Our Tradition to Kick off the Christmas Season
Last evening J1, J2, Boo, The Frenchman, Sister #3, SUM, Jon Boy and Dona, joined D and I to cater the annual Christmas dinner for the volunteers of a local charity which we hold near and dear to our hearts. D shops and roasts turkeys for the entire week and Sister #3 and Dona had just put on the Winnipeg Harvest Volunteer Dinner the day before, serving 150! It was the 20th year that Sister #3 had worked on that dinner.
We began by serving Kale, Brussels Sprout, Cranberry Power Slaw in a Poppyseed Dressing, family style to the tables with an assortment of freshly baked Harvest Bakery Buns. Then we set up a food station to serve the volunteers their turkey dinner. D has been catering this dinner for 17 years and somehow manages to make it fresh, new and delicious for the attendees. This year’s menu included:
Mashed Red Skin-on Potatoes
“Jerusalem” Sweet Potatoes with figs (recipe included in this link).
Wild Rice & Quinoa Harvest Stuffing
- ¼ cup unsalted butter
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 apple, cored, peeled & chopped
- 200g package Floating Leaf Wild Rice & Quinoa Harvest Stuffing
- 1 Floating Leaf vegetable package (included)
- 1 Floating Leaf cranberry package (included)
- 1½ cups broth or water
- 2 cups cubed cornbread
- 2 tsp pine nuts (optional)
- salt & pepper
- Preheat oven to 350 F.
- Melt unsalted butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add onions, garlic & apple, and sauté 4 - 6 minutes, stirring often.
- Add Floating Leaf Wild Rice & Quinoa Harvest Stuffing, Floating Leaf vegetable package, Floating Leaf cranberry package, and 1½ cups broth or water. Bring to boil, cover and reduce heat to medium and cook for 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, spread cubed cornbread on a baking sheet and bake in oven for 15 -20 minutes until crisp & golden.
- When Floating Leaf Wild Rice & Quinoa Harvest Stuffing is cooked, add the cornbread and mix well.
- Butter a 9x13 baking dish.
- Place stuffing in prepared dish, top with pine nuts, season with salt & pepper, then cover with foil & bake in preheated oven for 30 mins.
Green Beans tossed with Roasted Almonds and Red Pepper
and of course turkey, gravy and cranberry sauce which you can see by this plate, isn’t necessarily the star of the show.
Desert was Pineapple Upside Down Cake with Pineapple Rum Glaze but I was too busy eating mine to remember to take a picture of it.
Our favourite portion of the evening is when the assembly invites us to join them for taper lighting and the singing of Silent Night. Last evening there was a profound silence before we blew out the candles-a time to contemplate the real reason for the season.
Kath’s quote: “I am going to church, Watson. I believe such attendance was a prominent element of the Christmas season before the giving of gifts and the consumption of certain fowl became de rigueur?”
-Sherlock Holmes, by J.N. Williamson
Love-that is all.
