Thanksgiving Alone

This year, for the first time in many years, I didn't have to make a huge Thanksgiving feast. I have made many Thanksgiving dinners in their entirety since a very young age. So I am perfectly comfortable with it. Suddenly, unexpectedly, I was in a bit of a quandary not having a lot of pre-planning, pre-chopping and organizing with the proverbial 'managed time' shopping days. What do I do with my time? Enjoy it. Although foreign me, I toyed with the smaller menu I was now about to create. I decided to boycott the traditional doings for a somewhat 'mixit up' kind.
Final menu was only to be 4 things. And NO stuffing. Certainly would be a guilt-free pleasure not consuming up to 4000 calories in one meal, right? Almost.
The menu?
Crushed fennel, rosemary and sea salt crusted turkey breast on the Primo (previous posts-ceramic cooker)
Butternut squash, apple, onion, Vaquero blue cheese tart
Steamed green beans
Potato gratin with grated Mountain Tomme

Since the menu was short and simple I didn't even have to start cooking until late afternoon. What a wonderful day it was. Slow paced, calm, quiet.
What a joy to not have the baggage claimed competitive and sometimes yucky family dynamics to digress from what Thanksgiving is supposed to be about. To have gratitude for what we are. I thank the universe for who I am, my health and the here and now. So all you empty nesters, young college students, singles, neighbors, and aquaintances, it is very possible to not only have a great time but feel good about it too. My husband and I sat down to some nice bubbly and the meal was on!

Guilt-free pleasure? No. We were still full-and with gratitude. Happy Holidays to all and may Peace come to earth.......

Willow Hill Farm Butternut Squash Tart:

Ingredients:
1 apple (I like Granny Smith), peeled, cored, sliced thin
Butternut squash-cut off neck of squash, peel and slice thin
Half an onion, sliced thin
Approx 1 cup Willow Hill Farm Vaquero Blue Cheese
Tart Dough (below)

Dough:
1 cup flour
4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter
2-2.5 tablespoons ice water
pinch salt

Whiz above ingredients in a food processor about 20-30 seconds until it forms a ball. You know when it's about to form a ball when the sound begins to change to a whirring bogged down sound. The moment a ball begins to form, stop. Dump out onto plastic wrap and form a circle. Put in refrigerator at least 30 minutes before rolling out. When ready just roll out to form the 9" tart pan size. Be careful not to stretch dough when placing in pan as it will shrink when baking.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Roll out dough and fit into tart pan. Arrange alternating apple slices, squash slices and onion slices in a circular pattern following the pan. Bake about 45 mins to one hour. Remove from oven and sprinkle crumbled blue cheese on top. Bake about 5 mins more til bubbly. To gild the lily? Drizzle some honey on top of that!