END OF THE SUMMER SEASON

Although the cool of fall air hasn't quite made it to Texas yet. I don't think we will be doing any more tubing and swimming til next summer. We packed up all the floats and brought them home to store in the garage over the winter.

I brought home all the bed linens  and towels to give them a good wash.

I still intend on going up to the boat at least once a month. I have lots of comestibles for the fall/winter on board.

I want to make some sauerkraut and sausage, pumpernickel sticks with the fondue, and baked spice cake on the boat for October. I have to do a nice spiced apple cider and hot chocolate.

I am thinking of spending Thanksgiving on the boat and making Mexican Turkey in the pressure cooker. My friend made it last year and she said everyone loved it.  Here are a few recipes I want to try for Thanksgiving:

Southwestern Turkey with Garlic-Ancho Chili Paste and Gravy

Bon Appétit  | November 1994

• Serves 14

Ingredients

Paste

• 3 large heads garlic

• 3 large dried ancho chilies, rinsed, stemmed, seeded, torn into pieces
• 1/2 cup corn oil
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon honey

Turkey

• 1 17-to 18-pound turkey, neck and giblets reserved

• 2 tablespoons corn oil
• 1 1/2 pounds turkey neck or wings, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 3 celery stalks, chopped
• 1 large tomato, chopped
• 1 teaspoon whole allspice berries
• 5 cups canned low-salt chicken broth

Gravy

• 2 cups (about) canned low-salt chicken broth

• 6 tablespoons all purpose flour
• Cayenne pepper

Preparation

For paste:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Separate heads of garlic into individual cloves (do not peel). Pierce each clove once with toothpick. Scatter garlic on baking sheet; roast until tender and beginning to brown, about 25 minutes. Cool 5 minutes. Peel garlic, cutting hard tip off each clove. Pack enough garlic into 1/2-cup measuring cup to fill (about 40 cloves); reserve any remaining garlic. Blend 1/2 cup garlic in processor to form course puree.

Meanwhile, place chilies in small saucepan. Add enough water just to cover. Simmer over medium-low heat until chilies are soft and most of water evaporates, about 15 minutes. Add chili mixture, oil, cumin, and honey to garlic in processor. Puree until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. (Can be made 1 week ahead. Cover paste and garlic; chill.)

For turkey:
Pat turkey dry. Season with salt and pepper. Slide hand under skin of turkey breast to loosen skin. Spread 1/2 cup garlic-paste over breast under skin. If stuffing turkey, spoon stuffing into main cavity. Rub 2 tablespoons paste all over outside of turkey. Reserve remaining paste for gravy. Tie legs together loosely to hold shape of turkey. Place on rack set in roasting pan. (Can be done 1 day ahead if turkey is not stuffed. Chill turkey and paste separately.)

Position rack in lowest third of oven and preheat to 325°F. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in heavy large skillet over high heat. Add neck and giblets, turkey neck pieces and onion; sauté brown, about 15 minutes. Place contents of skillet around turkey in pan. Add celery, tomato, allspice and any reserved garlic to pan; pour in 2 cups broth. Roast turkey 1 hour 30 minutes. Tent turkey and entire pan loosely with heavy-duty foil. Continue to roast turkey until meat thermometer inserted into thickest part of thigh registers 180°F. or until juices run clear when thickest part of thigh is pierced with skewer, basting often with pan juices and 3 cups broth, about 1 hour 40 minutes longer for unstuffed turkey (about 2 hours 25 minutes longer for stuffed turkey). Place turkey on platter. Tent with foil; let stand at least 30 minutes. Reserve mixture in pan for gravy.

For gravy:
Using tongs, remove turkey parts from pan; discard. Pour mixture in pan into sieve set over large bowl. Press on solids in sieve to release liquid. Spoon fat from pan juices; add enough broth to juices to measure 6 cups.

Stir 1/2 cup reserved garlic-chili paste in heavy saucepan over medium-high heat until liquefied. Add flour and stir 1 minute (mixture will be very thick). Gradually add 6 cups broth mixture, whisking until smooth. Simmer until reduced to 4 1/2 cups, about 20 minutes. Season with cayenne, salt and pepper.

Serve turkey with gravy.

Smoked Chile Scalloped Sweet Potatoes

Ingredients

• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1 heaping tablespoon chipotle pepper puree
• 3 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced 1/8-inch thick
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Whisk together cream and chipotle puree until smooth.

In a 9 by 9-inch casserole dish, arrange the potatoes in even layers. Drizzle with 3 tablespoons of the cream mixture and season with salt and pepper. Repeat with the remaining potatoes, cream, and salt and pepper to form 10 layers.

Cover and bake for 30 minutes, remove cover and continue baking for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until the cream has been absorbed and the potatoes are cooked through and the top is browned.
Chorizo and Cornbread Stuffing

Ingredients

• 1 pound fresh Mexican chorizo
• 1 medium white onion, finely chopped
• 1 medium carrot, finely chopped
• 1 celery stalk, finely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 2 cups coarsely crumbled cornbread
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro, plus more for garnish (optional)
• 1/2 cup chicken stock (low-sodium store-bought is fine)
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• Grated cotija cheese, for garnish (optional)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat and cook the chorizo, breaking it up with a spoon and stirring occasionally as it cooks, until it begins to brown, about 5 minutes. Add the onion, carrot, celery and garlic to the chorizo and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables have browned, about 10 minutes. Add the crumbled cornbread and cilantro and gradually pour in enough of the stock so the stuffing is not too dry but at the same time not too wet. Stir gently and well.

Butter a small casserole dish. Spread the stuffing in an even layer. Bake until it's heated through and lightly browned on top, about 20 minutes. Serve right away, garnished with the cilantro and cotija, if desired.