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Enjoy Thanksgiving Favorites
This is the time to share laughs, stories, and smiles around the table. Whether you are gathering with friends or family, allow us to make this Thanksgiving special with our recommended wines and favorite Skinner family recipes.
Mix and Match 4 Bottles or More of Any Featured Wines With Inclusive Shipping!
Enjoy with a Charcuterie Platter
Ingredients:
Assorted Cheeses (e.g., Brie, Cheddar, Gouda, Blue Cheese)
Assorted Sliced Meats (e.g., Prosciutto, Salami, Chorizo)
Grapes
Crackers or Baguette Slices
Honey (for drizzling)
Dijon Mustard (optional, for dipping)
Nuts (e.g., almonds or walnuts, optional)
Directions:
Prepare the Cheeses: Arrange the various cheeses on your serving platter. You can use small cheese knives or simply slice some of the harder cheeses into bite-sized pieces. Leave some soft cheeses, like Brie, whole for a beautiful presentation.
Add the Sliced Meats: Fold or roll the sliced meats and place them alongside the cheeses. Overlapping the meats creates an attractive display.
Include Grapes: Scatter a handful of grapes around the platter. Grapes provide a refreshing, sweet contrast to the savory cheeses and meats.
Arrange the Crackers or Baguette: Place a stack of crackers or thinly sliced baguette on the platter. These are perfect for enjoying with the cheeses and meats.
Drizzle with Honey: Drizzle a bit of honey over the cheeses, especially the Brie. The sweet honey complements the rich, creamy cheeses.
Optional Dijon Mustard: If you like, include a small dish of Dijon mustard for dipping the meats or spreading on the baguette.
Nuts (Optional): If you’d like to add some extra texture and flavor, you can scatter a few nuts, like almonds or walnuts, on the platter.
Serve: Place the Charcuterie Platter on the table, and it’s ready to be enjoyed! Your guests can mix and match the cheeses, meats, and accompaniments to create their own delicious combinations.
Sip Along With A Harvest Salad
Ingredients:
Arugula salad mix
Sliced apples or pears
Mandolin-sliced red onion
Walnuts or pecans
Dried cranberries
Bleu cheese crumbles
Vinaigrette dressing
Directions:
Start by preparing the Arugula salad mix. You can use pre-packaged salad mix or wash and dry arugula leaves if you’re using fresh arugula.
Slice the apples or pears into thin, bite-sized pieces. You can leave the skin on for added color and texture.
Use a mandolin slicer to thinly slice the red onion. Be cautious when using a mandolin slicer, as the blades are very sharp.
If you prefer, toast the walnuts or pecans in a dry pan over medium heat for a few minutes until they become fragrant. Let them cool before adding to the salad.
Measure out the dried cranberries for your salad. They add a sweet and tangy contrast.
Prepare the bleu cheese crumbles. You can crumble a block of bleu cheese or use pre-crumbled cheese for convenience.
For the vinaigrette dressing, you can use a store-bought variety or make your own by mixing oil (usually olive oil) with vinegar (like balsamic or red wine vinegar), a touch of Dijon mustard, honey, salt, and pepper. Adjust the ingredients to your taste.
Assemble the salad: Start by adding the vinaigrette dressing to the arugula salad mix. Toss the leaves gently to coat them evenly.
After tossing, transfer the dressed arugula to your serving plate or bowl.
Layer the sliced apples or pears, mandolin-sliced red onion, toasted walnuts or pecans, dried cranberries, and bleu cheese crumbles on top of the dressed arugula.
Serve your Harvest Salad immediately as a refreshing and colorful side dish or as a starter before your meal.
Best Paired With the Main Dish, Turkey!
Ingredients:
1 whole turkey (12-14 pounds)
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
Salt and black pepper to taste
1 onion, quartered
1 lemon, halved
4-6 garlic cloves, peeled
Fresh herbs (such as rosemary, thyme, and sage)
Optional: vegetables (carrots, celery, onions) for the roasting pan
Directions:
Prepare the Turkey: Preheat your oven to 325°F (165°C). Remove the turkey from its packaging. Make sure to remove the giblets and neck from the cavity. Rinse the turkey under cold water, both inside and out. Pat it dry with paper towels.
Season the Turkey: Season the inside of the turkey with salt and black pepper. Stuff the cavity of the turkey with the quartered onion, halved lemon, garlic cloves, and fresh herbs. This will add flavor and aroma to the bird.
Prepare the Butter: In a small bowl, mix the softened butter with a bit of salt, black pepper, and more fresh herbs (chopped finely). This herbed butter will be used to coat the turkey.
Coat the Turkey: Gently separate the skin from the turkey breast by carefully sliding your hand under the skin. Be careful not to tear it. Spread the herbed butter evenly under the skin of the turkey, covering the breast meat. This will help keep the turkey breast moist and add flavor.
Tie the Legs: If the turkey’s legs are not already tied together, use kitchen twine to tie them together. This will help the turkey cook evenly.
Optional Vegetable Bed: If you like, you can create a bed of vegetables (carrots, celery, and onions) in the bottom of your roasting pan. Place the turkey on top of these vegetables.
Roasting: Place the turkey in a roasting pan, breast-side up. Cover the turkey with aluminum foil to prevent the skin from browning too quickly. You can remove the foil during the last hour of cooking to allow the skin to brown.
Roast the Turkey: Roast the turkey in the preheated oven, following the guidelines for the turkey’s weight. Generally, you’ll want to cook it for around 13-15 minutes per pound (4.5 kg).
Basting (Optional): You can baste the turkey with the juices from the pan every 30 minutes to keep it moist and flavorful.
Check for Doneness: To check if the turkey is done, use a meat thermometer. The thickest part of the thigh should register 165°F (74°C).
Rest and Carve: Once the turkey is done, remove it from the oven and cover it loosely with foil. Let it rest for about 20-30 minutes before carving. This allows the juices to redistribute and keeps the meat moist.
Carve and Serve: Carve the turkey into slices and serve with your favorite side dishes and gravy.
Best paired with Pecan Pie
Ingredients:
1 homemade pie crust
1 cup sugar
3 tp light brown sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup light corn syrup
3/4 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 cup salted butter at room temperature
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups pecan halves (chop or leave whole)
Directions:
In a large bowl cream the sugar, b. Sugar, salt, corn syrup, and butter. Add the eggs and beat well, stir in the vanilla.
Reserve a few pecans and stir the rest into the batter. Pour into unbaked pie shell. Add a few of the reserved pecans to the pie. Use a small spoon to cover them with batter.
Bake at 425 for 10 mins, then lower temp to 350 and continue to bake for about 40 minutes. Check the pie halfway through baking and tent a large piece of greased tin foil over the top of the pie.
You will know your pie is done when you can shake it gently and it is not overly jiggly. If it still jiggles a lot, continue baking for 5-10 minutes until the center is more “set”.
Allow the pie to cool completely for several hours before cutting and serving. Or refrigerate for 1-3 days.
