by Arlene Miles

Created on: October 21, 2010

Many American colonists were of English and Scottish descent so the recipes they created to celebrate holidays reflected their heritage, as well as the locally grown produce. This was particularly true in areas like Tidewater Virginia where the vast majority of settlers came from the British Isles.

Thanksgiving, by its very nature an American holiday, reflected this mixture in the foods prepared for this culinary celebration. Along with the traditional roasted turkey, Favorite Meals from Williamsburg, published by the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, lists dishes such as corn bisque, oyster dressing, cranberry and orange relish, honey and cinnamon-candied yams, and green beans with Surrey County peanuts as Thanksgiving fare. Typical desserts included pumpkin muffins and Virginia apple custard tart.

Here are several traditional colonial Thanksgiving recipes from this cookbook.

OYSTER DRESSING (16 cups)

1 c. butter

1-1/2 c. each chopped onion, chopped celery

2 tbsp. chopped parsley

1 tsp. salt

¾ tsp. pepper

2 tbsp. poultry seasoning

16 c. stale white bread cubes, lightly toasted

1 c. oysters

Melt butter in a large, heavy skillet. Add onion, celery, and parsley and sauté over medium heat until the vegetables are tender. Add salt, pepper, and poultry seasoning. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, for two minutes. 

Place the bread in a large bowl. Add sautéed vegetables. Mix well.

Drain oysters on paper towels, reserving the liquid. Chop coarsely. Add to the mixture, tossing gently to mix well. Add a little of the reserved oyster liquid if the dressing seems too dry. Taste for seasoning.

Stuff and truss the turkey and place any leftover dressing in a buttered casserole. Bake in the over with the turkey during the last 30 minutes of roasting time.

CRANBERRY AND ORANGE RELISH (3 cups)

2 c. cranberries

1 orange, quartered and seeded

½ lemon, seeded

1 c. each sugar, pecans

¼ c. Cointreau

Chop the cranberries, orange, abnd lemon in a food processor. Add sugar, pecans, and Cointreau. Process briefly.

Cover and let stand at room temperature for 12 hours. Refrigerate overnight.

HONEY AND CINNAMON-CANDIED YAMS (12 servings)

6 large yams

1-1/2 tbsp. Cornstarch

2 tbsp. Cold water

1-1/2 c. honey

½ tsp. each cinnamon, nutmeg

1-1/2 tsp. grated lemon rind

2 tsp. lemon juice

¼ c. orange juice

1 tsp. salt

6 tbsp. Butter

Peel the yams and cut them in half lengthwise. Place the yams in a prepared casserole.

Dissolve the

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