These tomatoes are just as katapliktiko (unspeakably fabulous) warm or at room temperature, so you could bake them earlier in the day.
An elaborate preparation for a special meal, you can cook everything except the Brussels sprouts the day before. Reheat the vegetables, blanch the sprouts, and combine them at the last minute. Instead of chestnuts, which I find to be disappointing and expensive (and the canned ones are just too soft), I use walnuts instead.
A Holiday Breakfast
Chive French Toast
Smoked Salmon or Caviar
Seasoning is totally your call and it can have as much attitude as you’d like, as in these warm-tasting spices of the West Indies and a garlic-tomato sauté.
Rick Rodgers, author of Celebrations 101, shares this menu for casual, low-key entertaining:
No matter how hard we may try to be ecumenical, our heritage usually shows up at the table on this day. This is ours. Certainly bring yours into the mix as well!
Ingredients
Dear Friends,
From Chef Mark Reinfeld's menu for A Holiday Vegan Feast:
Fresh summer greens and bits of sweet red pepper dot rice the color of a sunset — this is one good-looking salad to bring to the table, or to pack away for a picnic. In fact, I first tasted it when a Spanish friend brought it to one of our “Shakespeare in the Park” picnics in New York. It’s indestructible enough to go almost anywhere. Can be made hours ahead and chilled, but serve the salad at room temperature.