This year’s Thanksgiving menu was designed to 1) honor the bounty of the season, and 2) reduce carb intake.  I was inspired by our trip to Flora Farms in Cabo this year, so I did the Floral Park version of it… meet Floral Farms…

I have to say, I even surprised myself!  I didn’t have to roll myself into bed at the end of the night, and I got to use all kinds of locally grown treasures, including Alex’s smoked salmon and Mila’s Pomegranates.

Floral Farms Thanksgiving Menu

Gin & Pomic Spritzer

Steak Tartare with Homemade Potato Chips & Endive (recipe below)

Smoked Salmon atop Avocado & Roasted Corn Chopped Salad

Herbed Popovers

Cranberry Ice

Orange & Bourbon Smoked Turkey with Wild Mushroom Gravy

Cranberry, Orange & Pomegranate Sauce

Orange & Honey Roasted Rainbow Carrots

Virgie’s Stuffing

Roasted Garlic Tomatoes

Prosciutto Wrapped Green Beans with Parmesan Sauce

Rosemary Shortbread Stack with Diane’s Lemon Curd

Pomegranate Steak Tartare with Homemade Potato Chips & Endive

• 2 lbs filet mignon, finely diced.
• 1/2 small red onion, finely diced
• 2 tablespoons capers, drained & chopped roughly
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
• 1 stalk celery, finely diced
• ¼ c pomegranate seeds
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 2 teaspoons hot sauce
• 1 egg yolk
• Salt & pepper to taste
• 3 endive, leaves separated

In a large bowl, combine filet, onion, capers, parsley, celery, pomegranate seeds, mustard, oil, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, egg yolk, salt and pepper and stir well to combine.  Line another bowl with plastic wrap and spoon the tartare into the bowl.  Press the steak down into the bowl.  Place a plate upside down on the bowl and flip so that the steak is now upright.  Remove the bowl and the plastic wrap and garnish with extra parsley to serve.  Serve with Endive leaves and potato chips.

Homemade Potato Chips

• 2 russet potatoes, sliced very thinly on a mandolin
• Canola Oil
• 1 tsp finely ground salt
• 1/8 tsp Cayenne pepper

Combine salt and cayenne for seasoning.  Heat the oil in a cast iron skillet until a slice of potato begins to bubble and rise to the surface.  Work in batches to fry the chips.  Put the slices in one by one, and stir with a wire spider so they don’t stick together.  Fry until golden, then using the wire spider, remove from the oil and place on a rack.  Immediately salt the chips with the seasoned salt, then begin the next batch until all chips are fried.