traditional turkey, trendy tofurky or other favored food, Thanksgiving centerpieces celebrate bountiful farms and gardens.

USDA infographic shows that Thanksgiving centerpieces celebrate bountiful farms: U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDAgov), Public Domain, via Flickr

Whether the main dish is a traditional turkey, trendy tofurky or favorite holiday entrée, eye-catching, sumptuous Thanksgiving centerpieces celebrate bountiful farms and gardens through a colorful cornucopia of farm- and garden-fresh delectables, such as seasonal flowers, foliage, fruit, grains and vegetables.

Colorful, healthy and tasty fruits easily dominate Thanksgiving centerpieces with an array of inviting choices. Pumpkins (Cucurbita pepo), with their orange outsides and insides, are a cultivar of winter squash. The annual fruit is thought to be native to North America. Fresh pumpkins, whether carved or untouched, are essential, natural components of Thanksgiving centerpieces on the table. They also serve as ideal outdoor Thanksgiving decorations for welcoming family and guests at the front door.

Farm- and garden-fresh pumpkins have traditional appeal as a main ingredient in Thanksgiving recipes. Pumpkin especially may appear in breads and muffins as well as in soups. Pumpkins claim an important honor as one of Thanksgiving's trademark pies.

Vibrant red cranberries epitomize Thanksgiving's fruit centerpiece. The native North American dwarf shrub Vaccinium macrocarpon yields the firm berries that boil and thicken into Thanksgiving's signature relish or sauce.

Thanksgiving centerpieces often welcome apples (Malus pumila) in fruit dishes. Applesauce, especially if made from farm- or garden-fresh apples, blends and contrasts  exceptionally well with Thanksgiving's main and side dishes. Combined with cranberries, apples make a perfect Thanksgiving condiment. Those farm- or garden-fresh apples also yield exquisite pies for the dessert menu.

Farm- and garden-fresh root vegetables colorfully complement pumpkins and their fruity coterie in Thanksgiving centerpieces. Carrots (Daucus carota subsp. sativus), potatoes (Solanum tuberosum), sweet potatoes (Ipomoea batatas) and yams (Dioscorea spp.) all enjoy popularity on Thanksgiving menus. As standalone items or in recipes, their color, flavor and texture are distinctive. Especially in the southern United States, sweet potatoes surpass pumpkins as the holiday's signature pie.

Mashed potatoes also reflect farm and garden bountifulness. White-fleshed russets and yellow-tinged Yukon Golds both find admirers among Thanksgiving celebrators. Additionally, sweet potatoes have gained recognition for their excellence as mashed potatoes.

Sweet corn (Zea mays var. rugosa) is a variety of the native Mexican grain known as maize. Prepared as a vegetable, corn excels at complementing mashed potatoes as a standalone side dish. The gravy that so popularly decorates mashed potatoes agrees well with any corn kernels in their proximity. Corn also performs outstandingly in Thanksgiving casseroles.

Another popular Thanksgiving casserole ingredient is green beans (Phaseolus vulgaris). Onions (Allium cepa) and Campbell's Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup join green beans as the three main ingredients in Thanksgiving's classic casserole. The Campbell Soup Company introduced green bean casserole into American cuisine in 1955. Dorcas Reilly, the Campbell Soup home economist who is credited with creating the classic casserole, presented the original recipe card in 2002 to the National Inventors Hall of Fame (NHF), headquartered in North Canton, Ohio.

Thanksgiving centerpieces celebrate traditional cereal grains, such as barley (Hordeum vulgare), rice (Oryza sativa) and wheat (Triticum spp.). Thanksgiving stuffing recipes rely on cereal grains to absorb juices of Thanksgiving's favorite main dishes, especially turkey (Meleagris spp.).

Traditional cereal grains and trending pseudocereals appear in Thanksgiving centerpieces as breads, popovers and rolls. Exotic-sounding Thanksgiving newcomers, such as amaranth (Amaranthus spp.) and quinoa (Chenopodium), join the traditional panoply of cereal grains, such as oats (Avena sativa), rye (Secale cereale) and wheat, in Thanksgiving's bread baskets. Rye's great variety, with options of light rye, dark rye, pumpernickel and marbled rye, exemplifies the appealing variety of traditional cereal grains for Thanksgiving's fresh centerpieces.

Thanksgiving centerpieces celebrate bountiful farms and gardens by featuring another essential item for the table setting. Autumn's fresh flowers contribute earthy, sunny colors and rich fragrances to cut flower arrangements. Framing centerpieces with autumn's colorful leaves bestows natural, winsome touches upon the holiday display. As autumnal bloomers, chrysanthemums (Chrysanthemum spp.) are particularly showy and vibrant at Thanksgiving.

The takeaway for Thanksgiving centerpieces' celebration of bountiful farms and gardens is that the beloved holiday relies on autumn's abundant harvests for colorful, fragrant, tasty foods as well as for gorgeous flower and leaf arrangements in vases and also in wreaths.

Autumn's palette, such as burnt orange chrysanthemums, contribute warm earth colors and fragrances to Thanksgiving centerpieces; Thanksgiving chrysanthemum display, Westwood, Norfolk County, southeastern Massachusetts; Wednesday, Nov. 24, 2010, 21:55:19: Julie Raccuglia, CC BY SA 2.0 Generic, via Flickr

Acknowledgment

My special thanks to talented artists and photographers/concerned organizations who make their fine images available on the internet.

Image credits:

USDA infographic shows that Thanksgiving centerpieces celebrate bountiful farms: U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDAgov), Public Domain, via Flickr @ https://www.flickr.com/photos/usdagov/11053824595/

Autumn's palette, such as burnt orange chrysanthemums, contribute warm earth colors and fragrances to Thanksgiving centerpieces; Thanksgiving chrysanthemum display, Westwood, Norfolk County, southeastern Massachusetts; Wednesday, Nov. 24, 2010, 21:55:19: Julie Raccuglia, CC BY SA 2.0 Generic, via Flickr @ https://www.flickr.com/photos/jfolsom/5206317663/

For further information:

Marriner, Derdriu. "Sarah Josepha Buell Hale: Bunker Hill, Mary's Lamb, Mount Vernon and Thanksgiving Day." Wizzley > Holidays & Celebrations > Thanksgiving.
Available @ https://wizzley.com/sarah-josepha-buell-hale-bunker-hill-marys-lamb-mount-vernon-and-thanksgiving-day/