Let me tell you about three dishes that have been on the Maysgiving table since the very beginning. These are not just recipes. They are the foundation of the tradition.
The Cranberry Sauce
Here is my hot take: canned cranberry sauce is perfectly fine and I will not apologize for it. I open the can, slice it, put it on the table, and nobody complains. Maysgiving is about the gathering, not the performance. Some things do not need to be homemade, and cranberry sauce is one of them.
The Stuffing
Every family has their stuffing, and this is ours. It is a classic base, but the details are what make it: the bread, the aromatics, the way everything comes together in the oven with just the right amount of crisp on top. My boys started helping with this one in year five, and now when they make it, I can taste the memory in it. That is what a good recipe does. It holds time.
The Gratitude Pie
This one needs a little explanation. In year two, I decided that our Maysgiving dessert needed a name with meaning. The Gratitude Pie is a simple, classic pie, nothing fussy, because the point is not to impress anyone with the technique. The point is that every year we make it together. Every year we sit with it. Every year it tastes like the exact right ending to the day.
The full recipes for all three are in The Maysgiving Table, along with all the stories behind them. If you want to bring any of these to your own table, the book is where to start.
Find The Maysgiving Table on Amazon in hardcover, paperback, and Kindle