Thanksgiving is linked, more closely than any other holiday, with a single, particular food. The noble turkey. Benjamin Franklin's favorite fowl (and the one he nominated to be our national bird) is eaten nearly universally in the good old U.S of A. on the fourth Thursday in November.

However, not everyone sitting around your dining room table on Thanksgiving Day is a happy meat eater. My younger sister was a vegetarian (and then a vegan) for a number of years, sending my mother and me searching for holiday worthy fare for her. We discovered that tofurky is a poor substitute and that it was better to make a wonderful, non-turkey dish than try to fake poultry.

I've worked up a Roasted Pumpkin and Creamed Kale Lasagna that incorporates all the wonderful, fragrant, earthy flavors of Thanksgiving without a drop of meat. Add to that sides of a Arugula, Goat Cheese and Pomegranate Salad, Napa Cabbage Gratin, Pan-Roasted Brussels Sprouts and for dessert, an Oatmeal Apple Crisp and you have a wonderful, filling and totally meatless Thanksgiving meal.

I tend to feel like lasagna is too much work for regular weeknight dinners. However, for special holidays like Thanksgiving, they are just the thing. This one is made of whole wheat lasagna noodles (pre-cooked), a roasted pumpkin and ricotta puree, creamed kale and slices of provolone cheese.

Noodles
Cook 9-12 lasagna noodles (depending on the size and shape of your pan - there are three layers of noodles all told) until on the firm side of al dente.

Pumpkin Filling
4 cups roasted pumpkin puree (you can use canned pumpkin puree if you are short on time)
1 1/2 cups fresh ricotta
5 dried sage leaves, crumbled
salt and pepper to taste

Heat all ingredients over medium low heat until warmed through. Set aside.

Creamed Kale
2 large bunches of kale, cleaned thoroughly, de-stemmed and finely chopped
2 tablespoons butter
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 cup cream
salt and pepper to taste

In a large, deep saucepan, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the washed kale (it's okay if it's still wet) and garlic to pan, adding in stages if necessary. Turn the kale in the pan with tongs until everything has a coating of butter and begins to wilt down. Add nutmeg, salt and pepper and stir to incorporate. Add cream, cover and reduce heat. Let simmer until the kale is tender. Taste to adjust seasonings and set aside.

To assemble the lasagna:

1. In a large baking dish, spread a thin layer of the pumpkin puree. This is going down just to prevent the first layer of noodles from slipping around.
   
2. Lay down first level of noodles.
   
3. Add the first real layer of pumpkin puree.
   
4. Add a layer of kale.
   
5. Add a layer of sliced provolone.
   
6. Another level of noodle.
   
7. Repeat with a second layer of everything.
   
8. Top with a final layer of noodles and cheese.
   
9. Bake at 350 degrees until the cheese on top is browned and bubbling.

This Napa Cabbage Gratin is easy to prepare and can be served directly in the pan you cooked it in, which always thrills me. If you want your table to be a little more elegant, you can transfer the cooked cabbage into a casserole dish and then finish it in the oven in the new vessel. I used Napa cabbage because it softens up nicely, but you could us a different cabbage variety if you'd like. Just make sure to adjust the cooking times accordingly.

Napa Cabbage Gratin

1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon fresh or dried thyme leaves
1 large head of napa cabbage, thinly sliced
1/2 cup cream
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 cup bread crumbs

In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and thyme leaves and sweat until translucent. Add the cabbage, turn it into the onions and butter until everything glistens and put a lid on the veggies to allow the cabbage to cook down a bit. After seven or eight minutes, remove the lid, add salt, pepper, nutmeg and cream. Stir to incorporate and replace the lid. Let the cabbage simmer in the cream for a few moments.

Meanwhile, mix the parmesan cheese and breadcrumbs in a small bowl. Check the cabbage. If it's cooked down and seems tender to the tooth, remove it from the heat and sprinkle the breadcrumbs on (it's at this point that you would transfer the cabbage to a different casserole dish, if you don't want to serve it in the pan you've cooked it in thus far). Bake at 425 degrees until the topping is brown and bubbly, like you see in the picture above.

These Brussels sprouts are a winner with just about everyone who tastes them. The best part are the little crispy bits that develop when you cook them in olive oil in a cast iron or stainless steel skillet (non-stick just doesn't allow you to get the caramelization you want here.

Pan Roasted Brussels Sprouts

2 pounds Brussels sprouts, cleaned, trimmed and sliced in half
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup toasted walnut pieces

Heat a large skillet over high heat. When it is good and hot, add the olive oil, sprouts and garlic (if you do it in that order, you keep the garlic from getting charred). Stand over the stove with a spatula and move the sprouts around every minute or so to keep them from burning while still getting those good, charred spots.

When the pan and it's contents are super hot, and it feels like the sprouts are just on the edge of beginning to burn, add the cider vinegar and the water to the pan (stand back as you do this, as it will steam up and the vinegar fumes are pretty potent). Stir again, working all the bits of good charr-y stuff off the bottom of the pan. Reduce the temperature of the burner and put a lid on the pan to allow the steam to soften the sprouts.

After four or five minutes, taste one. If it is tender to your liking, the cooking is done. If not, let them cook a few more minutes (you may need to add another splash or two of water). Just prior to serving, top with the toasted walnuts.

My mom and I gave up making apple pies long ago. For years we struggled with pie crusts that wouldn't maintain their integrity and dry apple filling until one Thanksgiving, I suggested that instead of a pie, we make a crisp. We haven't looked back since.

I find that crisps are far easier than pies because while you still have to do the same peeling and chopping to the apples, the topping is just oats, butter, sugar, nuts and spices. There's no rolling or crimping and so the process of making dessert is as much a joy as eating it is.

Here's the recipe I posted around Christmas last year. It's one of my favorite crisps and can be dressed up any way you like. I'm planning on adding cranberries to mine this year, for added tartness. You could also sub in half pears for the apples, use raisins for increased sweetness or pop in some frozen blueberries. It's up to you.

Apple Crisp

2 pounds firm, tart apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced
3/4 cup oat flour (regular all-purpose works as well)
3/4 cup rolled oats
1 stick butter, softened
1 cup toasted and chopped pecans
1 cup sugar, divided in half
1/4 teaspoon salt
zest of one lemon
juice of half a lemon
cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice and ground clove

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Put the sliced apples into a bowl and mix with half the sugar, salt, the lemon zest and juice and some of the spices (we never measure spices, so I can't give you exacts. Go liberally and taste, adjusting as you go to your preference). Let sit for a moment so the juices start to come together.

In another bowl, cut flour and butter together. Add oats and flour and work until the butter is pea-sized and everything is well incorporated. Add a sprinkling of cinnamon and some nutmeg (freshly grated is preferable). Mix nuts into the topping.

Pour apples into a baking dish (my mother always greases her baking dish, but I never do) and scrape out all that juice. Carefully spread the topping out over the top and bake for 30-45 minutes. Check after 20 minutes to see how the nuts are doing. If they are getting too dark, lay a sheet of foil over the crisp to protect the nuts. You can tell it's done if the apples are really tender and the topping has taken on a nice, golden brown appearance.

For best results, serve with ice cream.

Don't be mislead by the image you see above. I really do recommend making this salad with arugula, I just wasn't able to find a picture of it from the time I made it that way, so you'll have to imagine arugula (or mixed greens, if you prefer) in place of the chopped romaine.

Arugula, Goat Cheese and Pomegranate Salad

1 big handful of arugula per person at your dinner
1 slivered red onion
1 package of chevre-style goat cheese (about two inches per person is what I tend to do)
the seeds of one pomegranate (think 1 pomegranate for ever four people)

Honey Lemon Vinaigrette

1/2 cup lemon juice (2-3 large lemons)
zest from one of the lemons (zest prior to squeezing juice - it's much easier)
2 tablespoons honey
pinch of kosher salt
4-5 grinds of black pepper
1 cup olive oil

Mix lemon juice, honey and zest together in a medium sized bowl and stir until the honey dissolves into the lemon juice. Add salt and pepper. Slowly stream in olive oil as you whisk, until the oil is all incorporated. Store in a jar with a tight fitting lid until you're ready to serve, so that you can shake it to reincorporate.

Assembly

Heap the greens in a large salad bowl. Scatter the onion slices around (you don't have to use a whole onion's worth if you aren't a fan). Top with dollops of goat cheese and then scatter the pomegranate seeds on top. Just before serving, dress and toss.

There you have it! A meatless Thanksgiving menu fit for a happy party of meatless folk. For more traditional fare, you could also add in a mushroom, sage and celery-studded stuffing and a big mound of buttery mashed potatoes. It's yours to do with what you wish.

Here's hoping you have a wonderful Thanksgiving, whether you're serving turkey, salmon or a big pan of lasagna. On holidays such as this, the people sitting around the table matter far more than the food on your plates. Just make sure they help you clean up!