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| Tarragon Mustard Turkey |
by Candyce Fulford ...and they came to dinner! Ah ... the Thanksgiving Feast! An excuse to overindulge and go off the diet! Well, there's always Friday to get back on track! (Or the following Monday!) Expecting guests at your home this year? Have the welcome begin before they even enter your home. Hang a wreath or other decoration on the front door, fasten a big bunch of balloons to the mailbox, or hang a colorful, hand-lettered "welcome" sign! Have the kids do this and make turkey figures from their hand tracings. Turn those cute mini pumpkins you brought home from the grocery store just because they looked so cute into place cards for your holiday table. Write guests' names on them with a magic marker. Humorous Hint from Heloise "Don't assume that you're always going to be understood. I wrote in a column that one should put a cup of liquid in the cavity of a turkey when roasting it. Someone wrote me that "the turkey tasted great, but the plastic cup melted." So now I say, "Pour a cup ... " - Hints from Heloise Okay, so is this where I admit that the very first turkey I cooked for my new husband still contained the giblets in their paper wrapper? - Candyce What a wonder of modern convenience is today's Thanksgiving dinner! Everything has been prepared for us, and we need do no more than reheat items brought home from the deli counter! Is this what our forefathers, and foremothers, had in mind when the first Thanksgiving was celebrated? In the early days of the Colonies, celebrations, or feasts, were planned for weeks ... even months. The day always revolved around religion, so church going would have been a major starting point to the day. But, what about the weeks before? Well, the men would have had to have hunted for the meat ... the women would have had to have attended to their rocky gardens for months in order to provide enough food for them, and their invited guests. The Indians were no slouches here, either. Each would have come to the feast bearing the fruits of their summer labors. Venison, bear, squirrel, and other exotic meats, such as 'possum, would have graced the tables. Yes, I'm sure there were a few wild turkeys butchered for the event. The Colonists would have gathered from their storehouses and pantries those herbs and spices not familiar to the natives ... cinnamon, clove, nutmeg ... and shared these with a happy heart. Precious sugar would have been consumed. The first Thanksgiving quite possibly lasted three or four days! Each family, Colonist and Indian, would have given the best of what they had with a grateful heart ... a happy heart ... a generous heart. As we begin our own Thanksgiving feast this year, let's take a moment to be truly thankful for the other people around the table. What has each given you to enrich your life? The Day After: Okay. Leftovers. What to do? What to do? Try these ... Tarragon Mustard Turkey Spoon this over mashed potatoes or rice 2 Tbsp. butter 1 8 oz. can mushrooms, drained 1/4 cup white wine 1 1/2 cups chicken or turkey stock 1/4 to 1/2 cup Dijon-style mustard 2 Tbsp. dried tarragon 4 to 5 cups cooked, cubed turkey Heat a large sauté pan over medium-low heat, add the butter, and melt. Add the mushrooms to the pan and sauté lightly. Increase the heat to medium-high and add the wine, chicken or turkey stock, mustard and tarragon. Cook the sauce, stirring frequently, until it thickens and reduces by half (approximately 10 minutes). Add the turkey to the mixture and mix well. Simmer for an additional 2 to 3 minutes and serve. Makes 6 to 8 servings Leftover vegetables? Winter Vegetables with Flavored Butters Gather your leftover vegetables and arrange on a serving platter. In individual cups or small bowls have melted flavored butters on hand. Encourage the family members to dip the vegetables into the flavored butters. "Veggie Fondue"! Flavored butters might be: Lemon Butter - Combine 1/4 cup melted butter with the juice of 1/2 lemon. Add a bit of lemon zest. Mustard Butter - Combine 1/4 cup melted butter with 1 Tbsp. Dijon-style mustard Basil Butter - Combine 1/4 cup melted butter with 2 Tbsp. dried Basil and a dash of hot sauce Chive Butter - Combine 1/4 cup melted butter with a dash of lemon juice and 1 Tbsp. Chives What's related A Frugal but Elegant Thanksgiving | Thanksgiving Idea Exchange | Thanksgiving Centerpieces and Crafts | Tom Turkey | Bread Basket Centerpiece |
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About the Author: Candyce L. Fulford is the owner and operator of BeRemembered, the industry leader in e-commerce website development. |
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Let's Get Cooking!
