Sponsored by:
Downtown Bloomington Association, with support from the McLean County Arts Center,
the Illinois Arts Council, a state agency, and the City of Bloomington

Wilted Radicchio & Apple Salad with Hot Bacon Dressing 

Celery Root and Apple Soup

Butternut Squash Bisque

Classic Stuffing

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Buttered Brussels Sprouts and Chestnuts

Rutabaga Puree with Cardamom and Thyme

Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes

Cranberry Relish

Picture-Perfect Roasted Turkey with Gravy

Fresh Pumpkin Pie

Celery Root and Apple Soup (from Chef Narss Lapinid's 2008 Thanksgiving Market Cooking Demo)
Serves 6

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
4 cups 1/2-inch cubes peeled celery root (from one 1 1/4-pound celery root)
3 cups 1/2-inch cubes peeled cored tart apples (from about 2 medium)
1 1/2 cups chopped onion (about 1 large)
4 cups (or more) low-salt chicken broth
1/2 cup chopped fresh chives
1/2 cup grapeseed oil
Pinch of salt
3 ounces bacon

Melt butter in heavy large pot over medium heat. Add celery root, apples, and onion. Cook until apples and some of celery root are translucent (do not brown), stirring often, about 15 minutes. Add 4 cups broth. Cover and bring to simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer covered until celery root and apples are soft, stirring occasionally, about 25 minutes. Remove from heat; cool slightly.

Working in batches, puree soup in blender until smooth, adding more broth by 1/4 cupfuls to thin to desired consistency. Return soup to pot. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Refrigerate uncovered until cold, then cover and keep refrigerated.)

Puree chives, grapeseed oil, and pinch of salt in blender until smooth.  Saute bacon until it is browned and crispy. Transfer to paper towels to drain then crumble. (DO AHEAD: Chive oil and bacon can be made 2 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.)

Rewarm soup over medium heat. Divide soup among bowls. Sprinkle bacon crumbles over each serving, and drizzle each bowl with chive oil.  

2 large butternut squash, peeled and cubed

2 apples, peeled and cubed

4 cups low-sodium chicken broth

Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add dash of nutmeg or to taste. (Can be frozen at this stage.) If desired, add heavy cream and warm through.  Do not boil after adding cream.

Serves 8

6 tbl. butter

2 ribs of celery, chopped fine

1 onion, chopped fine

¼ cup fresh parsley

2 tbl. fresh sage (1 tsp. dried)

2 tbl. fresh thyme (1/2 tsp. dried)

2 tbl. fresh marjoram (1/2 tsp. dried)

1 ½ lbs fresh bread, cut into cubes and dried

2 ½ cups low-sodium chicken broth

2 eggs, beaten

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. pepper

To dry bread cubes, you can either leave them out for a day or two, or if you’re in a hurry, toast them on a cookie sheet in a 300-degree oven for 30-60 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In a large skillet, melt the butter and sauté the celery and onion until they are softened, about 10 minutes. Stir in the herbs and sauté for one minute. Transfer this mixture into a large bowl and toss with the bread, chicken broth, eggs and salt and pepper. Turn mixture into a buttered 9x13 baking dish. Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes; uncover and bake an additional 30 minutes.

Serves 8

2 lbs. fresh Brussels sprouts

¼ cup olive oil

1 tsp. Kosher salt

½ tsp. pepper

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Toss all of the ingredients until combined. Spread on a rimmed baking sheet and roast in the oven until lightly browned on the edges and tender, about 30-35 minutes, shaking the pan to stir occasionally.

Buttered Brussels Sprouts and Chestnuts (from Chef Narss Lapinid's 2008 Thanksgiving Market Cooking Demo)

Serves 6

1 1/2 pounds Brussels sprouts (about 2 pints), trimmed and cut in half
1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
5 vacuum-packed or rinsed canned whole chestnuts, chopped (available at World Gourmet Market)

In a steamer set over boiling water steam the Brussels sprouts, covered, for 7 to 8 minutes, or until they are just tender. In a skillet heat the butter over moderately high heat until it begins to color and in it sauté the chestnuts for 1 minute. Add the sprouts, season the mixture with salt and pepper, and sauté it for 1 minute.

Rutabaga Puree with Cardomom and Thyme  (from Chef Narss Lapinid's 2008 Thanksgiving Market Cooking Demo)
Serves 12

6 pounds rutabagas, peeled, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 teaspoon salt
24 whole green cardamom pods
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
Freshly ground white pepper

Place rutabagas in large pot with enough cold water to cover by 1 inch. Add salt and cardamom pods; bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover partially, and simmer until rutabagas are tender, about 25 minutes.

Drain rutabagas; discard cardamom. Working in batches, puree rutabagas in blender or food processor. Return puree to pot. Cook over medium heat until dry, stirring, about 5 minutes. Mix in sour cream and thyme. Season with salt and white pepper.

DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Spread puree in buttered baking dish. Cover; chill. Reheat in 350°F oven until heated through, about 25 minutes.

Serves 8

5 lbs. potatoes, peeled and cubed

1-8 oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened

1 cup sour cream

1 cup milk

Salt and pepper to taste

Cover potatoes with one inch of cold water and add a generous pinch of salt. Bring to a boil and simmer until tender – about 15 minutes. Drain. Mash the potatoes with the cream cheese, sour cream, milk, salt and pepper. Transfer mashed potatoes to a greased 9x13 baking dish and cover. Potatoes can be refrigerated at this point for up to two days. To reheat, bake in a 400 degree oven until hot – about 20-30 minutes.

Cranberry Relish   (Okay . . . not local -- but necessary!)

1-12 oz. package fresh cranberries
1 cup sugar
1 cup water or orange juice

Mix all ingredients together in a saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Continue to boil, stirring often, until the cranberries begin to pop – about 10 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a serving dish and cool to room temperature or chill. Can be made ahead, covered and refrigerated up to four days in advance.

Variations: Try adding some grated orange zest to the mixture before it boils. Or, stir in one diced granny smith apple and/or one orange, cut into small pieces into the mixture after it cools.

 Serves 8 with leftovers

12 lb. turkey (Note:  Do not use a pre-basted, brined, or commercially frozen and “injected” bird for this recipe – the brining process will render it far too salty. However, turkeys from the market are perfect!)

2 gallons cold water

2 cups Kosher salt

2 onions, coarsely chopped

2 carrots, coarsely chopped

2 ribs celery, coarsely chopped

2 tblsp fresh thyme (or 1 tsp. dried)

4 tbl. softened, cold butter

1 quart low sodium chicken stock

Brine the turkey: Remove the neck and giblets from the turkey cavities. Rinse the entire bird in cold running water. In a covered container large enough to hold the water and the turkey (I use a large beverage cooler – the type with a spout –  that I only use for this purpose. I can fit it in my dishwasher to sterilize it before and after use. Other options I’ve heard of include large unused 5-gallon paint containers with a lid, or even a clean Rubbermaid storage container or unused garbage can with lid). Combine the water and salt and stir until the salt is completely dissolved. Submerge the turkey in the brine, cover, and refrigerate for six to twelve hours.

Roast the turkey: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. When the brining is done, remove the turkey and rinse it very, very well under cold running water. Set the turkey on paper towels and dry it as thoroughly as possible with paper towels. Trim off any fat pockets and the tailpiece. Scatter the onions, carrots, celery and thyme in the bottom of a heavy-duty roasting pan (don’t use aluminum if you want to make delicious gravy – and you do want to make delicious gravy). You can also add the turkey neck, roughly chopped, and the giblets in with the vegetables if you wish. Set a V-rack in the roasting pan and place the turkey, breast side up, in the V-rack. Next, rub the cold butter all over the skin of the turkey, covering it well. Tie the turkey legs together with butcher’s string and tuck the wings underneath the bird. To start, pour about a cup of chicken stock into the pan, keeping an eye on it and adding more if it evaporates as it bakes. Doing this will ensure your gravy won’t burn.

Roast the turkey for one hour. Take the turkey out of the oven and reduce the temperature to 325. Baste the bird with the hot liquid in the bottom of the pan, adding more chicken stock as necessary. Return the pan to the oven and roast, basting occasionally, for an additional hour or more, until the internal temperature of the thigh registers 175 degrees.

Take the turkey out of the oven, and gently tip it so that any juices in the cavity run into the bottom of the pan. Remove the turkey to a cutting board, tent with foil, and let it rest for at least 30 minutes before carving.

Turkey Gravy

1 quart low-sodium chicken broth

4 tblsp. fat reserved from the turkey drippings (or 4 tblsp. butter)

½ cup flour

½ cup dry white wine

2 thyme sprigs (or ¼ tsp. dried)

After the turkey has been removed from the roasting pan, carefully empty the vegetables and drippings from the bottom of the roasting pan into a sieve placed over a large bowl or measuring cup. Press on the vegetables to strain out any liquid. Set aside to cool slightly, and skim the fat from the top, setting aside. Add chicken broth to the drippings to make six cups of liquid total.

Place the now-empty roasting pan over two stove burners set over medium heat. Add the reserved fat and or butter to equal four tablespoons and melt. Add the flour and whisk for about five minutes, until it’s a deep golden brown. Slowly pour in the wine and stir, scraping up any browned bits on the bottom of the roasting pan. Add the chicken broth slowly and whisk. Stir often as the gravy comes up to a simmer.

Simmer gently for about 20 minutes until the gravy is thick.