If the Pilgrims Only Knew

I have several problems with turkeys. First and foremost, they are ugly. I'm not talking about just plain ugly. I mean, it's a wonder that we can get them to reproduce they're so ugly. Until this summer, this was a fact that I had conveniently forgotten. You see, it had been a good number of years since I had seen a turkey up-close-and-personal-like except for those wrapped in plastic in the grocer's freezer or neatly sliced in the deli case waiting to be slapped between two pieces of bread with a little mayo, lettuce, and tomato. Even though I still live in a relatively rural area, the main agricultural products are pumpkins, brussel sprouts, artichokes, and flowers. The likelihood of me running across a turkey "in the feather", so to speak, is rather nil.

However, we went to the County Fair this year. And someplace between consuming mass quantities of corndogs and my husband spending more money than I want to think about trying to win cheap stuffed animals that I didn't want, we wandered into the 4-H section. Low and behold, there were turkeys. Not just a couple, but row after row of birds that were all big breasted, scrawny legged, and whose only color came from that funny red thing that hung over their eyes and under their beaks. It gives me the willies just thinking about it.

Secondly, it is a widely known fact (or rural rumor) that turkeys are dumb. I remember being entertained with my Mom's stories about growing up on "The Farm". It always ended with her having to go out and shoo the turkeys into the barn during rain storms. Legend had it that they would look, open-mouthed, up into the sky to find out what was dropping on them and that their throats would fill up with rainwater. If you didn't get them out of the rain, they would drown standing up.

However, the biggest problem I have with turkeys is the simple fact that no matter how small a bird you buy for Thanksgiving you always have enough leftover turkey to feed a small country. If your family is anything like mine, it was a seemingly endless series of turkey sandwiches, turkey pot pies, turkey casseroles, and turkey surprises until the week before you bought your Christmas turkey and the vicious cycle started all over again.

To give you a little help this year, here are some tried and true ways to disguise turkey leftovers.

Left-Over Turkey Soup

Stock:
1 turkey carcass
3 carrots -- quartered
1 medium turnip -- quartered
1 medium onion -- quartered
3 stalks celery -- quartered
2 whole peppercorns
1/4 teaspoon sage
2 teaspoons thyme
2 teaspoons rosemary
1 teaspoon olive oil

Soup:
2 carrot -- diced
2 stalks celery -- diced
1 medium onion -- diced
1 cup peas -- frozen & defrosted
4 medium mushrooms -- sliced 1/2" pieces
left-over turkey pieces
8 ounces egg noodles

Stock:
In a large pot, add olive oil, carrots, turnip, onion, celery, sage, thyme, and rosemary. Saute over medium heat until vegetables wilt. Add turkey carcass, include neck, wings, leg bones, etc. (except do not add giblets). Add peppercorns. Add 2 to 3 quarts of water (depends on how big of a carcass you have). Bring to a boil. Cover and reduce to a simmer. Simmer for 1 hour. Allow stock to cool. Strain through a colander lined with rinsed cheesecloth.

Soup:
To stock, add diced carrot, celery, onion, sliced mushrooms, defrosted peas, and left-over turkey pieces. Return stock to a boil. Add egg noodles. Cook until tender. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Turkey Broccoli Casserole
Serves 6.

8 ounces elbow macaroni
10 ounces broccoli pieces -- frozen & defrosted
1/4 pound ham -- cut into strips
1 pound turkey -- cooked
2 medium mushrooms -- sliced
1/2 small red onion -- diced
1/3 cup butter
1/3 cup flour
14 ounces turkey broth -- or chicken broth
1 cup cream
2 ounces swiss cheese -- shredded
2 tablespoons sherry
salt -- to taste
pepper -- to taste
1/3 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

Cook macaroni per package directions. Drain. Rinse with cold water. Place in the bottom of a greased 2 quart baking dish. Cook broccoli until fork tender. Drain and layer over macaroni. Cover with ham slices, then turkey meat, and finally, the sliced mushrooms. Melt butter in a small pot. Add diced onion. Blend in flour and cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Do not let mixture brown. Add stock and cream. Cook, stirring constantly, until smooth and thick. Add swiss cheese, sherry, salt, and pepper. Heat until cheese in melted. Pour immediately over turkey. Sprinkle with bread crumbs and parmesan cheese. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven until sauce is hot and topping is brown (about 30 minutes).