The Art of Gathering: By Course, By Heart — Curated by the Valley’s Best

There’s something special about a Hudson Valley Thanksgiving — a sense of slowness, gratitude, and connection that lingers like the scent of woodsmoke. Here, the feast isn’t just about food. It’s about the people who make it: the chefs, bakers, and artists who shape our table with care, intention, and a bit of wonder.

For this year’s celebration, INSIDE+OUT invited some of the Valley’s most inspired voices to share what they do best. From the first cocktail to the final crumb of dessert, each course reflects creativity rooted in place — an edible portrait of the season, set against the hills, farms, and hearths that make this region so rich in spirit.

So pour a drink, light a candle, and gather close – this is Thanksgiving, Hudson Valley–style.

Set the Scene: The Art of the Table

Flora Good Times founder, Corinne Bryson, brings nature’s poetry to the Thanksgiving table. Follow @floragoodtimes

On Beacon’s beautiful Main Street, Flora Good Times is both a floral studio and a plant lover’s haven — a treasure trove of unusual houseplants and artful, unconventional arrangements that feel alive with character. Founded in 2019 by Corinne Bryson, a florist and lifelong devotee of all things green and growing, the shop reflects her joyful obsession with bringing nature indoors.

“Sharing a meal is a rare, special act,” Corinne says. “It’s a collection of moments within a carefully crafted atmosphere. I bring not only the outdoors inside, but my heart as well.”

Her approach to the table mirrors her approach to flowers: soulful, intuitive, and grounded in seasonality. “When I tablescape, I think about the experience of the person sitting at the table,” she says. “What do they see in front of them, around them? How can I bring the fleeting beauty of nature indoors?”

A mix of treasured vases, candleholders, and flowers chosen simply because they feel right — these details transform a meal into a memory. “A really good table set for friends and family makes your guests feel cherished and loved,” Corinne adds. “Because they are.”

This Thanksgiving, she shares two inspired approaches that capture the fleeting beauty of fall — one lush and full of color, the other restrained and radiant. Both are easy to create, endlessly elegant, and designed to make your guests feel right at home.

A Tale of Two Tables

Seasonal Texture — Nature in Full Expression

Whimsical. Airy. Deeply of the moment. This tablescape celebrates the abundance of late fall — heirloom chrysanthemums, pods, berries, and turning branches arranged loosely in an airy bowl. Add colored tapers in grass green, robin’s egg blue, or fuchsia for a lively contrast that steers clear of the predictable browns of the season. The result is a table that feels fresh, tactile, and full of joy.

Modern Monochromatic Layers — The Poetry of Restraint

Refined. Minimal. Effortlessly elegant. For those who believe less is more, this look is all about simplicity and focus. A single branch of foliage, a handful of tonal blooms in unexpected vessels — chrome ice cream dishes, vintage bud vases — and plenty of candlelight. Candlelight is the quiet hero here, adding warmth, depth, and that unmistakable holiday glow.

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Pour, Stir, Celebrate: The Art of the Cocktail

From Catskill Cocktail Club’s Brendan F. Casey comes a smooth, spiced gin cocktail that glows with Hudson Valley charm. Follow @thecatskillscocktailclub

When Brendan F. Casey founded The Catskill Cocktail Club in 2021, his mission was simple: to bring the joy of a perfectly made drink to the mountains he calls home. From Kingston to Hudson, his traveling bar service pops up at gatherings large and small, blending craft, creativity, and genuine hospitality.

This Thanksgiving, Casey shares his signature creation — The Cindy Bobby — a cocktail that captures the very essence of Hudson Valley spirit: bright, aromatic, and just the right amount of festive. Smooth gin meets fresh lemon, kissed with cinnamon and citrus blossom, then finished with a delicate froth that seems to glow in the candlelight.

“Having a great cocktail to complement your meal is always a nice touch,” he says. “The Cindy Bobby is like a warm hug from an old friend.”

A toast, in liquid form, to gratitude, good company, and the beautiful rhythm of the season.

The Cindy Bobby 

Ingredients

• 2 oz Isolation Proof Gin
• ¾ oz freshly squeezed lemon juice (please skip the bottled kind)
• ½ oz rich cinnamon syrup (see below)
• ½ oz Aquafaba (liquid from a can of chickpeas) or egg white
• 2 drops orange blossom water
• 3 drops saline solution (see below)
• Garnish: light dusting of cinnamon powder

Directions

Combine all ingredients except the cinnamon powder in a cocktail shaker. Add ice and shake vigorously for 10 seconds. Double-strain into a chilled coupe and finish with a soft dusting of cinnamon on top. The result is a drink that glows in the glass — bright from the lemon, creamy from the foam, and just spiced enough to taste like the season itself.

> Rich Cinnamon Syrup

Ingredients

• 1 cup water
• 2 cups raw sugar
• 5 cinnamon sticks

Directions

1. In a small saucepan, bring water to a boil. Add sugar and cinnamon, stir well.
2. Once it returns to a boil, cover and let cool overnight to infuse.
3. Warm slightly in the morning, strain through a coffee filter, and pour into a clean bottle. Store in the refrigerator. If it crystallizes, simply warm and shake.

> 20% Saline Solution

Salt sharpens flavor the way candlelight softens a room.

Ingredients

• 80 g warm water
• 20 g kosher or sea salt

Directions

Stir until the salt is completely dissolved, then store in a dropper bottle for precise measurements.

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A Soup to Savor: Honeynut Squash with Heart and Heritage

From Chef Larkin Young and The Feathers at Six Bells Countryside Inn, Rosendale, NY. Follow @thesixbells

Inside the newly opened Six Bells Countryside Inn in Rosendale, The Feathers feels like a love letter to Hudson Valley comfort — candlelit tables, heirloom wood, and dishes that let the season speak. Helmed by Chef Larkin Young, a Pacific Northwest–trained chef with a reverence for the land, The Feathers brings fine-dining finesse to rustic, farm-driven fare.

For his Honeynut Squash Soup, Young leans into autumn’s quiet abundance, blending honeynut squash, leeks, and onions with warm spices like allspice, fennel, and clove.

“This time of year, I want dishes that feel restorative,” he says. “Something that tastes like it was meant to be eaten by a fire.”

The Feathers sources its ingredients through a tight network of Hudson Valley farms and artisans — Ronnybrook Creamery for buttermilk and cream, Morningstar Farm for eggs and greens, Migliorelli Farm for corn and apples, and Campanelli’s Farm for chicken. “The landscape tells you what to cook,” says Young. “We just listen.”

It’s a bowl that captures the essence of fall — comforting, elegant, and rooted in the rhythm of this place.

Honeynut Squash Soup

Yield: Serves 8

Ingredients

• 8 honeynut squash, peeled and cut into small pieces
• 4 onions, chopped
• 1 celery stalk, chopped
• 2 leeks, cleaned and sliced
• 1 lb (450 g) butter
• 2 tbsp allspice
• 1 tbsp clove
• 1 tbsp juniper berry
• 1 tbsp fennel seed
• 1 tbsp turmeric
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 qt (920 g) heavy cream
• 1 qt (800 g) grapeseed oil
• Sachet of aromatics (tie spices in cheesecloth if preferred)

Directions

1. In a large pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the squash, celery, onions, and leeks. Sauté or roast until the onions are soft and translucent.
2. Add the cream, sachet, and remaining loose spices to the pot. Top off with water to cover and cook until the vegetables are tender.
3. Remove the sachet. Blend the soup until smooth, slowly streaming in the grapeseed oil (and a pinch of xanthan gum if using) to emulsify.
4. For garnish: Blanch lovage and parsley in boiling water, then blend with a bit of oil and strain for a bright green drizzle.
5. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Store properly and reheat gently before serving.

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The Bright Spot: Roasted Fennel + Chioggia Beet Salad with Whipped Ricotta and Pecans

From Melina Hammer — award-winning author of A Year at Catbird Cottage: Recipes for a Nourished Life. Follow @melinahammer

At Catbird Cottage, perched in the Hudson Valley hills, Melina Hammer creates food that’s as nourishing to look at as it is to eat. An award-winning cookbook author, food stylist, photographer, and recipe developer, Hammer is known for her deeply sensory cooking — the kind that connects you to the natural world and the people gathered around your table.

Her Roasted Fennel + Chioggia Beet Salad captures fall at its most vivid: ruby and blush beets, caramelized fennel, and cool clouds of whipped ricotta under a scatter of toasted pecans.

“It’s about eating luxuriously, no matter the meal,” Melina says. “I want each bite to feel joyful — earthy, creamy, alive.”

It’s the kind of salad that reminds you why vegetables always deserve a seat at the table — bright, textural, and irresistibly autumnal.

Follow her delicious world through her newsletter, Stories from Catbird Cottage + Instagram @catbirdcottage.

Roasted Fennel + Chioggia Beet Salad with Whipped Ricotta and Pecans

Yield: Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients

Salad

• 3–5 small chioggia beets, peeled and thinly sliced on a mandoline
• 1 medium fennel bulb, stems and ends trimmed, cut into 1-inch wedges (reserve fronds)
• ¼ cup chopped parsley
• 1 tsp white wine vinegar
• 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil (divided)
• Kosher salt
• ½ cup pecans
• Flaky salt, for sprinkling

Whipped Ricotta

• 1½ cups whole-milk ricotta
• 1 small garlic clove, finely grated
• 2 tbsp pecan oil
• Finely grated zest of ½ orange (about 2 tsp)
• ¼ tsp kosher salt
• Freshly cracked black pepper

Directions

1. Roast the fennel. Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Place fennel wedges on a sheet pan, drizzle with 1 tbsp olive oil, toss to coat, and season with salt. Roast for 35 minutes, turning after 25 minutes, until softened and golden.
2. Toast the pecans. On another tray, toast the pecans for 5–7 minutes, until fragrant. Chop them coarsely once they are cool.
3. Whip the ricotta. In a bowl, combine ricotta, garlic, pecan oil, orange zest, salt, and pepper. Whip until creamy and uniform; adjust seasoning.
4. Make the vinaigrette. In a small bowl, whisk remaining 1 tbsp olive oil, white wine vinegar, a pinch of salt, and pepper.
5. Assemble. On a serving platter, spread a few small spoonfuls of ricotta as a base. Layer beets and parsley over top, then spoon the remaining ricotta into the center and nestle the roasted fennel around it. Sprinkle with parsley and pecans, drizzle with vinaigrette, and finish with flaky salt and cracked pepper.

Best enjoyed dragging the vegetables through the ricotta in hearty forkfuls — a salad that feels like a celebration.

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The Main Event: Hard Cider–Braised Turkey Thighs with Apples and Onions

The main course by Emily and Matt Clifton of Nerds with Knives, Beacon, NY. Follow @nerdswithknives

In Beacon, New York, Emily and Matt Clifton—creators of the beloved food blog Nerds with Knives—have built a life that celebrates cooking, gardening, and the joy of gathering around a great meal. So, when their Thanksgiving plans unexpectedly fell through one year, they turned the moment into inspiration.

“We decided to have a scaled-down feast for two—plus plenty of leftovers, of course,” Emily says. “We wanted all the flavors of Thanksgiving without having to roast a whole turkey.” The result was this deeply flavorful, slow-braised dish that captures everything people love about the season—warmth, comfort, and a touch of Hudson Valley soul.

At the time, the couple was also working on The Ultimate Dutch Oven Cookbook, and the recipe became one of its 60 featured dishes. The turkey thighs, braised in dry hard cider with onions, apples, and herbs, emerge impossibly tender with a silky, aromatic gravy.

“There are so many great ciders here in New York, especially in the Hudson Valley,” Emily notes. “Cider’s crisp, citrusy flavor pairs beautifully with turkey, both in and out of the pot.”

This is Thanksgiving, distilled to its essence—a main event that feels both rustic and refined, and a love letter to the Valley’s orchards.

Hard Cider–Braised Turkey Thighs with Apples and Onions

Serves 4

Rich with the scent of cider and herbs, this dish is rustic yet refined — the kind of main event that steals the show and leaves you wondering why you ever bothered with a whole bird.

Ingredients

• 4 skin-on, bone-in turkey thighs or 2 thighs and 2 legs (about 4 lbs / 1.8 kg)
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tbsp (30 ml) vegetable oil
• 4 large yellow onions, halved and thinly sliced pole to pole (about 4 cups / 640 g)
• 4 celery ribs, diced
• 3 medium carrots, peeled and diced
• 8 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 2 (12-oz / 355-ml) bottles hard apple cider (preferably dry, English-style; see note)
• 2 tsp (2 g) minced fresh thyme leaves
• 10 small sage leaves, minced
• 2 cups (480 ml) chicken stock (homemade or store-bought)
• 3 apples (Granny Smith or Braeburn), peeled, cored, and cut into thick wedges
• 2 tbsp (28 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2 tbsp (16 g) all-purpose flour
• ½ tbsp (8 ml) Dijon mustard

Directions

1. Prep the turkey.

Preheat the oven to 325°F (165°C) and set a rack in the middle.

Dry the turkey thighs well and season generously with salt and pepper.

If time allows, do this 1–2 days ahead and refrigerate uncovered to let the seasoning absorb and the skin dry out.

Bring to room temperature for 30 minutes before cooking.

2. Sear for color.

Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. When shimmering, add the thighs skin-side down, being careful not to crowd the pot.

Cook undisturbed until the skin is deeply golden, about 10 minutes.

Flip and sear the other side for 5 minutes, then transfer to a large plate.

Repeat with remaining pieces. (If using legs, turn every few minutes to brown evenly.)

3. Build the base.

Add onions, celery, and carrots to the pot; season lightly with salt and pepper.

Cook, stirring often, until the onions are soft and lightly browned, about 15 minutes.

Add the garlic and cook for another minute.

4. Add the flavor.

Pour in the cider, thyme, and sage, scraping up any browned bits.

Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until reduced by half, about 8 minutes.

Add the stock and nestle the turkey pieces back in, skin-side up.

5. Braise until tender.

Bring to a boil, cover, and transfer the pot to the oven.

Cook for 2 hours. Add the apples, uncover, and continue cooking until the apples are tender and the meat nearly falls off the bone—about 1 hour more.

6. Finish the sauce.

While the turkey cooks, combine butter and flour in a small bowl to make a beurre manié.

Once the turkey is done, transfer the meat and apples to a serving platter and cover loosely with foil.

Bring the braising liquid to a simmer on the stove and whisk in the beurre manié a little at a time until the sauce thickens to your liking.

Stir in the Dijon, taste for seasoning, and spoon the hot gravy over the turkey and apples.

Note: Emily and Matt use a mix of two Hudson Valley favorites: Angry Orchard’s Stone Dry and Treasury Cider’s Wiccopee. Choose a dry cider you’d happily drink on its own — its crisp acidity and gentle sweetness make the dish sing.

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To Finish: A Sweet Departure

Overlook Bakery in Woodstock, NY serves up a new Thanksgiving favorite — a spiced pumpkin loaf with an earthy chai glaze so warm, fragrant, and subtly sweet, you just might skip the pie. Follow @overlookbakery

You can’t walk into Overlook Bakery without stopping in your tracks — it smells like the yummiest kitchen you’ve ever entered. Butter, spice, sugar, and something wonderfully nostalgic in the air. Nestled in the heart of Woodstock and named for the mountain that rises behind it, Overlook is the kind of place that makes locals feel lucky and visitors instantly wish they lived closer.

“Comforting yet elevated — this loaf captures the cozy elegance of fall in every bite.”

For Thanksgiving, they’ve shared a loaf that captures their signature style: humble, comforting, and quietly perfect. The Pumpkin Loaf with Chai Glaze is soft, spiced, and beautifully aromatic — a sweet finale that feels both familiar and fresh. Serve it slightly warm, the glaze dripping slowly down the sides, and consider dessert officially elevated.

Pumpkin Loaf with Chai Glaze

(Yields 1 loaf)

Ingredients

• 227g all-purpose flour
• 3g salt
• 6g baking soda
• 2g baking powder
• 2g ground cloves
• 3g ground cinnamon
• 2g ground nutmeg
• 185g unsalted butter, softened
• 402g sugar
• 100g eggs (about 2 large), room temperature
• 425g pumpkin purée

Chai Glaze

• 45g steeped chai tea concentrate
• 280g powdered sugar
• 1g pumpkin spice
• A pinch of ground cardamom

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease an 8”x4” loaf pan.
2. In a bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and spices.
3. In a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy.
4. Reduce to low speed and add eggs one at a time. Increase speed to medium and beat until smooth.
5. Add pumpkin purée and mix on low—the batter may look curdled; that’s okay.
6. Scrape down the bowl, then add the flour mixture and mix on low until just combined.
7. Scrape again to ensure everything is fully incorporated.
8. Pour batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake for 1 hour 15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few crumbs. If it’s still wet, bake for an additional 5 minutes and check again.
9. Let the loaf rest for 20 minutes, then turn out onto a cooling rack to cool completely before glazing.

To Make the Chai Glaze

1. Steep a chai tea bag in ½ cup hot water; set aside.
2. In a bowl, whisk powdered sugar, pumpkin spice, and cardamom.
3. Once the tea has cooled slightly, add 45g to the sugar mixture and whisk until smooth.
4. Pour glaze over the cooled loaf and let it drip naturally down the sides. Once set, slice and serve.

Wishing you a beautiful holiday — full of laughter in the kitchen, candles burning low, and plates passed between friends. May it be delicious, warm, and filled with love.