“Fall Holiday Magic”

Grand Tour Magazine
October 2005
Deborah Fabricant

...what the heck am I going to do for a centerpiece this year?  (Other than the turkey!) 

Does it seem to you that the holiday season has crept up on us faster this year?  I simply cannot believe the Holidays are upon us!   This year has flown past, I still have things to do, people to see and places to go and feel as if I’m just running out of time.  Which brings me to the age-old question for Thanksgiving…what the heck am I going to do for a centerpiece this year?  (Other than the turkey!) 

Every year my intentions are so good when it comes to fantasizing about this spectacular table I plan to create for my family and friends for Thanksgiving, and then, all of a sudden, it’s HERE…and I don’t have the precious time I thought I would have to execute this grand idea.   So, now what? 

Of course, colors for Thanksgiving are beautiful, so that helps…but what colors to use this year?  Because I couldn’t make up my mind, I’ve decided to give you three ideas for your Thanksgiving table and let you decide what one you like.  All are easy to do and look beautiful, with readily available products to help you achieve the look you want.

First of all, if you are having a big group, why not try a big square table this year?  Easy to do with 3 eight-foot buffet tables placed side-by-side to form one big square table. The covering for a table this size can be daunting, so you can either rent several “to the floor” tablecloths in Fall colors (I especially like chocolate, dark pumpkin or rust or a deep loden green), or you can purchase the fabric (my choice because you will have a great big cloth for future parties!) and have a big tablecloth made. So, starting with a big square table, here are some suggestions for a beautiful Thanksgiving Tableaux.

Table #1:

  • Chocolate Brown Velvet Tablecloth
  • Big, white pumpkins arranged down the center of the table
  • Several tall, clear candlesticks with cream-colored tapers 
  • 20 baby pumpkins, slightly hollowed out, filled with votive candles and placed in and around large pumpkins.
  • Baby white pumpkins with small slits for place cards
  • Large, white wide-rimmed dinner plates
  • For a splash of color, try finding a deep rust or warm green salad plate, butter plate or soup bowl
  • White napkins tied with wide satin chocolate brown ribbon
  • Tuck a few white or orange berry branches into napkins
  • Weave the same berry branches in and around the pumpkins in the center. You can also make a “nest” of branches and place the pumpkins on top

Table #2:

  • Rust silk tablecloth
  • Matching napkins
  • Wooden chargers
  • Fall leaves placed on top of chargers
  • Large, white wide-rimmed dinner plates or clear dinner plates
  • A very tall, tapered glass vase in the center of the table, filled half-way with baby pumpkins.  Arrange very tall autumn branches inside the vase, allowing the beautiful fall leaves to tower over the table, like a tree.
  • 2 Glass hurricanes on either side of the vase.  Partially fill the hurricanes with unshelled nuts and place a big, fat cream colored candle in the center
  • One large fall leaf per person, used as place cards.  Write the name directly on the leaf and tuck into napkins
  • Throughout the house place additional hurricanes with either nuts or candy corn and big candles.

Table #3:

  • Dark green silk tablecloth
  • Dark green and pumpkin colored napkins
  • Gold chargers
  • Gold rimmed china plates
  • In the center of the table place a clear glass or wood footed cake stand. On either side place lower cake stands or wooden plates on 3” risers. (use upside-down wide-bottomed vases)  What you are trying to achieve is a graduated “still life”
  • Now, starting with the center cake stand begin to arrange large gourds, squashes, eggplant and small pumpkins.  Fill in the spaces with persimmons, bosc pears, baby dried corn, baby pumpkin branches (available at the flower mart or good florist).  Again, think in terms of a still life painting, and place the fruits and vegetables artfully so they gradually tumble down to the surface of the table
  • Tuck tall candlesticks in and around the still life
  • Place a tiny Fiorelli pear on top of each folded napkin.  Tie a place card with twine onto each pear stem.

There you have it…three different looks for Thanksgiving, all of them easy to accomplish and beautiful to look at. 

What to do with the leftover Turkey?  Why, Deb’s Famous Turkey Soup, of course!!

Deb’s Famous Turkey Soup

Turkey carcass, all meat removed and chopped roughly.
Water to cover carcass in a large pot
2 bay leaves
Sea salt, pepper
1 T. rosemary
1 T. marjoram
1T. thyme

Allow the above to simmer for 2-3 hours. Strain. This is your stock.

4 T. butter
1 small onion, chopped
1 lb. Mushrooms, sliced
½ cup celery, sliced
½ cup uncooked rice
½ cup chopped fresh parsley
Leftover turkey gravy, turkey meat, turkey dressing

Saute the onion and mushrooms in the butter until soft. Add the celery and sauté for another 5 minutes.  To the simmering turkey stock add the onion-mushroom mixture along with the rice, parsley, turkey meat, gravy and dressing.  Adjust the seasoning, adding more salt, if necessary. Simmer for about 2 hours and enjoy!! Serves 6-8