Here we are again. The end of November and time for the holidays to kick in. I love Thanksgiving. You don’t need to buy presents. You get to spend time in the kitchen. And, if you’re lucky, you’re surrounded by people you love, or possibly even like.
We asked listeners to send in their Thanksgiving questions, and we are so grateful for all the terrific queries. What follows are answers to many of those questions with links to past Thanksgiving shows and a top five (or is it six?) tips for a smooth, stress-free, delicious holiday. Plus, a new fall salad that would be ideal as a starter or as part of the Thanksgiving meal.
5 tips to creating a better, less stressful Thanksgiving:
Oven prep 101: Smoke is a drag. Starting with a clean oven will make your day of cooking so much more pleasant.
Make sure the oven temperature is accurate so you don’t end up with a raw bird and a house full of hungry people. Buy an oven thermometer — they are not expensive — to make sure the oven is accurate and adjust accordingly.
Get organized: Do as much as possible ahead of the big day. Make pie dough on Tuesday. Make cranberry sauce. Defrost the bird if frozen. Brine if that’s your thing. Start a turkey stock using the neck and gizzard, onion, celery, salt and peppercorns so you can make gravy that tastes amazing! Make salad dressing ahead of time. And set the table the night before. Free up as much time on Thanksgiving Day as possible.
Special diets: The more dishes you have, the less you have to worry about special diets. If one of your guests is on a particular diet — strictly vegan, Celiac disease and/or gluten free, hates peppers, can’t eat dairy — ask them to bring a dish they can eat and will love. You can’t worry about pleasing everyone. That said, it’s not that hard to make one or two special dishes that will be enjoyed by all.
Oven time: Your turkey will be in the oven for many hours. That means that all your side dishes, bread, rolls, pies, etc, can’t be heated or cooked in the oven until the turkey comes out. Make sure you have dishes that can be reheated or cooked on the stove top. Make pies the night ahead of time so that you can free up oven time for that all-important bird.
Have fun: This is a day of getting together with friends and family, not a day to show off how perfect your life is, how clean your house can be, and what an amazing cook you are. (Those things would all be nice, but they come with a whole lot of stress!) Relax. Enjoy the cooking. This is not a chore but a privilege to share food with your people. Don’t be hesitant to ask for help. Give people a job. If someone offers to do dishes, let them. If someone wants to bring a dish or a pie, say yes. Make this as stress-free and simple as you need.
P.S. (Tip #6) Don’t throw out the turkey carcass: It’s going to be the base of an amazing soup!
Arugula and salad greens with roasted maple squash, dates, and persimmons with a mustard-maple syrup vinaigrette
This hearty fall salad would be an ideal first course or one of many courses for your holiday dinners. Roast the squash a day ahead of time, clean the arugula and make the dressing. The salad will take no time to put together on Thanksgiving Day. This salad can easily be doubled or tripled to serve a crowd.
Ingredients
The maple squash:
- One 1-pound delicata or butternut squash (if using delicata, wash and cut lengthwise, seed and core, and cut into thin slices about 1 inch; if using butternut, peel, cut lengthwise, seed and core, and cut into 1-inch chunks)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Salt and pepper
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
The mustard-maple vinaigrette:
- 1½ teaspoons Dijon-style mustard
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 2½ tablespoons white wine or cider vinegar
- 4 to 5 tablespoons olive oil
The salad:
- 1 cup arugula greens
- 2 cups mixed greens or head lettuce, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1 to 2 ripe Fuyu persimmons, peeled and cut crosswise into thin slices, or 2 oranges or tangerines, cut into thin slices and pitted
- 6 dried dates, pitted and cut into quarters or halves, depending on size
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place the squash on a cookie sheet or a baking tin with shallow sides and toss gently with the oil, salt, pepper and maple syrup. Roast for about 15 minutes, or until the squash is tender when tested with a fork or small, sharp knife and the maple syrup has caramelized and is bubbling. Remove and cool to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate if making a day ahead of time. Bring the squash to room temperature before assembling the salad.
- Make the dressing: in a small jar or bowl, mix the mustard, salt, pepper, and maple syrup. Whisk in the vinegar and then the oil. Taste for seasoning. Can be made 3 days ahead of time and covered and refrigerated.
- Assemble the salad: arrange the arugula and salad greens on a serving platter or bowl. Arrange the roasted squash around the outside edges of the greens and place the persimmon or orange (or tangerine) slices down the middle. Scatter the dates on top of it all. Serve with the vinaigrette on the side. Serves 4.
More frequently asked Thanksgiving questions, answered:
- Can you help me out? I need new side dishes!
- My son is vegan. What should I do? Try vegan jeweled rice.
- Turkey master recipe and do and don’t tips
- What can I serve as a first course?
- More side dish ideas, and my “famed” cranberry sauce
- How do I take the stress out of the holiday?
- Something on the sweeter side? Pie crust; cranberry sauce with orange, ginger, pineapple and pecans; creamed spinach with yogurt and nutmeg; and orange-scented mashed sweet potatoes.
- There are only a few of us this year. How do I downsize a Thanksgiving feast?
- What should I bake for dessert?
This article was originally published on WBUR.org.
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