Dan's Papers - November 16, 2007 - Silvia Lehrer's Cooking Column

On Thanksgiving, side dishes, while significant, usually fall into familiar categories, Aunt Sally's spiced sweet potato pie, grandma's sausage stuffing and cousin Bessie's cranberry relish. If one is preparing the entire meal there are too many dishes to coordinate, not enough oven space and too many people underfoot. A niece, who lives up Island, chose to have several extended family members for Thanksgiving dinner this year. I suspect the family knew I would be happy to contribute - what I like to refer to as - Thanksgiving trimmings.

Save for the sweet potato pie - for the expanded number of 24, I will prepare cranberry compote with currant sauce and a simpler cranberry mold for the less adventurous. I'll augment my mother's classic bread, onion, and mushroom stuffing with sautéed carrot, celery and fennel. I salivate at the thought of this moist and satisfying stuffing heady with lots of fresh herbs while remembering the source. Inspired by the wealth of farm-fresh root vegetables at this time of the year I will prepare a colorful vegetable roast for my moveable feast.

There will be an abundance of riches at our Thanksgiving table, not just from the food but also from the comfort of the family gathered around.

MOLDED CRANBERRY CURRANT SAUCE
Prepare up to one week ahead. Unmold and serve.
Yield: 3 cups

1 12-ounce package fresh cranberries
1/2 cup currants
1/2 cup orange juice
1 cup sugar
4 tablespoons red currant preserves
1/2 cup water
Grated peel of 1 orange
1/2 cup coarsely chopped pecans
Watercress (washed and spin-dried) for garnish

1. Place cranberries in a large sieve, sort out any soft berries and stems and rinse in cold water.
2. Soak currants in orange juice, about 8-10 minutes, to plump them.
3. Combine cranberries, sugar, currant preserves, water, currants and orange juice in a saucepan. Bring mixture to a boil watching carefully that the mixture doesn't boil over. Then reduce heat to a bare simmer for 25-30 minutes, stirring occasionally until mixture thickens.
4. Remove from heat and stir in orange peel and pecans. Pour into a 4-cup mold or medium bowl. Cover and refrigerate overnight or until set.
5. To unmold, run a kitchen knife around the inside of the mold then wrap a hot damp towel around the base to loosen. Place a serving dish over the top of the mold and invert. Circle the mold with watercress.

VEGETABLE STUFFING WITH CARAMELIZED ONION
There are no surprises in my mother's hand-me-down recipe. Just good old-fashioned flavor.
Yield: 8-10 cups

7-8 cups day-old bread cubes from day-old challah or crusty, French or Italian loaf
1 1/4 -1/2 cups water
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil
4 onions, thinly sliced
1 large carrot, trimmed and cut into 1/4-inch dice
3 ribs celery, trimmed, well washed and thinly sliced
1 fennel bulb, trimmed and cut into 1/4-inch dice
Coarse (kosher) salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 pound mushrooms, button, shitake or mixed, rinsed, trimmed and sliced
1 large clove garlic, finely chopped
1/2 cup chopped flat-leaf Italian parsley
2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage leaves
1 1/2 tablespoons snipped fresh chives
1 egg, beaten with 1/2 cup chicken stock

1. Put the bread cubes in a large mixing bowl and pour over the water. Reach under the bread with clean hands and lift the bread in the liquid to moisten all the cubes. Set aside.
2. Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons each of olive and vegetable oil in a large, 12-inch skillet, and put in the onions. Sauté for 3-4 minutes and add carrot, celery and fennel, and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until vegetables are lightly caramelized, about 12-15 minutes. Transfer to a side dish to cool.
3. In the same skillet the vegetables cooked in heat remaining tablespoon oil with the butter and put in the mushrooms. Sauté mushrooms for a minute or two and add the garlic. Season with salt and pepper and continue to cook, tossing the ingredients for 3-4 minutes more. Let cool.
4. Add the vegetables, mushrooms, parsley and sage to the moistened bread and toss to mix. Stir in the beaten egg and stock and mix until ingredients are thoroughly incorporated. Can be prepared up to two days ahead to this point. Transfer to a buttered 2-quart baking dish or covered casserole. Refrigerate covered, if doing ahead.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
5. Bring to room temperature, if refrigerated. When ready to bake uncover and bake in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes until heated through and golden brown.

1 large rutabaga
1 bunch baby carrots
2 parsnips
2 turnips
2 fennel bulbs
2 leeks
1 bag pearl onions, blanched and peeled
10-12 garlic cloves, unpeeled
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Coarse (kosher) salt and freshly ground pepper
2-3 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves

1.Trim and peel the first four vegetables. Cut each into equal size pieces, about one-inch. Discard fennel branches and core and cut lengthwise into 1/2-inch slices. Rinse and pat dry as necessary. Discard any outer bruised and dark green leaves of leek. Cut leek in half lengthwise and rinse under cold water to rid any sand and grit. Pat leek dry and slice thinly.
2. Meanwhile place the pearl onions in salted boiling water for 3 minutes. Drain; and when cool enough to handle slip off their skins. 3. Warm oil in a large 12-inch Dutch sauté pan over medium heat until it slides easily across the pan. Put in the vegetables with the onions and garlic and cook, turning frequently, until they begin to color slightly, about 10 minutes. Season with salt, pepper and thyme and toss to mix. Can be done ahead to this point.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
4. Transfer the vegetables to a roasting pan evenly layered. Place a tent of parchment paper over the vegetables and roast for 20 minutes. Remove and discard cover and toss the vegetables in the pan. Continue roasting for 20 - 25 minutes longer until vegetables are tender and golden brown.