This year’s Thanksgiving for Americans in Uzés is truly a story of sharing. During lockdown in Uzès, one traditional Thanksgiving meal fed over two dozen Americans in thirteen different households, plus leftovers to share with the local Montessori school.
The idea was the brainchild of one of our favorite friends and gourmet caterers in Uzès, Susan Seagram. She offered to create a homestyle American Thanksgiving dinner to share with her ex-pat friends. A Canadian by birth, Susan knows Thanksgiving. She reminded me that Canada celebrates the holiday with similar traditions, not on the same date.
Thanksgiving for Americans in Uzès
When Americans around town learned of Susan’s grand plan to cater a portable Thanksgiving dinner, they eagerly signed on. Susan is well known for her extraordinary flair with food. So what could be better than a gourmet holiday meal prepared by a pro? The very idea made lockdown and eating alone a lot more palatable.
The preparation
One thing I learned about cooking Thanksgiving dinner in France is that finding a turkey is not easy. You might remember the story from my first year here about the adventure at the turkey farm. Seven years later, it’s not such an ordeal.
Susan started the preparation for the Thanksgiving feast with two free-range turkeys, about 4.5 kilos each, or about twenty pounds. Fresh vegetable stock and turkey carcasses went into the gravy. Extra legs and thighs, roasted to perfection, heightened the flavor. Susan made corn pudding from fresh market corn she’d frozen at the end of the season. Her favorite recipe for green bean casserole (see recipe below) and a “to die for” cranberry sauce rounded out the perfect “home-cooked” holiday meal.
What’s a holiday meal without the family pets supervising?
Pickup and delivery
Since everyone in Uzès is on strict lockdown, Susan arranged food pickup in the town center. Petra Carter happily opened her cooking school, Le Pistou, to receive us.
During a two-hour window, we filed — masked and socially distancing — to pick up our individually selected packages of goodies.
Thanksgiving for Americans in Uzès
Let the celebration begin!
I don’t know about the others who took home their bags full of food, but I could hardly wait to eat. I piled my plate high and ate in the early afternoon.
Others were equally enthusiastic but saved their dinners until evening. They shared their private event with me to bring to you.
How did you spend Thanksgiving?
I would love to hear how you spent your Thanksgiving holiday. Tell me how you connected with loved ones. I’m so grateful for FaceTime and WhatsApp. Calls from my family help keep me from feeling so lonely for them.
A Thanksgiving call from this little one definitely made my day.
Susan’s favorite “Best Green Bean Casserole” from Bon Appétit is here. Susan Loves Cooking
susanlovescooking@icloud.com
