Thanksgiving Down Under

We just returned from an annual Thanksgiving celebration comprised of American expats, mostly physicians. At this moment, 8:27pm, the sun is still high. Our post-dinner drinks were held in shirt sleeves and sun hats on the back patio, overlooking the Southern Alps. Children climbed trees barefoot, and citronella candles emerged to ward off the various buzzing insects. It felt more like Cinco de Mayo than a late autumn holiday.

But the food was decidedly autumnal. There were two turkeys (because they are mighty small down here in New Zealand) and a beautiful salmon fillet. Three different guests brought their version of stuffing, and the host ensured there was gravy. We tried new dishes as well: creamed peas, a cheesy broccoli casserole, and pureed yams. Of course, there was plenty of wine.

Thanksgiving is Mom’s favorite holiday, and two of her favorite dishes are Ginger-Orange Cranberries and Libby’s Pumpkin Pie. As it turns out, the primary ingredients for those two dishes are quite difficult to source. We found the nation’s only cranberry grower in Hokitika, who overnighted frozen cranberries to us with a handwritten note thanking us for our order. Yes, we paid an absurd amount for cranberries, but it was worth it.

There is neither canned nor fresh pumpkin in Timaru (because it’s asparagus season, not gourd.) Luckily we had heard about Martha's Backyard, an online store that sources American foodstuffs for New Zealand residents. They required a $50 order to ship, though, so after selecting 2 cans of Libby’s, we threw in some flavors of home: Top Ramen, Annie’s Mac & Cheese, Stove Top, Ranch dressing mix…

Because pies here are palm-sized and full of meat, there isn’t a selection of frozen pie crusts in aluminum tins in the grocery stores. We found some shortbread pie sheets and moulded them into round baking dishes that resembled pie tins, which actually turned out pretty well. Little Brother got into the baking spirit and turned some of our fresh strawberries into a fruit pie.

It was wonderful to be included in this long-standing tradition and to feel connected to our community-within-a-community. We look forward to participating in the years that come. The pies were a hit, and we were thanked several times for going through the effort of making them. Sometimes, even when you aren’t homesick, even if you have lived here for 20+ years, a little taste of home can scratch an itch you didn’t know you had.