Tuesday, November 26, 2013

Cranberry Ginger Relish


This 2008 Martha Stewart recipe is a favorite I keep coming back to. I've decided that I need to finally add it to my blog, since my goal is to un-clutter my life which may include culling collections of saved magazines. I return to this year after year and quadruple it for canning and the plethora of turkey and stuffing sandwiches that inevitably follow Thanksgiving. My one wish was that Hi-Ho was still alive to know that, after all these years, I am finally a cranberry sauce lover!

Ingredients

  • 1 bag (12 ounces) fresh or frozen cranberries
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
  • 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar or red-wine vinegar

Directions

  1. In a large saucepan, bring cranberries, sugar, ginger, and 2 tablespoons water to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until most of the cranberries have popped, 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in vinegar.
  2. Remove relish from heat. Let cool to room temperature, and serve.

Petersen Pie crust

This is the pie crust used at the annual Pie Party.  I am making it today as I prepare for Thanksgiving!

Ingredients

2 and 1/2 cups flour

3 Tablespoons sugar

2 sticks butter, in pieces

1/4 cup ice water


Process


  1. In a large bowl, combine flour and sugar.

  2. Cut in butter, using a pastry blender (pictured).

  3. Sprinkle with water and continue mixing until smooth and the proper consistency.

  4. Divide into two balls and freeze 10 minutes.

  5. When ready, roll out on a well floured surface.

Friday, November 8, 2013

Apple Butter

This is my favorite apple butter recipe of all. It is from the book Preserving the Harvest. I have blogged about it before at this link.

Ingredients
10 large tart apples
2 cups apple cider
3-5 cups sugar
3/4 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 tsp ground all-spice
3 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg

Process


1. Wash, core & quarter apples.

2. Combine apples and cider in oven safe pot on top of stove.

3. Cook slowly in cider until tender.














4. Blend in batches in the blender.



















5. Return mixture to pot.
6. Add sugar and spices and stir to combine.
Place in oven.














7. Cook in 350°F oven, stirring often. Test for desired thickness by spooning mixture onto a cold plate. If no liquid oozes around edges, it is thick enough.
8. Ladle into jars. Process 10 minutes or freeze.

Beet Carrot soup with Feta cheese




Fresh Wild Turkey

The fall turkey season added food to the freezer and an amazing dinner to our table.

 

























SP was quite ingenious in developing a way to prevent the gamey taste associated with some wild fowl.  Here's the recipe.
Ingredients
One wild turkey hen (approx. 7 lbs)
Bacon grease
16 oz can of hard cider (SP used Strongbow and it was perfect)

Directions
After cleaning and dressing turkey, rub the skin generously with bacon grease. Rub again with salt and pepper. Take a couple drinks of the 16 oz can of hard cider and then stuff it up the turkeys rear end. Place the bird upright in small lipped baking dish and place over indirect medium heat on your outdoor grill. Roast for about an hour until the internal temp reaches 165 degrees. Apply more bacon grease as necessary. When done, drain the accumulated grease from carcass and baking dish into a sauce pan. Reduce these contents over stove top to make a gravy.