The beauty of living on the farm as we do is in having the first taste of the season’s bounty. We have to taste test to know what product we are sending out, right? I once heard a local foods proponent say that no one selling good food should be thin. I wish I believed this to be a good excuse but I will say it is hard to resist the good food we have. We are quite blessed. This years turkey is fantastic. This weekend we enjoyed a great turkey. Today for breakfast we ate some leftovers with our eggs. Now I am looking forward to the fantastic broth that will be used for turkey and noodles.
As promised, I thought I’d share my favorite turkey recipe that was adapted from a recipe given to me several years ago by my good friend Maria. It may not be standard Thanksgiving turkey but I don’t think I have ever brought it anywhere without a request for the recipe. Of course, it should be paired with the best turkey you can find by ordering one from This Old Farm.
For a 12 lb turkey (double for a larger turkey)
Blend together:
12 cloves garlic, 12 peppercorns, 1 1/2 T oregano, 7 T olive oil, 4T vinegar, 3T salt, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp onion powder
First unpack your turkey and remove the giblets from inside. Wash it with water and vinegar or lemon juice. Place your turkey in a good, deep pan and rub with the marinade from above.
Marinade for 24 hours.
Bake covered, breast down at 325 F expecting 18minutes/lb turkey. You can turn it over for the last few minutes to brown the breast. Carve and return to clean pan ladeling the juices over the top to serve.
It’s not over yet…….
My favorite part of the turkey is not the first meal but rather the turkey and noodles that follows. Put the leftover bones, after the easy to carve meat has been removed, into a crock pot, add bay leaves, peppercorns and salt and cook on low for 8 hours. Strain and use to make the best soup possible. I’m always mortified to hear someone throw out what I view to be the best part. This is the way you harvest all the nutrients stored up in the bones. Nothing can be more sustainable than utilizing everything!
Here’s to hoping your family and friends enjoy a wonderful holiday season!