Adapting the Turkey
I was at the farmers’ market on a cool gray morning with low hanging clouds spitting a damp mist. It was dead. I stopped by Bray’s Farm stand to chat with a friend. It was far from ideal market weather.
After passing by familiar vendors on the way to my car, it happened. While marveling over wonderfully aromatic individually-bundled baby celery stalks from Elmwood Farm, I reached across the table and grabbed an acorn squash from a heaping basket of squash. At that very moment, I crossed the line. I officially surrendered my lusty desires for vibrant fresh summer produce, replacing them with  more languid yearnings for mellow soft-hued autumn produce. Until then, I’d resisted the temptation by clinging to the final bright vestiges of summer. I finally acquiesced.
Inspired by that humble acorn squash, I decided to pull a full monty, throw convention to the wind, and roast a turkey for our Sunday supper.
Well…kind of.
Feel free to adapt for your Thanksgiving table.
A dear friend recently gave us a pound of gorgeous bacon from her family’s farm. I used and abused it for our roasted turkey.
I sprinkled additional fresh rosemary, salt, and pepper over the bacon harness, poured a cup of chicken stock into the roasting pan, Â and slid the bacon-bundled turkey into a 350 degree oven to roast for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or until the internal temperature was 165 degrees.
While the turkey made merry in the oven, I sliced the acorn squash into quarters and removed the seeds.
After seasoning it with salt, pepper, and olive oil, I slid the squash into the oven to par-roast, uncovered, for 20 minutes before pulling it out and dousing it with butter, brown sugar, orange zest, freshly squeezed orange juice, and fresh thyme sprigs.
I covered the squash with aluminum foil and placed it back into the oven to roast/braise for an additional 45 minutes. Â When the squash was thoroughly cooked, I pulled it from the oven and let it warm on the stovetop while the turkey finished roasting. The aromas wafting from our kitchen were ridiculous. Turkey. Â Bacon. Rosemary. Brown sugar. Squash. Heaven.
I melted into my tufted chenille parlor chair for a few glasses of wine while we anticipated our Sunday supper.
Before slicing the turkey, I removed it to a cutting board, placed the roasting pan over medium heat, added a pinch of flour, and whisked together a quick pan sauce from the roasted turkey and bacon drippings.
Using the bacon slices as a guide, I sliced the turkey into medallions, drizzled them with pan gravy, and feathered fresh rosemary leaves over the top. I dropped the candied squash around the turkey.The turkey was incredibly moist and tender with succulent juices trapped and sealed within the crispy bacon skin.
It’s a new season at the market.
One I’ll embrace with open arms.
This article also appears on page 13 of the November 2015 printed issue of  Ace.
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