Harvest Meal

Harvest meal. In all honesty, it was much like a Thanksgiving meal. But, when we make this meal before the traditional Thanksgiving and try to accommodate the space for all of our co-workers, it seems more fitting to consider it as a harvest meal.

Once again we have created a shocker. Who would have thought an auto shop could produce a full traditional Thanksgiving-like meal with only of a couple of propane burners and an oven? Well we did, of course!

This is actually the second full bird dinner we have done. Last year, we managed to cook a whole bird in a device called “The Keg”, but this year we completely submerged ourselves. That’s right, a deep fried turkey!

Menu:

• Green Bean Casserole
• Mashed Potatoes
• Salad
• Rosemary Roles
• Rustic Stuffing
• Candied Yams
• Smoked Ham With a Bourbon Brown Sugar Glaze
• Deep Fried Rosemary Sage Brined Turkey
• Ambrosia
• Pumpkin Pie
• Apple Pie
• Pecan Pie
• Vanilla Ice Cream

Okay, okay, the four of us did not make all of the food. A few of our coworkers joined in on creating this feast.

First, it is important to note that when we were planned this whole meal, we thought we would get more than our average lunch crowd, which hovers around 25. We thought 30, maybe 40, people would show up. Geez were we wrong! The last time I officially counted, we had 50 people waiting in line for food and more showed up afterwards. I think we were in the realm of 65+, if you counted the four of us.

You can only imagine how I felt carving the only bird we had, while Picnic was slicing away the ham. We both had a look of terror each time we glanced up at the line. Man, I didn’t think we would be able to eat by the end of it. But, miraculously, everyone got a little bit of everything.

Now, I could easily go into how each and every item tasted and how the meal came together. Let’s face it, I’ve done that for past meals. However, we all know how these items can taste– turkey, ham, potatoes, stuffing. All of us can, most likely, taste each item from memory as we read it on the menu, so I don’t think I need to describe them, but we should talk about what it all means.  

I know some of us don’t celebrate Thanksgiving. Some of us find objectiontion through faith, while others through morals, but to me, the holiday stems from more than an existential idea. Thanksgiving has always been my favorite holiday. The gift of the season is family, friends, thanks, heartfelt care, and a true and deep respect for the people in our lives. All any of us need to provide is ourselves, open to communication, love, and hospitality.

Now it may seem odd that what I see in the holiday can be given in an autoshop. But, it truly is able to happen. We shared our food, our labor, and our hospitality with all the people who came out of the woodwork to be there with us. Our 60 closest friends– food always makes someone your closest friend, haha.

So, let’s have this go where all of us expect it to, the meaning of the holiday. I have a lot of people to thank. First my mother, my father, the producer…oh wait that is my Oscar speech.

I first want to thank Picnic, Side Dish, and Hot Wood for joining me in this crazy weekly task we’ve developed. Let’s face it, I think we have done over 40 countries by this point in time, and have cooked three whole turkeys in the shop! The three of them help push me to feel motivated in something that I love, just as much as they push me to get out of my, sometimes large, comfort zone. Also, I love to see them delve into obscurity with some of these countries, trying food and recipes they would never have imagined to be in their portfolio. I must say, I’m in the same boat as them in this regard.

Secondly, and most importantly, I want to thank each and every one of our coworkers who are willing to trust us in experimenting with food that may be beyond their idea of cuisine. We could not make this happen without them and we love that they will eat damn near everything we put in front of them.

This may seem a bit too heartfelt for those of you who don’t get to experience all of this firsthand, but I do thank you in such a heartfelt way for continuing to read this blog. Every week the four of us get to “awaken” people to food from a different culture, and I’m glad that you get to join us along the way. I also know that many of you salivate through each post and I am sorry you couldn’t be there with us!

Truly, in the end, this lunch showed two things. First, the community that exists between all of us at work goes beyond titles and tasks. And second, food is the true weapon of peace.

Oh yeah, and in case you were wondering, the turkey was amazing, just like everything else on our plates!