The traditional Thanksgiving table generally sticks to a muted, autumnal palette: bland beiges and tans, maybe accentuated by ruddy orange or maroon, and mild flavors to match.
This is a great year to add vibrancy and verve, not just for the visual thrill, but because colorful ingredients also often have the deepest, most complex flavors.
Given the stunning produce available this time of year, you don’t need to go very far. As long as you don’t overcook your vegetables and dull their hue, the verdant greenery of broccoli and string beans, the fuchsia purples of red cabbage and beets, the golden glow of squashes and sweet potatoes just need a little nudge.
To help the cause, I’ve come up with three new side dishes that are so eye-catching you won’t even need flowers at the table; these beauties are centerpiece enough.
Recipe: Green Beans With Lime and Red Onions
Every Thanksgiving meal needs a green vegetable to round out the carb-y mashed potatoes and stuffing, but the usual green bean casserole can seem a little sleepy. Instead, I like to shower crisp-textured beans with lime juice and herbs, which make them look even brighter.
You can’t really prepare them a day ahead, but they take only a few minutes to make. And, since they’re just as good at room temperature as they are warm, feel free to sauté them an hour or two ahead of serving, maybe while the turkey’s still in the oven. Then you just have to sprinkle some red onion and herbs on top, and serve it forth.
Watch Melissa’s Tips for Making Thanksgiving Pop
Recipe: Maple-Roasted Squash With Charred Lemon
Your table also needs something orange. Instead of hiding sweet potatoes’ light under a cloying drift of marshmallow, roast your winter squash and thin slices of lemon with maple syrup and spices. The maple syrup, which almost candies the squash as it roasts, will satisfy any sugary desires, while the charred bits of lemon, cardamom and coriander add a tangy, sophisticated touch.
A mix of winter squashes will yield the most interesting flavors and colors: I love the interplay between delicata, butternut, honey nut and kabocha. The only variety to avoid is acorn, which has a starchier texture that doesn’t absorb the syrup as well.
Recipe: Red Cabbage With Walnuts and Feta
Red cabbage is hardly a holiday staple, but roasting big wedges and topping them with feta crumbles and toasted walnuts makes a dazzling, substantial side that could double as a meat-free main for any turkey avoiders.
Recipe: Giant Roasted Vegetable Platter
Most Thanksgiving vegetable dishes focus on a single ingredient like brussels sprouts, green beans or sweet potatoes, but one easy way to add a lot of color is with an ebullient platter piled high with your favorites.
This one can be done mostly in advance. You can cut up the vegetables the day before and keep them in the fridge. Then, simply roast them before starting on the turkey. While the bird rests, pop the pans back into the oven to reheat briefly. The vegetables will emerge glossy, tender and very fragrant. Finally, go nuts with the garnishes: Some jewel-like pomegranate seeds, cumin or sesame seeds, herbs, swirls of garlicky yogurt and dashes of hot honey will make everything pop.
Just keep your colorful urges away from the turkey, gravy and stuffing, which always look plenty fabulous in their glistening earth tones. But by surrounding them with a vivacious entourage of roots, shoots and greens, you’ll make the spotlight shine brighter on every dish at the table.
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