Thursday, November 26, 2009

Thanksgiving: Table of Many Mushes

Happy T-giving from KPC East!

Our Thanksgiving table groans under many dishes. For some reason, I have gotten into the habit of making many, many different kinds of mush for Thanksgiving.

This year:

Squash mush. Turnips and carrots mush. Mashed sweet potato mush. Mashed russet potato mush. Mushed fresh cranberries, with mushed apricots. Mushed bread crumbs with mushed sausage and celery.

Plus turkey, gravy, brocolli and peas (unmushed).

Three things were pretty good, I thought.

Brined turkey: 1 cup salt, 1/2 cup brown sugar, rosemary, garlic, celery salt, sage in about 3 gallons of VERY cold water. Let turkey soak for a day, or two. Then cook with turkey body cavities stuffed with apples, onions, and spices.

Fresh cranberry sauce: In a food processor, chop fresh washed cranberries and dried apricots until still just a little lumpy (should be some crunch left in cranberries, not a paste). Add 2 cups water. Cook on low heat, just until it boils. Add on Jello package, lemon flavor. Let sit in fridge for two days.

Dressing: Use any kind of bread crumbs. If seasoned, leave out seasoning. If not, add sage, salt, and thyme. Maybe some chopped parsley. Put just enough water to moisten. In skillet brown sweet italian sausage (ground, not links), then add onions and celery. When it's done (onions are still a fraction crisp) add a bag of dried cran-raisins. Combine all ingredients and stir. Add more water if you need to.
Let sit in fridge overnight, to let everything get to know each other.

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