Once November begins I start thinking Thanksgiving. Every year all the family favorites will be served, but I also love trying new recipes especially for extra side dishes, desserts, breads, and always, leftover ideas.
In this November 1980 vintage Cuisine magazine I found a delicious-sounding turkey salad. It has cranberries, celery, water chestnuts, Swiss cheese, sesame seeds, and a vinaigrette with Dijon mustard and both peanut and olive oil. It’s so crunchy and colorful especially with the addition of the bright cranberries.
Native Americans prized cranberries for its healthful and medicinal qualities. One staple in their diet was “pemmican,” a combination of dried and pounded meat of bison, deer, or other wild game, mashed cranberries, and bound together with animal fat. Cranberries were also believed to be served at the first Thanksgiving, where they were made into preserves and sauces.
Other articles in this issue include Sweden’s Special Cheese industry; How to make Sauce Vin Blanc; Thanksgiving: A Feast or Friends from my favorite Bert Greene who offers nine recipes from roast turkey with a Jambalaya Dressing to a Pumpkin Crème Brûlée; an article (with recipes) about the ancient caves where Roquefort cheese is ripened; Eleven different recipes using onions; An elegant Maple and Bourbon Soufflé; Make-Ahead Hors d’oeuvres; Dinner in Minutes; Recipes from The Four Seasons; and Cranberry recipes from soup to desserts which is where I found the delicious turkey salad.
This is a great issue! There were so many recipes I couldn’t even list every one of them.
Remember this wonderful salad with leftover turkey the day after Thanksgiving!
- 1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries
- ½ cup water
- 1 Tablespoon sugar
- 3 cups diced cooked turkey
- ½ cup thinly sliced green onions with tops included
- ½ cup drained halved whole water chestnuts *
- ½ cup diced Swiss cheese
- 1 Tablespoon sesame seeds
- ¼ cup white wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Dijon Mustard
- ½ cup peanut oil
- ¼ cup olive oil
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- Garnish (optional) Fresh dill sprigs
- *Note: I haven't tried it yet, but if you don't care for water chestnuts, substitute with ½ cup diced green or red apples.
- Heat 1 cup cranberries, the water, and sugar in a small saucepan to boiling; reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Drain thoroughly. Set aside and cool to room temperature.
- In a medium mixing bowl combine cranberries, turkey, celery, green onions, water chestnuts, cheese, and sesame seeds.
- Whisk vinegar and Dijon mustard in a small mixing bowl. Very gradually whisk in oils to make a smooth dressing. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Pour dressing over salad and toss gently. Cover and refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours.
- To serve, transfer salad to a flat serving plate. Surround with garland of fresh dill and serve immediately.
- Note: It may seem like a lot of dressing but it gets absorbed as it chills. If you prefer to serve in a bowl, garnish top of salad with some dill sprigs, if desired. The salad is best chilled no longer than the 2 to 3 hours and served the same day.
Love this time of year, with the beautiful fall colors, & all the family favorite recipes waiting to be enjoyed once again. The Festive Turkey Salad recipe looks like it may become a family keeper, too! Thanks for sharing & blessings on your upcoming Thanksgiving Day.