Thanksgiving, Canadian-Style at Le Marché St. George - Gardenista
For Thanksgiving tabletop inspiration every year, we spy on our friends at Le Marché St. George, a cafe and market in Vancouver. Photography by Luis Valdizon via Le Marché St. George. Friends Lance and Aimee arrive with their kids and this year’s favorite dessert: spicy apple pie. Janaki (shown at left, with friend Sarah Klassen) oversaw the cooking and decorating... ...assisted by her young daughter: “Lola was in charge of laying silverware, prepping the juice, and decorating the table: She added one chestnut on each plate.” “The table was adorned with my usual casual array: “ots of fall flowers and branches from our garden, including quince–they’re so beautiful, we simply laid them out here and there,” says Janaki. The table was topped with a linen tablecloth and set with mismatched silver cutlery, knotted napkins created from muslin painters’ rags, and plates handmade by Janaki, who is also ceramic artist. “We collected the little glass bottles throughout the week at the cafe: They’re Italian juice bottles.” Prepping the tabletop: the materials include champagne grapes, roasted chestnuts, yams, fingerling potatoes, parsnips, onions, and quince. “The roasted chestnuts were brought to us by our local cheesemaker,” says Janaki, who served them as an appetizer with Farmhouse Camembert and champagne grapes. Yes, turkey is the center of Le Marché’s Thanksgiving. Janaki prepped the bird with lots of butter mixed with chopped fresh herbs, and rubbed garlic on and under the skin. “Klee is the gravy master,” Janaki tells us. “We had an abundance of quince in the shop this year, so I added them along with Italian prune plums to the cranberries,” says Janaki. Aimee’s spicy apple pie, topped with dollops of whipped cream (and served on mismatched silver plates). Highlights of the evening? Last year’s Le Marché Thanksgiving took place in the woods: See Into the Wild: A Canadian Thanksgiving.