The first snow of the year and all the food turned out well, I couldn’t have asked for a better Thanksgiving 2010. The pumpkin pie and wild turkey were the highlights (although I haven’t tried the pecan pie yet). Mashed potatoes are good with green chile, a first time try, and the sweet potatoes were good with marshmallows, another first. The green bean casserole might get the axe next year and the bacon is now a new tradition. This was the best thanksgiving meal we’ve ever cooked. If you’d like a recipe for the sides or cookies leave a comment.

If you want to make a pumpkin pie from scratch, you must first invent the universe…

Or follow these instructions, which made me become a real pumpkin, pumpkin pie snob.

1 sweet pumpkin (pumpkin pie pumpkin) I got mine from Sunflower Market (don’t use a Halloween pumpkin, not sure the difference? You’ll find out when you try to cut into it).

- Cut 1 sweet pumpkin in half

- Scoop seeds and stringy stuff out of both halves

- Place both halves cut side down on a foil lined baking sheet

- Cook @ 350 degrees (F) for 1 hour

- Remove and let cool

While it’s cooling make the pie crust:

- Whisk together in a medium bowl 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour and 1/4 tsp salt

- Cut 5tbsp COLD butter into 20 small cubes (each tbsp 1/4erd)

- Add to the flour slat mixture and blend with a pastry blender till butter is forming chunks

- Add 4tbsp COLD crisco shortening and blend with pastry blender till mix is in small chunks

- Add 3-5 tsp of ICE COLD water till chunks thicken into small balls

- Gather into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap and place in freezer for 10-15mins

While in pie crust is in the freezer:

- Scoop the pumpkin from the shell

- Place in a food processor and blend till completely smooth (should make about 2 cups)

- In a medium bowl slightly beat 2 eggs

- Add 1 cup packed light brown sugar

- Mix with fork till blended in

- Add 1 tbsp all purpose flour and mix with fork till blended in

- Add 1/2 tsp salt and mix with fork till blended in

- Add the pumpkin, 2 cups, or as close as you have, from the food processor and mix till blended in

- Add 8-10 oz of evaporated milk, mix till blended in

- It should be of a runny consistancy

Set aside to get pie crust ready

- Remove pie crust ball from freezer

- Pie crust should be flaky but yet sticky

- Lay pie crust ball on lightly floured rolling surface (big enough to roll out 12+”‘s)

- Spread pie crust ball out with hand on rolling surface till mostly flat in a circular shape

- Roll with lightly floured rolling pin till pie crust is thin (about 2-3mm thick)

- Remove from rolling surface and place in glass pie pan

- If pie crust doesn’t easily come off rolling surface place glass pie pan on counter and flip the rolling surface upside down and scrape pie crust off gently with spatula.

- With pie crust in a glass pie pan trip edges and press with fingers

- Pour pumpkin mixture in and cook at 450 degrees (F) for 10mins

- Reduce heat to 350 degrees (F) and continue to cook for 50 mins or until a toothpick comes out mostly clean from the center

- Set aside and let cool for 2-3 hours

Cut and serve with real whipped cream, you’ll never make pie from a can again.

I was warned by both my mother and father that wild turkey breast was dry and gamey. I combined the knowledge of internet and self to make this neither dry nor gamey wild turkey breast. Try it, I can’t imagine a better thanksgiving turkey.

1 wild turkey breast – skin off, no bone, about 3-4lbs, thawed.

Brine:

In a large zip lock bag combine the following:

- any thawed juices

- 8-10 candied ginger cubes

- 1 cinnamon stick

- 1/4 cup kosher salt

- 1/2 cup brown sugar

- 3 cups ice

- water to fill remainder of bag

Place bag in large bowl in case it leaks, brine overnight about 12-16 hours.

The next day:

Allow 2 hours to cook depending on elevation and size of breast.

- remove breast from brine and pat dry with paper towel

- place in standard turkey cooking pan with raised rack

- cover all of the breast with a good coat of softened butter

- Fresh herb mix: rosemary, sage, thyme, garlic

- Combine and chop till small enough to rub on

- Rub herb mix all over breast (top and bottom), it should stick well on the coat of butter

- Lay breast bottom side down on rack in pan

- Drizzle with olive oil

- Grind sea salt and pepper healthily on top

- Cover entire top of breast with 1lb thick cut bacon

- Chop 5 small apples in 1/4′s place on rack in pan around breast

- Add 3 cups chick broth to bottom of pan

- Cover with foil

- Place on top baking rake and bake at 335 degrees (F) for 1 hour

- Baste with broth from the bottom of the pan

- Place back in oven on bottom rack and continue cooking for another 1/2 hour or till middle of breast reaches 170-175 degrees (F)

- Remove let sit 15mins

- Slice and enjoy the best wild turkey breast you’ve ever eaten!

I don’t usually don’t blog about food but on the day dedicated to food I thought I would share our meal and the wild turkey recipe that exceeded all expectations… Also, I suppose that it was a somewhat sustainable meal being wild turkey and mostly local & organic ingredients.

On the menu:

• - Wild Iowa Turkey Breast
  - Organic mashed potatoes with local green chile
  - Organic sweet potato jewels
  - Organic tasty green bean casserole
  - Sourdough bread dressing with local and organic celery, apples, and onions
  - Fresh cranberry sauce
  - Parker house dinner rolls from scratch
  - Pecan pie from scratch (including the crust)
  - Pumpkin pie (real pumpkin) from scratch (including the crust)
  - Charles Shaw Wines