On Thursday, January 31st,
1957, the Parliament of Canada proclaimed:
A
Day of General Thanksgiving to Almighty God for the bountiful
harvest
with which Canada has been blessed – to be observed on
the
2nd Monday in October.
Many in Canada say that Thanksgiving is
only really an American holiday, that we are simply copying them.
Yet the history of Thanksgiving in Canada can be traced back to the
1578 voyage of Martin Frobisher from England (from Wikipedia).
Although Thanksgiving Day had been celebrated as a civic holiday
since 1872, it wasn't till 1879 that Thanksgiving Day was observed
every year. In 1957 the chopping and changing ended by proclamation
and fixed to the second Monday in October.
At the end of the day (sorry for the
cliche here), whether it is simply a paid day off work or truly a
celebration of what harvest one has reaped through the past year, it
is a celebration of food. Now when talking about food most associate
turkey, pumpkin and cranberries with a Thanksgiving feast. Turkeys
today can be bought pre-cooked but most prefer to toil the hours
basting and nursing that big bird.
Toiling the hours, that's not for me, the
big or medium sized bird well that I do like. My version for a 12-14
pound turkey takes about 60 to 70 minutes. I tell you no lie, it is
not a fantasy.
First of all I put the turkey into a big
pot with carrots, onions and seasoning. I bring the mini beast to a
boil and then boil away for approximately 30 minutes. The boiling is
not to cook the bird but to loosen the flesh, make it relax for the
next step as it is going to get hotter. Step two, preheat your BBQ
to approximately 400 degrees. Place the turkey into a roasting pan
with some olive oil and a ladle or two of the stock. Now turn down
the middle burners to extreme low and place the turkey in.
After about 20 minutes turn the turkey
over once, then again after another 20 minutes. The bird should be
done after 40-50 minutes in the BBQ. Its skin crisp and the flesh
moist and tender. Try it, many have, and not only for Thanksgiving.
On a personal note I thank every day for
my precious wife and partner, and for the three glorious children who
I am so very proud of. I guess they have contributed to my passion
for life and for the fuel we all need.
Now that you have mastered the bird you
have more time to play with taste and aromas. Try these alternatives
to the regular pumpkin. I promise you the taste explosion will be
worth it in the end.
Moroccan Pumpkin & Sweet Potato
Stew
60 g (2 oz) butter
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp tumeric
1 cinnamon stick
1/2 tsp harissa paste or cayenne pepper
2 cup chicken stock
1/2 tsp saffron thread
600 g (1 lb 5 oz) butternut pumpkin
500 g (1 lb 2 oz) sweet potato
1/2 cup raisins
1 tbsp honey
Melt the butter over low heat.
Add onion & cook till softened.
Add garlic, turmeric, cinnamon stick and
harissa.
Stir over low heat for 2 minutes or until
fragrant.
Pour in stock, saffron, increase heat to
medium and bring to a boil.
Add pumpkin, sweet potato, raisins and
honey, season with salt and black pepper.
Cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until
vegetables are tender.
Remove cinnamon stick before serving.
(Serves 4-6)
Harissa
5 oz (12 g) dried red chillies, stems
removed
1 tbsp dried mint
1 tbsp coriander
1 tbsp cumin
1 tsp caraway seeds
10 garlic cloves, chopped finely
125 ml (1/2 cup) olive oil
Roughly chop the chillies, then cover
with boiling water and soak for 1 hour.
Drain the chillies, put them in a food
processor, add mint, spices, garlic, 1 tbsp oil and 1/2 tsp salt.
Process for 20 seconds, scrape the sides
and process another 30 seconds.
With motor running gradually add the
balance of olive oil scraping when necessary.
Spoon chilli paste into clean jar, cover
with thin layer of olive oil and seal.
Harissa will keep in the fridge for up to
6 months.
Spiced Lentils with Pumpkin
275 (1 1/2 cups) green lentils
2 tomatoes
600 g (1 lb 5 oz) butternut squash
3 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp tumeric
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper or 1 tsp harissa
1 tsp paprika
3 tsp superfine sugar
1 tbsp Italian parsley
1 tbsp cilantro
Clean and prepare lentils, place in
saucepan, add 4 cups of water, bring to a boil
and simmer for 20 minutes.
Now halve tomatoes crossways, squeeze out
the seeds and grate coarsely into a bowl to the skin, discard the
skins, then set aside.
Peel and cube pumpkin, then set aside.
Heat olive oil in large saucepan, cook
onion till softened.
Add garlic, heat for a few seconds.
Add cumin, turmeric and cayenne or
harissa.
Cook for 30 seconds then add paprika,
grated tomato, tomato paste, sugar, 1/2 parsley and cilantro, 1 tsp
salt and black pepper.
Add lentils and pumpkin, stir well and
simmer for 20 minutes or until lentils and pumpkin are tender.
(Serves 4-6)
Pumpkin Puree
1 tsp pepper ground
1 pie pumpkin
6 shallots
2 small yellow tomatoes
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
2 tsp rum or brandy (optional)
1 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup white wine
1 cup 10% cream
sour cream to garnish
Peel, clean and chop pumpkin. Place into
a pot with water, boil till very tender.
Drain and set aside in pot.
Saute chopped shallots and tomato, drain
off excess oil and place over top of cooked pumpkin.
Combine cinnamon and nutmeg and mash all
ingredients together.
Now add rum, chicken broth and white wine
and mix the whole mixture well.
Place pot over medium heat and bring to a
boil stirring regularly.
Add cream and combine well.
The final consistency is thicker than
soup but the flavours of Fall truly find a joyful expression.
Garnish with a dollop of sour cream
and a cinnamon stick
(Serves 6-8)
