Herbed Salt:

1.  Rub first six ingredients in small bowl to crush herbs finely. Can be made 1 week ahead. Cover: store at room temperature. Stir in peel before using.

Turkey:

1.  Rinse turkey inside and out (do not pat dry). Pull any fat pads from main cavity and neck cavity of turkey; wrap, chill, and reserve fat for roasting. Place turkey in roating bag; sprinkle inside and out with herbed salt. Close bag. Place on baking sheet: refrigerate for 18 to 24 hours.

2.  Set rack at lowest position in oven and preheat to 325 degrees F. Rinse turkey inside and out; pat very dry. Stir chopped onion and next five ingredients in small bowl. Divide onion mixture between main and neck cavities. Fold neck skin under and secure with skewer. Tuck wing tips under. Tie legs together loosely. Place turkey on rack set in large roasting pan. Spread butter all over turkey. Place reserved fat pads and reserved neck, heart, and gizzard in pan; pour in two cups of turkey stock.

3.  Roast turkey 45 minutes. Baste with pan juices. Continue to roast until thermometer inserted into thickest part of thigh registers 165 degrees F to 170 degrees F, basting every 45 minutes, adding stock or water to pan if dry, and tented loosely with foil if browing too quickly, 3 to 3 ½ hours longer. Transfer turkey to platter; tent very loosely with foil and let rest 30 to 45 minutes. Reserve roasting pan with juices for gravy.

Gravy:

1.  Remove turkey neck, heart, and gizzard from roasting pan. Pull meat off neck; chop neck meat heart and gizzard and reserve or gravy, if desired. Pour pan juices into 8-cup measuring spoon. Spoon off fat from surface, reserving ½ cup fat. Add enough turkey stock to degreased pan juices to measure 5 ½ cups total.

2.  Place roasting pan over 2 burners on medium heat Add ½ cup reserved fat and shallots; sauté 1 minute. Whisk in flour. Cook until roux is light brown, whisking constantly, about 2 minutes. Whisk in wine, sotck mixture, mustard, and fresh rosemary. Bring to boil, whisking to blend. Boil until gravy coats spoon, about 3 minutes. Add neck, heart, and gizzard if desired. Season with salt and pepper.

3.  Serve turkey with gravy.

Quick & Easy Turkey Stock   

A quick and easy homemade turkey stock, which can be made without starting from scratch

Note: make double if following Salt Roasted Turkey recipe

• 8 cups low-salt organic chicken broth
• 2 celery stalks, or 1 leek (white and light green parts, cleaned) or small handful of lovage
• 2 scrubbed unpeeled carrots cut into large chunks
• 1 rinsed unpeeled large onion, quartered
• 1 bunch fresh Italian parsley
• 4-6 branches of thyme
• 1 bay leaf

 

1.  In large saucepan, combine chicken broth, carrots, celery (or lavage, or leeks), onion, Italian parsley, thyme and reserved turkey neck (and giblets if using). Bring to a boil.

2.  Reduce heat to very low; simmer gently about 1 1/2 hours.

3.  Transfer neck, and giblets to a plate.

4.  Strain stock into medium bowl, cool and use immediately or store in freezer until ready to use.

Servings:  5 Cups

Source for stock: Organicauthority.com

Herb and Onion Stuffing

• ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
• 3 cups chopped onions (about 1 lb)
• 2 cups chopped celery (4 to 5 stalks)
• ¼ cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh sage
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh marjoram
• 12 cups (generous) 1-inch cubes, day-old pan rustique or ciabatta bread with crust (about 1 ¼ lbs)
• 2 large eggs
• 1 ½ tsp fine sea salt
• 1 tsp coarsely ground black pepper
• 1 cup (or more) low-salt chicken broth

 

1.  Melt butter in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and celery. Saute until vegetables are tender, about 12 minutes. Add all herbs; sauté 1 minute long. Do ahead: Can be made 1 day ahead. Transfer to bowl, cover and chill.

2.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Divide bread between 2 rimmed baking sheets. Bake until bread is crusty but not hard, reversing sheets after 5 minutes, 10 to 12 minutes total. Transfer to very large bowl and cool.

3.  Butter 13x9x2-inch  baking dish. Stir vegetable mixtureinto bread. Whisk eggs, salt and pper in small bowl to blend; whisk in 1 cup broth. Add mixture to stuffing, tossing to combine evenly and adding more both by 1.4 cupfuls if dry. Transfer stuffing to prepared dish. 

4.  Bake stuffing uncovered until cooked through and brown and crusty on top, 50 to 60 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes. 

Butternut Squash with Tangerine and Sage Glaze

• 8 lbs butternut squash with long necks
• 1 cup fresh tangerine juice, divided
• ½ cup whipping cream
• ¼ cup (1/2 stick) butter
• 2 tbsp grated tangerine peel
• fresh sage leaves (about 30)

 

1.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. 

2.  Cut neck off each squash. Peel necks and cut crosswise into generous 1/3-inch-thick slices. Overlap slices in 2 large baking dishes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Spoon 6 tablespoons tangerine juice over squash. Spoon cream over squash; dot with butter. 

3.  Bake squash until beginning to brown, about 30 minutes. 

4.  Mix tangerine peel into remaining 10 tablespoons juice; drizzle over squash. Place 1 sage leaf atop each squash round. Bake until squash are very tender and tops are browned in spots, about 30 minutes longer. (Can be prepared 4 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature. Before serving, heat in 375 degree F oven until warm, about 15 minutes.)

Port-Glazed Onions and Shallots

• 1 10-ounce package pearl onions
• 1 10-ounce package golden pearl onions
• 10 ounces small (1-inch diameter) shallots
• 2 tbsp (1/4 stick) butter
• 1 cup ruby Port
• 1/3 cup low-salt chicken broth
• 2 tsp red wine vinegar

 

1.  Blanch all onions and shallots in large pot of boiling water 2 minutes. Drain . Peel onions and shallots, trimming any roots of the ends.

2.  Melt butter in heavy medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and shallots. Stir to coat. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add Port, broth and vinegar and bring to simmer. Reduce heat to medium; cover and simmer until onions and shallots are tender, about 15 minutes. Uncover and simmer until liquids are reduced to glaze, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill. Re-warm over low heat before serving.)

Transfer to bowl and serve.

Serves: 8

Cranberry Compote with Ginger and Molasses

• 4 cups fresh cranberries
• 1 ½ cups water
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tbsp finely grated peeled fresh ginger
• 1 tbsp finely chopped shallot
• ¼ cup mild-flavored (light) molasses

1.  Combine cranberries, 1 ½ cups water, sugar, ginger and shallot in heavy large saucepan. Stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Cover and cook until berries burst, about 10 minutes. Stir in molasses. Season with salt. Cool. Cover and chill until cold, about 3 hours. (Can be made 1 week ahead. Keep refrigerated.)

Serves: 8

Grill-Roasted Vegetables with Pine Nut Pesto

• 1 lb carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 lb parsnips, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 lb brussels sprouts, halved lengthwise
• One, 2 ½ lb butternut squash – peeled, seeded and cut into 1/2 –by1 ½-inch pieces
• 2 large shallots, cut into ½-inch wedges
• 6 thyme sprigs
• ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
• salt and freshly ground pepper
• ¼ cup plus 2 tbsp pine nuts
• 1 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 large garlic clove, thinly sliced
• ¼ cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

 

1.  In a large bowl, toss the carrots and parsnip pieces with the Brussels spouts, butternut squash, shallots, thyme sprigs and ¼ cup of the olive oil. Season generously with salt and pepper.

2.  Preheat a gas grill to high heat (about 425 degrees F). Place 2 perforated grill pans directly on the grate to heat for about 10 minutes. Divide the vegetables between the grill pans and grill over high heat, stirring and turning occasionally, until they are tender and lightly charred in spots, about 50 minutes. Alternately, roast the vegetables in a large roasting pan in a 425 degree F oven, stirring them occasionally.

3.  Meanwhile, in a small skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Add the pine nuts and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until they are lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Add the butter and garlic and cook, stirring, until the pine nuts are browned and the garlic is golden, about 2 minutes. Let cool, then transfer to a mini processor. Add the grated cheese and the remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil and pulse to a chunky puree. Season the pine nut pesto with salt.

4.  Transfer the vegetables to a large bowl and toss with the pine nut pesto. Serve hot or warm.

(Pine nut pesto can be refrigerated overnight. Bring to room temperature before proceeding.)

Serves: 12

Apple Pie

Pie crust

• 2 cups flour
• ¾ cup Crisco
• 1 tsp salt
• 5 Tbsp water

For Pie

• 8 to 12 green apples
• 1 cup sugar
• 2T flour
• ¼ tsp. salt
• ½ tsp cinnamon or ¼ tsp nutmeg
• 1 Tbsp butter

 

1.  Divide crust in halves.  Roll one half to fit a deep pie plate.   Fit into plate being sure that crust reaches slightly beyond edge of pie plate rim.  Set the lined pie plate in refrigerator to chill and to let the pie crust relax.

2.  Wash, quarter, pare and core apples.  Slice in about ¼-inch slices.  Mix sugar with flour and salt.  Put about 1/6 of this in bottom of pie plate.

3.  Mix remainder with apples.  Dust with nutmeg or cinnamon.  Dot with butter.

4.  Roll second half of pie crust to fit over top of pie.  Tuck the outer edge under lower edge.  Crimp rim.  Brush surface with cream.  Set in preheated 400 degree oven and bake 50-60 minutes.

Source:  Mom