[Mari]

Hi,
After seeing David's post, I did a search for the Pilgrims. This is the food available to the people in the first Thanksgiving. I don't see anything about bread or stuffing -- my fav Thanksgiving food. Maybe they made stuffing out of corn meal.
And I like sweet potato pie too -- but that came later. I think I'd like some pie. In the absence sweet potato, I would settle for pecan.
Mari


http://members.aol.com/calebj/thanksgiving.html

Foods Available to the Pilgrims for their 1621 Thanksgiving


FISH: cod, bass, herring, shad, bluefish, and lots of eel.

SEAFOOD: clams, lobsters, mussels, and very small quantities of oysters

BIRDS: wild turkey, goose, duck, crane, swan, partridge, and other miscellaneous waterfowl; they were also known to have occasionally eaten eagles (which "tasted like mutton" according to Winslow in 1623.)

OTHER MEAT: venison (deer), possibly some salt pork or chicken.

GRAIN: wheat flour, Indian corn and corn meal; barley (mainly for beer-making).

FRUITS: raspberries, strawberries, grapes, plums, cherries, blueberries, gooseberries (these would have been dried, as none would have been in season).

VEGETABLES: small quantity of peas, squashes (including pumpkins), beans

NUTS: walnuts, chestnuts, acorns, hickory nuts, ground nuts

HERBS and SEASONINGS: onions, leeks, strawberry leaves, currants, sorrel, yarrow, carvel, brooklime, liverwort, watercress, and flax; from England they brought seeds and probably planted radishes, lettuce, carrots, onions, and cabbage. Olive oil in small quantities may have been brought over, though the Pilgrims had to sell most of their oil and butter before sailing, in order to stay on budget.

OTHER: maple syrup, honey; small quantities of butter, Holland cheese; and eggs.


Some perhaps startling omissions from the authentic Thanksgiving menu


Ham. (The Pilgrims most likely did not have pigs with them).

Sweet Potatoes-Potatoes-Yams. (These had not yet been introduced to New England).

Corn on the cob. (Indian corn was only good for making cornmeal, not eating on the cob).

Popcorn. (Contrary to popular folklore, popcorn was not introduced at the 1621 Thanksgiving. Indian corn could only be half-popped, and this wouldn't have tasted very good.)

Cranberry sauce. (Cranberries were available, but sugar was not.)

Pumpkin Pie: (They probably made a pumpkin pudding of sorts, sweetened by honey or syrup, which would be like the filling of a pumpkin pie, but there would be no crust or whipped topping.)

[Nikko]

Interesting to say the least, thanks for sharing.


Nikko

[shiney sue]

Enjoyed this and will pass it on. Thanks...Sue

[bizi]

I love pecan pie!!!!