My father and his friend Mo had asked to come over to watch a Seahawks football game with us this season, and today was the best day due to us being busy with my work and Tom’s hunting. So I ambitiously decided to make it a farm feast as well. The goal was to have every dishes’ main ingredient being from our farm. It didn’t quite work out as I couldn’t see up having this meal without rolls and potatoes but justified it by having farm jam and gravy. My other goal was to have the entire meal be dairy and wheat free for my father. This didn’t entirely work out either as we didn’t have enough rolls and potatoes for everyone (as Tom’s son and his friend came as well) and had to get more that weren’t.
So this was a three day preparation. Friday I made Green Tomato Jam using our leftover green tomatoes.
I also tried to make crabapple chutney. I made it, but our crabapples were too old and their skins were inedible. So the chickens enjoyed it.
But I also shelled and winnowed some of our flint corn. Then I ground it with our coffee grinder to make corn meal. This was to make Savory Cornbread Stuffing.
Here is the cornbread I made on Saturday also using some of our eggs. I then made the stuffing using our sage and thyme.
On Friday I also got the turkey ready. I used the Dry-Cured Rosemary Turkey recipe. I had been thawing our 26# bird since the prior Sunday. But now ground herbs and spices and covered the turkey in and out with them, Then the turkey sat in the fridge again in these spices. I later added our rosemary just before roasting it.
Next on Saturday I made Dairy-Free Pumpkin Pie, using our pumpkin puree and eggs.
I was wondering how I was going to keep all of the food I was preparing chilled with a large turkey taking up so much room in our refrigerator. It is cool out, but I didn’t want any critters to have access. So I shut the laundry room door and opened its window to have a chilled room in our house to store our food. I thought it was ingenious.
This morning at 6:30 the turkey went into the oven.
Then I went out to do the animal chores. I saw something I have never seen before, a fog bank on our farm. I was outside of it, but it was very close. The photos do not do it justice.
In my head, Here Comes the Sun was playing while the sun started coming up behind the hill.
Here are the cows, waiting for their hay with frost on their backs.
Then it was major feast preparations. Here are the farm raised beverages: elderberry wine, turnip wine and hard apple cider.
Here is a fruit salad I made from our canned peaches and pears, our ex-frozen blueberries and our fresh Asian pears.
Here is the Slow-Baked Quince with Honey and Cognac. I used our quince and dried blueberries.
Here is the Green Tomato Jam, dairy free butter and homemade strawberry jam (not from the farm but in case people didn’t like the tomato jam).
Next is the Gluten Free Dairy Free Green Bean Casserole. I used our ex-frozen green beans. I was able to purchase some GF French Fried Onions, and I bought some DF Creamy Portobello soup and condensed it by boiling it down the day before.
Here is the cornbread stuffing all ready
I baked some of our squash with chopped figs, walnut and some maple syrup from our trees.
And here is the turkey out of the oven. It turned out really well!
I made some mashed rutabagas.
I made some turkey gravy from broth I had previously made.
And here is some of the food laid out on the table for serving.
And here is my plate on a TV tray.
I thought it was all really good. And everyone else seemed to like it as well. We watched the game. Unfortunately the Seahawks lost, but I think a good time was had by all despite that.
Very ambitious and it looks like a complete success! I do hope your guests truly appreciated your efforts.
Thanks Michelle! I think they did.