It started with a piece of paper from Rifle Paper Co. A beautiful floral print in hues of sweet peach and apricot and cream and sage and fir. (If you look for it, you’ll find it peeking out on the table.) Then came the birch wood, the heirloom sterling silver, the white pumpkins, the handmade burlap utensil holders. And then, the food.

Oh, the food!

After last year’s Florida-themed Friendsgiving, we knew we had set the bar pretty high. So we decided to aim even higher, with an even more gorgeous tablescape and a more adventurous, less traditionally-Thanksgiving-y menu that was still built around locally-sourced ingredients.

I have to say, our second annual Friendsgiving was a second roaring success. And by the next morning, we were already planning for 2017.

The menu:

Appetizers:

Florida-orange-infused vodka cocktails
Hash of bacon and locally-grown sweet potato, green beans, corn, tomato, bell pepper, and onion on crostinis

Main Course(s):

Chardonnay (from California; like last year, this was our big non-Florida concession!)
Kale + spinach salad with roasted turnips and bacon-mustard-shallot vinaigrette (get the recipe that inspired it here)
Spiced sweet potato soup with coconut milk, cilantro, and pepitas
Roasted Florida shrimp with tomato and goat cheese over crispy polenta cakes

Dessert:

Meyer lemon chess pie
Florida vanilla-infused sherry

And today, Danny and I wish you and yours a very happy Thanksgiving!

~ Laura