This Thanksgiving was a true blessing, especially in a time of turbulence. Across the United States, citizens were impacted by the government using the poor and underprivileged as pawns on a chessboard. However, the American people found ways to support the poor by donating to food lockers and other points of distribution. I'd like to thank Mather Market Basket for their generous donation of a Thanksgiving turkey and a top box of fresh produce. Now I belong to this community for older adults.
Ingredients
(16 ounce) package fresh collard greens, mustard, turnip greens chopped, lbs ham steaks, chopped, tablespoons hot sauce, tablespoons bacon grease, medium onions, chopped, garlic cloves, minced, celery, red pepper, (14 1/2 ounce) cans chicken broth (you can use your own stock if you'd like), cups water, tablespoon white vinegar, teaspoon salt. The trick is to let the greens simmer until tender but not overcooked. For non-pork eaters, you can put your smoked turkey, olive oil, and season to taste with veggies and broth.
Glazed ham is one of the easiest holiday main dishes to make. You’re starting with a baked or smoked ham, which is already cooked, so the hard work is done. And the ham glaze couldn’t be simpler or any more delicious. For this recipe, you’ll gently warm the ham in the oven, then crank up the heat and brush on the glaze so it turns sticky, shiny, and caramelized. It’s an easy process, and your guests will be so impressed. Make the glaze: While the ham bakes, combine ¼ cup of apple juice with the brown sugar, honey, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, vinegar, pepper, and allspice in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook until syrupy, 5 to 8 minutes. As it simmers, stay close and lower the heat if the mixture begins to bubble up to close to the top of the saucepan.
Glaze the ham: When the ham reaches 115°F (46°C), increase the oven temperature to 375°F (190°C). Brush the ham generously with glaze and roast, uncovered, for 40 minutes, brushing with more glaze every 10 minutes.
Grandma's Cornbread Dressing
1 cup self-rising cornmeal, I used Goya Harina de Maiz, finely ground, 1/2 cup self-rising flour, I used all-purpose bleached flour, 3/4 cup evaporated milk, 2 eggs, 2 tablespoons Vegetable oil
Dressing Ingredients
8 tablespoons butter (1 stick)
3 medium onions, chopped
4 stalks of celery, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons dried sage
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
3 pieces of toast, crumbled
1/2 cup milk
3 eggs, lightly beaten
2 to 2 1/2 cups chicken stock or broth
2 tablespoons butter
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. In a medium bowl, stir together all ingredients for cornbread. Pour into a
lightly greased 9-inch cast-iron pan or a 9-inch baking pan. Bake for 20 to 25
minutes. Before using, crumble it into small pieces.
3. Heat butter over medium heat in a large pan. Add celery and onion, and cook
until they are soft.
4. Add sage, poultry seasoning, salt, and pepper to the onion mixture.
5. In a large bowl, combine crumbled cornbread and toast.
6. Whisk together milk and eggs and add to the bowl. Could you stir in 2 cups
of chicken broth?
7. Stir in the onion mixture. The mixture should be very moist. Please add more
broth if needed.
8. Transfer to a greased baking dish. Cut butter into tiny slivers and scatter
on top of the dressing.
9. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until it turns light brown on top.
Recipe Notes
Note: The cornbread should be made a day or two in advance. And the veggies
should be cut up in advance, so all you have to do is combine all ingredients
and put them into the oven on Thanksgiving morning.
Recipe Notes for Cured Olives Lye Bath: By Tracy Ariza, DDS, November 13, 2021
Water-cured olives are generally smashed or sliced before soaking in water to reduce the cure time. (It still generally takes around a week to remove the bitterness.) Whole olives would take much, much longer. By curing the olives in lye, the cure time for whole olives is greatly reduced. Lye curing is also more effective at removing bitterness. Lye cures some of them, and water or salt cures the rest of the olives.
Ingredients
To make lye-cured olives, you’ll need a batch of green ripe olives. You’ll also need some lye (also known as caustic soda, sodium hydroxide, or NaOH). While some people successfully cure their olives with lye found in the cleaning section and sold as drain cleaner, I prefer to use food-grade lye. (If you do use lye from the cleaning section, make sure that it only includes lye and no other chemical additives.) Apart from the lye and the olives, you’ll need some filtered (unchlorinated) water. You’ll also need some salt for brining the olives after curing them in lye. This will add flavor and will help preserve the olives.
For added flavor, you can optionally add some herbs, spices, garlic, and/or vinegar. You should also have some olive oil on hand to pour over the surface of the brined olives to keep them from being exposed to air. (This will prevent mold formation.)
