In this era of modern conveniences and prepared and packaged foods, it is easy to forget that nearly all humans, not too long ago, had to either hunt, gather or farm their own foods. Some humans – to whom modern grocery stores and markets remain unavailable – still must perform those activities to receive proper nourishment. However, it is because of these "conveniences" that many of us have lost touch of the hard work it takes to create food, and we can easily take for granted the fact that we are able to sit down to a meal, or snack, at least two, three, sometimes more, times a day. Thanksgiving – the holiday many of us mark by stuffing ourselves full of food and becoming comatose in front of that day's televised football games – began as a celebration of the harvest, a coming together of people to share in the fare for which they had worked hard. The first documented "Thanksgiving" by European colonists on American soil occurred in 1621, not long after their arrival at Plymouth. The 50 or so surviving English men and women gathered for a three-day celebration with nearly 100 members of the Wampanoag tribe, sharing foodstuffs they had gathered, hunted or caught during the preceding months and days. Many of the "traditional" foods we feast upon during our family gatherings – hefty turkeys, cornbread stuffing, sweet potatoes, corn-on-the-cob, cranberry sauce, and the ubiquitous pumpkin pie – were unavailable to the colonists and the natives. There was no flour; potatoes had not made their way up from South America; sugar was expensive and needed to be imported; butter that had traveled on the Mayflower had long since been used; chickens that made the voyage may have survived but it is not known whether they were laying eggs; and domesticated cattle and pigs had not yet made their way across the Atlantic. The harvest celebration included hunted meats, such as deer, duck, goose, wild turkey, and even swan and eagles; fished seafood, such as Atlantic and tributary fish, eel, clams, oysters and lobster; vegetables, such as dried beans, carrots, onions, leeks, parsnips, pumpkins, turnips, watercress and radishes; fruits, such as cranberries, dried blueberries, dried currants, plums and grapes; as well as olive oil, walnuts, chestnuts, acorns and Indian corn. Keeping in this vein, I set out to develop some simple, and somewhat modernized, versions of what might have been served during that first harvest celebration. The recipes are simple, so obtaining the freshest ingredients possible is a must. As we all sit down this season with our families and friends to give thanks that we are lucky enough to have access to such a wide array of foods, let us not forget the nearly one billion people worldwide who are malnourished. Give thanks at your table and then do something to help someone in need: clean out your pantry and donate to a local food bank, volunteer in a soup kitchen, or donate money to a hunger relief agency. For more information on local donating and volunteering opportunities, please contact Seven Loaves Services at 540-687-3489 or Loudoun Interfaith Relief at 703-777-5911.

[Recipes included: Steamed Cod on Leek Bed, Seared Duck Breast with Brandied Caramelized Onions, Herbed Hominy and Oyster Hash, Stewed Pumpkin with Cranberries and Walnuts]