Thanksgiving dinner is the first of many seasonal gatherings with family and friends that vary from casual drinks in the living room to haul-out-the-extra-chairs seated feasts. Cooler weather brings us close together and there's a feeling of largesse in the sorts of foods we serve: foods cooked long and slow, vegetables bold in color and deep in flavor, spice combinations that would have felt out-of-place in spring or summer.

When it comes to holiday menus we face a challenge to keep customs alive without boredom. Of course it would be unthinkable to suggest a substitute for family favorites. Each tribe has its sacrosanct dishes, from those green peas with pearl onions that go with roast turkey to a great-grandmother's pie recipe.

There is, however, room for change at different stages of a festive meal. Appetizers are the easiest avenues for departure: Try serving a smoked fish pate with toasted baguette slices instead of a dip. Replace pedestrian chips and crackers with bread sticks or crisp flatbreads to go with one or two California cheeses and an assortment of olives. The goal is to avoid over-complicated food before a rich dinner with some easily prepared simple, appealing offerings.

Another easy way to enhance a familiar menu is through changes in side dishes. You don't have to leave out the mashed potatoes everyone loves while you add something new to the mix. This can happen with the first course--beautiful soup--or during the main course when you bring out an extra dish, a surprise in texture or flavor that will fit right into the spread.

At Thanksgiving there's no such thing as too many desserts. This is another place for introductions, especially those perfect for the occasion. Instead of two pumpkin pies, offer one of pumpkin and another of vanilla-scented sweet potato. Persimmon pudding, a heritage sweet, is a memory of earlier times, or you might indulge in the current cupcake craze by making small carrot cake or pecan-studded ones with maple frosting, pure American tastes.

A final suggestion: Many adults appreciate non-alcoholic drinks. Show your hospitality by going beyond sodas and plain water--find natural cider made in our own part of the country, or sparkling water that is not too sweet, heightened with fall fruit flavors like pomegranate, cranberry, blackberry or citrus.

Lastly, be sure to have take-home bags and boxes on hand for leftovers!

The recipes that follow were chosen to create Thanksgiving dining from produce coming into the market here and now in Northern California. Each dish could be served throughout the holidays (straight through to New Year's Eve!); they are a step into the new season, nice additions to any family's repertoire.

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Last weekend northern Sonoma hosted the 11th Wine Road excursion to wineries and vineyards of the Alexander, Dry Creek and Russian River valleys. The event's name was changed to "A Wine and Food Affair" and it's also the title of a souvenir cookbook produced by chefs from lodgings and wineries throughout the region. This first recipe is for a vegetarian soup that is autumnal in hue, heated slightly with chipotle chile, just enough to provide a warm smokiness. (Canned chipotle en adobo can be found in the Hispanic sections at many grocers.) It's from Harvest Moon Estate and Winery on Olivet Road near Santa Rosa.

Butternut Squash Soup with Chipotle

Colorful squashes are all over our markets in glorious abundance. It would be best to serve half-portions of this soup at the beginning of the big meal, a few spoonfuls to pique the appetite.

Serves 4-6 as an entree

1 medium yellow onion, roughly chopped

1/4 pound unsalted butter

1 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 1-inch cubes

2 sprigs fresh thyme

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 quart water (approximately)

2 tablespoons orange juice concentrate (frozen, thawed)

1 tablespoon of sauce from a can of chipotles en adobo (save the rest for later)

Salt, white pepper

In a stockpot, combine the onion and butter, and cook over medium heat until the onions are translucent. Add the squash, thyme, cumin and just enough water to cover the squash.

Bring the mixture to a simmer, and cook until the squash falls off a fork when speared. Remove the sprigs of thyme.

With the pot still on the heat, use a submersible blender to blend the soup until it's smooth. Keep the soup at a simmer and add the orange juice concentrate, chipotle sauce and the salt and white pepper. Taste the soup and adjust the seasoning as needed.

Note: An electric hand mixer will also work to blend the soup.

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There are countless people who refuse to eat Brussels sprouts because they see them as nothing more than little cabbages. This recipe is a way to change their minds: shredded sprouts, quickly sauteed and perked up with lemon, have a sprightly flavor far different from greens of yesteryear. This can be prepped ahead of time and finished while the turkey is resting before carving.

Stir-Fried Lemony Brussels Sprouts

Serves 4-6

1-1/2 pounds Brussels sprouts, washed, bottoms trimmed

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 tablespoon olive oil

Juice of one large lemon

Salt and pepper

Cut each sprout in half lengthwise and then slice into very thin ribbon-like strips.

Place a large skillet or wok over high heat. Add butter and oil and as soon as the butter melts, toss in the sprouts. Saute sprouts, tossing them constantly, for 45 seconds. Add the lemon juice and continue to saute the sprouts, tossing, for another 15 seconds. Season with salt and pepper to taste and turn out on a warm platter.

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Here is a dessert for pastry-phobic cooks. It is homey and uses ingredients showing up for their turn in the market spotlight: new-crop nuts, dates, sturdy cooking apples. Another advantage: It can be baked ahead, covered and reheated (say, after the turkey is removed from the oven). It can be doubled easily. This is from David Lebovitz, chef/author/blogger from California who lives in Paris. He suggests Sierra Beauty, Golden Delicious or Winesap varieties of the fruit. (A quarter-cup of apple juice may be substituted for rum, if desired.)

Baked Apples with Fresh Ginger, Dates, Almonds and Rum

4 servings

1/4 cup rum

1/4 cup apple juice

1/2 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed

1-1/2 tablespoons melted unsalted butter

2 teaspoons flour

1 tablespoon heavy cream

1-inch piece fresh ginger, grated

2 egg yolks

Grated zest of half a lemon

1/2 cup whole almonds, toasted and chopped

8-10 dates, fresh or dried, pitted, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

4 large apples

Extra melted butter for brushing apples

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Butter a 9-inch baking dish. Add the rum and apple juice.

Stir together the brown sugar, melted butter, flour, heavy cream, grated ginger, egg yolks and lemon zest.

Add the chopped almonds and dates.

Using a melon baller, remove the stem end of each apple, then dig out the core. Be sure to remove all the membranes and seeds. With a vegetable peeler, remove a 1-inch strip of the peel from around the top of the cavity.

Stuff cavities to the top with date filling, but do not over-fill. Brush the exposed flesh of the apples with melted butter, then set them in the baking dish.

Bake the stuffed apples for about 30 minutes until the apples are cooked through. Baste with the juices occasionally as they cook. (Depending on the apples that you use, the time can vary. Check them by piercing the flesh with a sharp knife.) If the filling is browning too quickly, cover the baking dish loosely with foil while the apples finish baking.

Serve warm with a small pitcher of heavy cream.--Adapted from David Lebovitz's recipe

Thank Pat at patfusco@sonic.net.

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