We kept things simple this Thanksgiving, our first as a family of three: a slow-roasted duck, potatoes roasted in its fat, leeks braised in white wine, and a crunchy salad of shaved fall vegetables – all sourced from local farmers. We uncorked a wonderful bottle of wine, a gift to us from the winemaker for the occasion of Julian’s birth. I even made dessert – a cardamom-spiced fruit crumble with local apples and berries I froze in summer. It was a beautiful meal to end a beautiful day.

As his daddy said elsewhere, Julian won’t remember his first Thanksgiving, but we’ll never forget it.