Rustic Thanksgiving Recipes
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Turkey, Stuffing, Potatoes, Cranberries
Day before
Pick up fresh turkey from Rakowski farms. Rinse turkey, then salt. Separate wings from the rest of the turkey. Wrap body and wings separately in plastic.
Make Cranberry sauce with 2 lbs fresh local cranberries, cinnamon, ground nutmeg, and ground cloves. Put all ingredients in pan and boil until berries pop. Sweeten to taste with local raw honey. Put in 2 pint jars.
Pack car with 3 cast iron pans, plates, silverware, glasses, knives, cutting board, candles, hot gloves, turkey, potatoes, cranberry sauce, celery, sourdough baguette, garlic, wine, fresh thyme, fresh rosemary, sea salt, peppercorns, pepper mill, sleeping bags, and warm clothes.
Drive 4 hours north through a snow storm to Wilderness State Park. Get the key from the park headquarters and drive to the Big Stone Bay Cabin. Keep fire stoked.
Thanksgiving Day
Put turkey in a large cast iron pan. Put pan on a pizza stone on top of the wood stove for 4-6 hours. Put logs on the fire and play some chess.
Make stuffing with chopped celery, garlic, thyme, rosemary, gizzards of turkey, and sourdough baguette pieces. Mix together in large bowl with a cup of wine and add plenty of salt and pepper. Put in smaller cast iron pan and put turkey wings on top. Put on stove next to turkey and cook for 3-5 hours. Put logs on the fire and play some music.
Poke whole red potatoes with a fork and put in the other cast iron pan with thyme, rosemary, pepper, salt, and olive oil. Put on stove next to the turkey and stuffing. Cook for 2-4 hours. Put logs on the fire and take a long walk in the snow.
When turkey is falling apart remove the pan from the stove and put slices on a plate. Put stuffing in a bowl and put potatoes on a platter. Serve with cranberry sauce and Michigan Pinot Gris from Longview winery. ENJOY!
