A traditional 1950s Thanksgiving

11/26/14 Cook’s Corner

Betty Kaiser

Thanksgiving Hymn

We plough the fields & scatter

Matthias Claudius, circa 1790

We plough the fields, and scatter
the good seed on the land,
but it is fed and watered
by God's almighty hand;
he sends the snow in winter,
the warmth to swell the grain,
the breezes and the sunshine
and soft refreshing rain.

We thank thee then, O Father,
for all things bright and good,
the seedtime and the harvest,
our life, our health, our food.
Accept the gifts we offer
for all thy love imparts,
and what thou most desirest,
our humble, thankful hearts.

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving Day and so it seems appropriate to begin today’s column with a hymn of Thanks-giving. The above hymn is part of a longer poem in which country people sang a harvest song of devotion to God. It is as relevant today as it was when written.

Thanksgiving day at our house has always been about tradition. As a youngster, it really began on Wed. with a trip to the meat market to pick up the turkey, fresh shrimp, fruit and vegetables.

Preparing the meal was a team effort. My grandparents lived across the street. Mother and grandmother would divvy up the baking. Mother would roll out piecrust dough for two of her traditional pumpkin pies. While the pies baked she would set the dining room table with her best white linen tablecloth and holiday china, silverware and glassware.

Over at grandma’s house, she would start early to make her famous yeast rolls. While the dough was rising she would also make piecrusts and fillings for her mouth-watering apple or cherry pies.

Thanksgiving morning the cooks rose early to get the turkey ready for the oven. Wearing their most comfortable housedresses and aprons they attacked the 20-pound bird. It was fresh from the farm but it was not the clean and perfectly prepared bird that we bring home today from today’s supermarkets.

Yesterday's turkey had to be thoroughly washed in the sink and the heart, giblets, neck and gizzards removed. They were not nicely packaged in a plastic bag. They were cleaned and set to simmer on the stove to make broth for the dressing and gravy. Then, with tweezers in hand, I helped mother with the tedious task of removing the bird’s pinfeathers. It took forever!

In the meantime, grandmother was putting together the dressing. A large pan of cornbread had been baked the night before. She crumbled the cornbread into the biggest pan she could find, along with seasonings (marjoram, sage, salt and pepper) and set it aside. Then she chopped up onions and celery and sautéed them in a generous amount of butter. They were added to the cornbread along with chopped giblets and just the right amount of giblet juice.

The recipe never varied. There were no apples, cranberries, chestnuts, sausage or other fancy stuff to mute the cornbread flavor. I make a similar dressing today. However, I use canned chicken broth (not available in the 1950s) and add shredded carrots for color and moisture. Sometimes I add chopped water chestnuts but that’s about as far afield as this southern trained cook can go.

Once the dressing was prepared they stuffed the turkey (both ends!) and put it in a roasting pan. The wings were tucked under the body (didn’t want it flying away); the legs and cavities were sewed together with needle and thread to hold its shape. It was then smeared with butter and seasonings and a lid put on the roaster. It was about 9 a.m. when the bird went into the oven at 300° to cook all day.

Around 4 p.m. our traditional appetizer tray was assembled: stuffed celery (pimiento and olive cream cheese), crackers, black and green olives and tiny gherkins were set out on the table. Shrimp cocktails with a traditional diced celery base were arranged in individual serving dishes along with a dollop of chili sauce and chilled.

At the same time, potatoes were being mashed, rutabagas, parsnips (ugh) or some of other kind of vegetable were seasoned; rolls were heated and Cranberry Jell-O salad was put on top of lettuce leafed salad plates. The turkey was tested for doneness (did the drumsticks move freely?) and removed from the pan. The stuffing was spooned into a serving dish and set aside.

The pan drippings were put into another large pan for gravy along with some of the giblet juice and cooled. The grease would rise to the top and be scooped off. More liquid would be added to the broth if needed. A roux would thicken the mixture and chopped giblets added.

Voila! It was show time! Mother and grandmother would remove their aprons and smooth their hair. Grandfather would say grace and the feasting would begin.

My mother and grandmother made Libby’s Pumpkin Pie and I do too. Following is the recipe. It’s practically foolproof. FYI: Be sure and make your own crust. Use the smaller can of pumpkin for premade crusts. I replace the ginger with nutmeg.

Enjoy your traditions and have a Happy Thanksgiving!

LIBBY’S PUMPKIN PIE

(Makes 2 pies)

4 eggs, slightly beaten
1 (29 oz.) can Libby's solid pack pumpkin
1 1/2 c. sugar
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
2 (13 oz.) cans evaporated milk or 3 1/4 c. half and half
2 (9") unbaked homemade pie shells with high fluted edge

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Combine filling ingredients in order given; divide evenly into pie shells. Bake 15 minutes.

 Reduce temperature to 350 degrees and bake an additional 45 minutes or until knife inserted near center of each pie comes out clean. Cool; garnish, if desired, with whipped topping.

Yield: 2 (9") pies.

Keep it simple and keep it seasonal!

Betty Kaiser’s Cook’s Corner is dedicated to sharing a variety of recipes 

that are delicious, family oriented and easy to prepare.