Some believe Thanksgiving is all about the turkey. Others feel it’s all about the stuffing inside the bird. What, then, is a vegetarian to do during a holiday whose main feature is an animal? Fortunately, Thanksgiving tables typically groan with sides, offering a perfect opportunity to create a plethora of choices for the non-meat-eaters among us.
Fortunately, a number of Island eateries offer veggie culinary delights, so you don’t have to cook everything (or anything) from scratch. (Note: Each of the locales offers turkey, should you wish to order that as well. Check each location for order deadlines.)
Morning Glory Farm’s non-meat choices abound. You can start with a Shiitake Vegetable Broth and perhaps include its Tomato, Feta, and Spinach Quiche as a main dish. Delicious-sounding sides abound: Brown Butter Rutabaga and Turnip Purée, Brussels Sprouts with Hazelnut Gremolata, and Maple Mustard–Roasted Parsnips, Leeks, and Carrots. Cooked outside the turkey, there’s an enticing Mushroom, Squash, and Wild Rice Sourdough Stuffing. Desserts include Bourbon Sweet Potato Pie and a Wild Maine Blueberry Pie, along with a gluten-free Honey Walnut Tart and a gluten-free Apple Cranberry Crisp (morninggloryfarm.com/thanksgiving-ordering).
Sweet Bites bakery and café offers interesting Brazilian classics, including Tropeiro Beans, a hearty mixture of seasoned beans, toasted cassava flour, and seasonings. There is Farofa, toasted cassava flour blended with butter and savory seasonings. It also offers the intriguing Brazilian Chocolate Grape Dessert, featuring fresh, juicy grapes layered with velvety sweet cream and finished with a rich chocolate topping (sweetbitesmv.com).
Quitsa Kitchen has regular and gluten-free Cheddar and Chive Scones, crudité with alpha-gal-friendly dip, gluten-free and alpha-gal-friendly Butternut Squash Soup, alpha-gal-friendly turkey gravy, cranberry sauce, stuffing, mashed potatoes, sweet potato mash, and Miso-mMaple-Roasted Carrots. They will also have prepackaged sides and turkey meals in their dinner case, available the week before (quitsakitchen.com).
The Maker Café is ready for non-turkey eaters too.. There are Morning Glory Farm Green Beans with roasted garlic and lemon tahini, and Roasted Brussels Sprouts with apple-cranberry mostarda, and Lumache Mac & Cheese. If you’re a pescatarian, one main-dish option is Whole Branzino à la Plancha stuffed with lemon and herbs, served with romesco sauce (makercafemv.com/thanksgiving).
Black Sheep offers interesting appetizers, including the gluten-free Black Sheep 7-Layer Dip with Tortilla Chips, Brie, and Raspberry in Filo Dough, and Spanakopita. They also have plenty of intriguing sides: Creamed Spinach with Parmesan Breadcrumbs, Boursin Yukon Gold Mashed Potatoes, and Rustic Salad Kit: Greens, Cranberries, Pecans, Blue Cheese with Balsamic Honey Vinaigrette. Tempting dessert options include Liz’s Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie, Liz’s Pumpkin Caramel Cheesecake, and a Chocolate or Raspberry Shortbread Cookie platter (PDF of menu at bit.ly/BS_ThanksgivingMenu).
The Black Dog Bakery Café is offering classic fare, including housemade bread stuffing, mashed potatoes, yam casserole, green beans, sweet corn, and turkey gravy, along with homemade dinner rolls, cranberry relish, and bakery pie (theblackdog.com/pages/bakery-cafe). The Black Dog Tavern will be open for dinner, or you can preorder a full takeout meal (Lumache.
Edgartown Fish and Meat Market reports it is happy to cook up vegetarian options upon special request (nantucketsmarket.com/edgartown). Waterside Market will also have premade Thanksgiving items in its grab-and-go section available on Wednesday, Nov. 25 (watersidemarket.com).
If you’re looking to pick up just a little something for the dessert table, the First Light Café at the M.V. Museum will have madeleines by the dozen and eclairs as well (mvmuseum.org/visit).
With this cornucopia of meals to choose from, there’s plenty of vegetarian fare to share with the meat-eaters at the table.
