Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. And why not. All you have to do is cook and eat, chat and/or nap, and eat some more. It’s a time of great indulgence followed by vows to diet and exercise. So think of Thanksgiving as a kick start to healthier eating (with a time out, of course, for a few Christmas cookies and some eggnog :-)).
Below is a summation of how we celebrated the unique American holiday at the farm with family and friends this year—37 in all, plus a couple of little ones and a few dogs.
Thanksgiving Album 2019
Julia Child spoke of massaging her turkeys with butter, because the turkeys enjoyed it and so did she.
One of the bonuses of getting up early to to get the turkey in the oven is seeing the sunrise. Pretty spectacular.
A soffrito of onions, celery, carrots, and garlic combines with a cooked sausage and cornbread mixture. I add turkey broth made from the giblets, augmented with some Campbell’s Chicken Rice soup.
It’s hard to find a companion in the kitchen at 5:30 in the morning.
The Battle of the Birds. I prefer the turkey stuffed, but I make some in a casserole, too.
Russ and Debra’s niece, Carly, get serious with the potato peeling.
Tom helps Lisa prepare the Breakfast Casserole.
The tasting of the greens. Debra has combined collard, mustard, and turnip greens in a tasty dish she learned to make from her grandmother.
Russ peeling and mincing garlic.
Let the feast begin!
This Delicata Squash with the edible skin was new to my weekend menu, though I’ve had it at a few local restaurants. It tastes a lot like sweet potatoes. I found it at Whole Foods. I’ll write more about using it in a salad in a future post.
Serrano ham is produced in Spain from pigs that eat acorns. The thinly shaved slices taste much like prosciutto and are served on crackers or bread. More on this ham in a later post.
New grandmother with new grandson. My niece, Katy, feeds Amari his first Thanksgiving meal.
Slices of an old, Southern favorite, Kentucky Jam Cake. More on this classic cake in another post.
I prefer this Pumpkin Cheesecake to pumpkin pie.
Choices, choices . . . Pumpkin Cheese Cake, Grape Pie, Raspberry Tarts by Addie
Carrot Cake, Rum Cake, Pumpkin Cheesecake
Raspberry Torte, Turkeys Cookies, Chocolate Pie, New York Time Raspberry Torte, Carrot Cake, Rum Cake
All’s well that ends well.
These over-sized plates are washed and ready for next year. You can tell the size by comparing them with the two ordinary plates. I got 36 of the plates at a restaurant supply many years ago.
Yes, turkey is good to the bone. Robin’s turkey soup, made from the bones, is a yummy, heart warming finale to the holiday bird.
My granddaughter, Addie, and her mother, Lisa, have a “warm” conversation by the fireplace. The words on the mantle are Gaelic and translate: “Don’t let the fire go out.” Good advice in cold weather or as words to live by all year round.
