I was having a discussion with my mom the other day about what dishes I really looked forward to enjoying on Thanksgiving when I was a kid. They were the dishes that unless they were present my Thanksgiving meal would not be complete. As I rattled off the three different dishes, I realized they were variations of the three Thanksgiving posts I shot for the blog this year. Kind of funny, huh? In case you’re curious, this was kid Courtney’s must-have list: cranberry sauce, roasted sweet potatoes, & pumpkin pie. And what did I plan for the blog without even thinking once about this list? Sweet potato & sage corn muffins, this cranberry pear compote, and a gingersnap pumpkin pie I’ll be posting over the weekend. I guess I still have similar cravings in my ripe old adult age, but with a more refined palate 🙂
For this version of cranberry sauce, I gave it a little update, or some “Courtney flair” if you will. It’s more of a chunky compote full of fresh cranberries, Bartlett pears, meyer lemon, & fresh lavender leaves. I went with a nice, dark grade B maple syrup to add some sweetness and depth of flavor that you can’t get with cane sugar. I ended up eating it over oatmeal, on top of a waffle, and smeared onto these sweet potato & sage corn muffins. Let me know in the comments below some of your favorite Thanksgiving dishes!
