Talkin' Turkey Part Two - A Little Something on the Side

Now let's get to brass tacks.  In my experience sharing Thanksgiving meals with my family, my friends and their families, one theme is consistent: It's all about the sides.  Many of us could really do without the turkey as long as we keep the sides coming.  Mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, roasted brussel sprouts, cheesy cauliflower casserole, candied yams, sweet potato souffle, glazed carrots and parsnips, cranberry sauce, schlemiel, schlimazel, Hasenpfeffer Incorporated. (If you get the last one, you're my friend for life.)  The list just goes on for miles and a lot of what shows up on our table depends on where in this country you were raised. (Since we are making some of these dishes again this year, I'll add pictures later for you all!)

Potato, Potahto...
Mashed potatoes have always been a family favorite and I'm sure we're not alone.  Two Christmases ago I made a pork crown roast for Christmas Eve dinner and tried something new with the mashed potatoes.  It's really a combination of a few different recipes, but it's closest to Tyler Florence's Chive and Garlic Potatoes. It's almost too easy, but the right ingredients just make these melt in your mouth.


Garlic and Herb Mashed Potatoes
Ingredients:
1 head of garlic, top sliced off
4 - 6 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and quartered
1 cup heavy cream (or whole milk, or half and half...whatever you choose)
1/2 stick unsalted butter
6 sprigs of fresh thyme
1 stem of fresh sage leaves
salt and pepper, to taste

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Wrap garlic head in aluminum foil with a drizzle of olive oil and place in the oven for about 40 - 45 minutes, until softened.

Place the potatoes in a large pot.  Add enough cold water to cover the potatoes by one inch.  Bring to a boil, add a large pinch of salt, and cook for 20 - 30 minutes until the potatoes are fork tender.

Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, add the cream, butter, garlic, thyme, sage and simmer over medium/medium-low heat, depending on your stove top.  Make sure to watch this pot.  You don't want it to get too hot or begin to boil.  No one wants burned milk in their mashed potatoes!  As the cream mixture is warming and the butter is melting, check your potatoes. 

Drain the potatoes and return to the pot.  Using a hand masher, begin breaking the potatoes while they're still warm.  Strain the cream and butter mixture, removing the solids.  With a wooden spoon (my weapon of choice here), begin stirring in the mixture in small batches to the potatoes and keep adding until they have absorbed all the liquid.  Some of you might use a hand mixer here, which is also perfectly fine...I just don't have one.  After the cream-butter mixture is well incorporated, squeeze the roasted garlic pulp into the potatoes and give it a another good stir.  This is usually the last chance to work out any remaining lumps.  I used my immersion blender last year at the very end to achieve super smooth potatoes. If you prefer a super creamy texture and have fancier kitchen equipment than me, you can use a potato ricer or a food mill.

Now, I understand that these might not appeal to the garlic-shy or garlice-averse.  Have no fear!  You can completely omit the garlic completely.  If you do want some garlic, but not THAT much garlic in your potatoes, here's an alternative.  Take four cloves and slightly smash them by whacking with a knife.  Add them to the cream-butter mixture instead.  You'll get a good infusion of flavor into the liquid.  I've tried them this way too and they are just heavenly.  This second version is actually what we made at Thanksgiving last year.  I happen to have a family that LOVES garlic, so I took it to another level at Christmas.  They were a big hit.

Sweet, Sweet Potatoes, er, Yams?
Well, the truth is everything we call a yam or a sweet potato in an American grocery store is actually a sweet potato.  It's a common misnomer, but I'll let Alton Brown tell you about that in the video below.

While my mom candies her sweet potatoes and they make for a heavenly, sticky concoction, I decided to go out on a limb last year and try something new.  Tyler Florence's Whipped Sweet Potatoes with Bananas and Honey are UH-MAY-ZING!  I know what you're thinking...bananas?  Seriously?  Trust me on this one.  You don't even know they're in there.  They just add this sweet, creamy texture to the mixture that is to die for.  If you arrive at the display in your grocery store to find several varieties, don't fret.  My suggestion would be to go with either the Jewel or Garnet variety.  I personally like Garnet because it has a little more flavor and a deeper color.

Not Your Average Can-Shaped Cranberry Sauce

Yup, like many of you, I grew up with canned jellied cranberry sauce, and I like it. It fits perfectly on your bread when you're making your Gobbler sandwiches. When I moved to New England, I went native and decided to give the real stuff a try.  I have to say, I do like it too!  Last year, we made Tyler Florence's Cranberry-Orange Sauce and it was delicious!  Check out the video here.

I was at the farmers market on Saturday and one of the farms were selling bags of their own fresh cranberries. Look at those beautiful little gems, aren't they pretty?  I snatched up a bag and was on my way.

This year, I am breaking in my Williams-Sonoma Cranberry Wreath mold I bought a couple years ago.  It basically takes the Tyler Florence recipe one step further.  The recipes is as follows:

Molded Cranberry Sauce

Ingredients
1 1/4 lb. fresh cranberries
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 tsp orange zest
3/4 cup plus 2 tbs fresh orange juice
pinch of salt
1 cup water
1 tbs unflavored gelatin

Preparation:
In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, combine cranberries, sugar, orange zest, orange juice, salt and 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons of water.  Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low ans simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens and the cranberries have burst, 25 to 35 minutes.
Note:  The sauce should measure no more than 3 3/4 cups.

Meanwhile, pour the remaining tablespoons of water into a bowl and sprinkle with the gelatin.  Let stand until the gelatin softens and swells, 5 to 10 minutes.

Spoon 1/4 cup of the hot juices from the cranberries into the gelatin and whisk until the gelatin is dissolved.  Pour the gelatin mixture into the cranberry mixture and whisk into the prepared mold and let cool to room temperature.  Cover loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or overnight.

Note: Lightly spray the inside of the mold with cooking spray to aid in a clean removal of your fabulous gelatin concoction.

To un-mold, set the mold in a large bowl of warm water so the water reaches almost to the rim of the mold.  Let stand for 30 seconds to 1 minute.  Carefully insert a small offset spatula or paring knife along the side of the mold.  Gently pull the gelatin away from the mold to release the suction, then remove the spatula.  Place a serving platter upside down on top of the mold, invert the platter and mold together and shake gently.  Then lift off the mold.  Serves 14 to 18.

One more tidbit:  If you prefer a smoother texture for your mold, before adding the gelatin mixture into the cranberry mixture, transfer the cranberry mixture to a food processor and pulse 10 to 15 times, then proceed as directed. 

And Now for Something Completely Different...
While a big pot of roasted chicken stock was simmering away on the stove, I was getting re-acquainted with a cookbook of mine, Tyler Florence Family Meal.  I love the layout of this book, the photography, his narration throughout and his use of locally-sourced foods in his creation of recipes.  There was one that totally stuck out.  Surprisingly, I had all the ingredients.  I have NO idea how this happened since this is an odd list of ingredients, but sometimes a girl gets lucky!  I had this sugar pumpkin sitting on my table begging to be cooked, but I had never cooked with real pumpkin before.  I usually skip a step and buy it in the can.

Roasted Pumpkin with Toasted Quinoa, Dates and Sage

Ingredients:
1 small sugar pumpkin (2 to 3 pounds), halved and seeded
Extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
2 cups quinoa
2 cups pitted and julienned medjool dates
1/4 cup small sage leaves

Preparation:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Cut the pumpkin into pieces roughly 3 inches square and arrange on a rimmed baking sheet, skin side down.  Drizzle the pumpkin with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Roast the pumpkin for 1 hour, or until soft.  Once cool enough to handle, peel off and discard the skin, and place the roasted pumpkin in a bowl.

While pumpkin is cooking, place a dry skillet over medium heat and add quinoa.  Toast for 5 to 10 minutes, or until the quinoa releases a toasty aroma.  Add 3 cups of water and 1 tablespoon of salt, cover, and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to low and simmer the quinoa for 25 minutes, or until all the water has been absorbed.  Remove from the heat and set aside, covered; the steam will finish cooking the quinoa.

Once the quinoa has cooled off a bit, add it to the bowl with the roasted pumpkin along with the dates, torn sage leaves, and 1/4 cup olive oil.  Toss gently to combine.  Season with salt and pepper.  Serve at room temperature.  Serves 8 to 10.

This was delicious, earthy, and warmed me from the inside out on this chilly evening.  If you're looking for something really different to try at your meal, why not give this one a whirl?  Just don't tell anyone it's really good for them.  Heaven knows nobody wants to eat anything healthy on this day!

Some other great side dish options:

Garlic Hasselback Potatoes with Herbed Sour Cream
Roasted Carrots and Parsnips
Sauteed Carrots
Creamed Corn
Green Bean Casserole
Roasted Brussels Sprouts
Warm Wilted Winter Greens Salad
Caramelized Butternut Squash