Garden Fresh Thanksgiving dinner – above all, make it simple” Pick your vegetables and herbs from your garden the day you prepare them. Make sure you have enough and supplement what you do not have with sustainably produced food from your market or farmers market. Turkey should be fresh and OG. Try to get as much crafted and local foods as possible – it makes a big difference.
Fresh Herb Roast Turkey with Giblet Stuffing Turkey – wash until cavity runs clear, remove neck and Giblets, save the giblets (you can do this in the sink, it is easier to clean up after turkey if you work with it in a clean and disinfected sink – just make sure you rinse it real well with cold water.) Rough chop celery tops, carrot end and onion – throw those in a roasting pan Throw the peals of all vegetables (but the green ones) in a soup pot with water and wine to cover and a little more since it will reduce. Think at least 2 qts. Rub the turkey with soy then season with salt and pepper inside and out Place the turkey on the vegetables and season with fresh garden herbs, paprika, pepper, chopped garlic (minced) and drizzle olive oil over herbs & garlic seasoning. Let air dry
Stock –with fresh oregano, thyme, Bay leaf and S and P with a good pour of wine and the Turkey neck. If you have chicken stock add a cup or two. Every time you cut up something or break an egg throw it in the stock. Medium heat – reduce this by half. It is for your gravy, to moisten your stuffing, add to your greens or baste the turkey.
Stuffing Two packages of cheap hamburger rolls and a big bowl – break them up in fairly good size chunks and let them dry out some. Dice 3 onions, 4 carrots, 4 celery sticks and sauté’ When the diced vegetables are cooked but not caramelized, add diced garlic cook for 2 minutes then turn off heat. Break three large eggs and Whisk them in a bowl Now take the giblets from the turkey and poach them in the stock for 5 – 10 minutes (best done in a small strainer) – remove and slice then dice – add to the hamburger rolls. Moisten the rolls with stock (ladle), add the egg - mix with a rubber spatula and stuff the turkey cavity and neck – really pack it in (the neck will hold more than you think.) – Also leave it mounded out at the cavity. Cover the roasting dish with its top and the turkey is ready to cook. Add white wine (about two cups) before you put the turkey in the oven.
Turkey Gravy – melt one stick of butter, add an equal amount of flour do this over medium to medium high heat – this is a roux. Cook it until it is a light brown color. When the turkey is done, remove the vegetables you do not want in the gravy, pour off and reserve in a measuring cup some of the fat (you can also add some of this to the roux when you make it.) De glaze the pan with white wine, loosen the bits at the bottom, add stock in desired amount and begin to whisk the cooled off roux into the gravy. Add a little canned milk and adjust with wine, let simmer and season to taste just before you serve it (the sauce sits on the stove reduces and gets saltier so be careful unless you are serving right away)
