A Vegan Family Thanksgiving Dinner

 

While many of us savor the smells of roasting turkey and baking pies on Thanksgiving Day, others look for creative ways to have a festive meal while adhering to vegetarian, vegan, or gluten-free diets.  Seattle choices are made easy with a hearty, locally-sourced Thanksgiving dinner at Cafe Flora.

 

The talented culinary team at Cafe Flora has combined organic, sustainable, and regional ingredients in a dynamic 4-course, prix-fixe, vegetarian holiday dinner with options available for a vegan or gluten-free meal.  A full bar is offered offering choices within the same dietary guidelines.

Here’s what’s on the Thanksgiving menu:

• First Course:  Foraged Mushroom Soup, garnished with a dollop of horseradish mascarpone and served with walnut crostini (available vegan and gluten-free).
• Second Course:  Autumn Cornbread Pudding, hazelnut-sage pesto, rich cornbread, butternut squash, and Honeycrisp apple in a creamy corn custard, served with Brussels sprouts, roasted parsnips, wild mushroom gravy and apple-cranberry chutney (vegan and gluten-free) –OR- Delicata Squash Medallions, filled with Bluebird Grain Farms farro and chestnut stuffing, and topped with calvados cream sauce, roasted pears and sautéed chanterelle mushrooms.
• Third Course:  Green Bean & Fennel Salad, with Marcona almonds, pomegranate seeds and herbed mustard-maple vinaigrette (vegan and gluten-free).
• Fourth Course:  Pumpkin Tart, pecan pâte sucrée crust, roasted pumpkin and sweet potato filling, topped with cranberry caramel sauce and spiced maple pecans (vegan and gluten-free) –OR- Chocolate Roulade, with clove pastry cream, poached black plums and cacao nib brittle –OR- “Candied Apple,” warm apple cake, cinnamon ice cream, cranberry-caramel sauce and maple candy (vegan).

The kids’ menu, also 4-courses, is equally festive:

• First Course:  Carrot-Tomato Soup, served with cheesy toasts (available vegan and gluten-free).
• Second Course:  Cornbread Pudding, with fluffy mashed potatoes, green beans, gravy and apple-cranberry chutney (vegan and gluten-free).
• Third Course:  Caesar Salad with Romaine lettuce, Caesar dressing, olives, cherry tomatoes and kidney beans (vegan, available gluten-free).
• Fourth Course:  “Candied Apple,” warm apple cake, cinnamon ice cream, cranberry-caramel sauce and maple candy (vegan).

Make your reservations right away – this dinner always books up!

Location: 2901 E. Madison Street (map)

Date & Time: Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, November 25th, 2010.  Dinner seating begins at 1:30 pm with the last seating at 6:45 pm.

Price: $50 adults, $20 children (12 and under).  Price does not include beverages, tax, or gratuity.

Reservations: Required.  Reservation information available online.

Photo credit:  personal collection