Making The Most Of Turkey
By MARY ANN LIENHART-CROSS
County Extensions Director, Purdue University
WARSAW — It seems impossible to have a holiday celebration without food. Hours and days are spent preparing a menu and the holiday meal, and then in less than an hour the decorated table is appreciated and the food enjoyed. Sometimes there is a time lapse before dessert so we can really enjoy the dessert, but shortly after, all the extra food has to be properly cared for.
The holidays, whether they are events that happened in American history or religious happenings, provide somewhat of a structure for communities, friends and families. I know that every holiday is special and you all have your favorites, but when it comes to food I think one of my favorites is the Thanksgiving meal.
Our modern Thanksgiving meal is far from the first Thanksgiving meal, and for many of you the meal has greatly changed. There was a time in most homes that all of the food was prepared from basic ingredients, and now many people choose to have someone else do much of the food preparations. The bonus to the big meal is the food following the big meal. I have learned from many of you over the years that you don’t like planned over’s and some of you won’t even eat them. All I can say is that you are missing some great food and more importantly being wasteful.
I have to begin with the turkey sandwich. What a great experience for the taste buds. Just so you know here is what I am visualizing and anticipating tasting. The bread is whole wheat or a multigrain and just lightly toasted. I will take some mayonnaise and add some ground horseradish to it, some honey mustard and then spread that on the bread. To the bread I will add some sliced sweet pickles and Romaine or leaf lettuce. Now to add the best part: the turkey. I want to really taste the turkey flavor, and if the meat is refrigerator cold the flavor will not be there. So I warm some nice slices of the breast meat, just a tiny bit on the stove or in the microwave. I don’t want it really warm, just warm enough to take the chill off. An added bonus to the sandwich is a small amount of cranberry salad or cranberry relish, yes this is messy but the flavors are worth it! Think about it; have you ever not enjoyed a messy sandwich that you had to finish with a fork? Weren’t those flavors worth the mess? Just plan ahead for napkins and really washing your hands.
There are also other great foods that you can create with the turkey such as casseroles and soups. When it comes to the soup plan to cook the turkey bones for stock and then making the soup. The soup is the place to add the left over mashed potatoes, vegetables, gravy and you can also use the vegetables from the vegetable tray such as the carrots and celery, just chop them up before adding them to the pot.
Many Thanksgiving meals are served with both white mashed potatoes and some form of sweet potatoes, and both have multiple planned-over possibilities. Let’s begin with the mashed potatoes. You can use them with some of the vegetables and turkey to create a casserole like a shepherd’s pie. Another favorite is mashed potato cakes. I really like these when you add some sweet corn to them, lightly fry and serve with warm maple syrup. When it comes to the sweet potatoes they are also tasty as potato cakes, turned into pies and of course just reheated.
For many of you and myself there is never enough turkey as turkey has unlimited possibilities. I would not be doing my job if I did not remind you to practice the food safety rules of clean, cook, cool and separate; and most of all to remind everyone to help out with meal preparation and for sure with the cleanup following the meal. Enjoy a safe and happy holiday season and here is to good eating with lots of turkey.