Happy Thanksgiving

 

 

This is my first Thanksgiving without my mother. 
Aside from losing, God Forbid, my children or spouse, I couldn't have imagined pain like this.
Since she cooked, cleaned, and took care of us- it is a journey cooking today for this holiday. It travels into our life together, as well as a realization that I only know a bit of how she cooked. 
Today I tried to make her cornbread, pumpkin pies, and pie crust, pecan pie, her quiche, and make cranberry-orange relish. So far everything has turned out great, but I interpret that as her looking in on me. I was totally alone most of the day-so I had a lot of time to think about Mom, of all our hours sitting together at the table as we were cooking.
Tonight watching Field of Dreams I've had time to cry about it.
While a pecan pie cooks- I'm thinking of this salad I chopped up a bit ago.  The recipe will follow this. In truth no matter how small you chop this salad- you will fail. Fail to get it the way Mom and Ferne made it. They were such wonderful ladies. Like in Field of Dreams I see them playing bridge in their lovely dresses. Slim and charming. Mom and my father divorced- but this salad is from the days when I thought they loved one another and we were a family above all else. When they cooked together it felt like security. I taste my work today to go back in  my time capsule. They'd make this up for Thanksgiving and Christmas. It was special-Dad would shell out mixed nuts and together they'd chop. You can't short cut this particular recipe. No processors or choppers. You cut pieces so small, not much bigger than a 1/2 cm, these perfect little chopped pieces, and use Red Delicious crisp apples and the best celery you can find. I get mine right out of the field where we live. You'll discover pieces of it all over counters and floors for awhile.
Every time I make this I think my mother would be disappointed in pieces too big and tell me so-but by reminding me how finely Ferne could chop it. A round about. I can't chop with the patience of those dear women. I realize almost every recipe my Mom collected and made is defined by being time consuming and requiring skill and incredible patience.  No shortcuts. 

 Ever think you'd give about anything to see someone again?
 
Ferne Vincent's very remarkable Fruit Salad

This is a very unusual fruit and nut salad. In a way it's a lot of work.
But I can't imagine not making this for Thanksgiving. It improves turkey. I think the recipe came to my mom in about 1968 or so. From Ferne Vincent a dear friend.

3 red delicious apples (skin on)
4 stalks celery
a bag of mixed nuts unshelled which you shell (brazil, hazelnut, almonds, walnuts, pecans)
1 can crushed pineapple, in syrup drained
1 large can apricots in syrup
wedge of cabbage
1/2 cup sugar

So the secret is cutting so fine.

Cut very fine the stalks of celery so that the pieces are like smaller than a 1/2 centimeter. Very fine, but not mush. You do this by hand, no food processor or chopper. In a large bowl. Then cut up the apples the same. Add the mixed nuts, about a cup chopped so fine, again I do this by hand. Drain pineapple, add ( you'll never know it's in there) and add the apricots drained too and sugar. Then I add a pretty fair sized wedge of cabbage chopping it so fine. Mix. Refridge a good while (I make it night before) and serve.

In a way it reminds me of a relish or chutney.
But it's utterly delicious especially with a Thanksgiving fair and pretty good for you.
well.....

Happy Thanksgiving!