Thanksgiving on the island
Thanksgiving is usually a family affair on Cat Island. My sons arrive with their kids, who seem to be multiplying with a frightening speed.
Last year we could all fit around the table if the baby had her own lobster chair, but this year we probably have to make a “children’s table” with two new high chairs and five chairs for the rest. Next year we will have to make space for yet another lobster chair.
Our family get-togethers usually involves a lot of cooking and a lot of different opinions. And a lot of drinking. Elizabeth prefers Tequila shots, Sander and Chris go for beer, Sarah is partial to Bailey’s and shares the taste of wine with me (although I also have a soft spot for Dewars 12 year old Scotch.) and Curtis likes his Grey Goose Vodka. But is spite of all that drinking, we all usually survive Thanksgiving and finish off the turkey before they all go home.
The local grocery store owner knows that the few American expats who live on the island want to have turkey for the holiday, so she orders some frozen Butterballs and cans of cranberry sauce. I got a 20-pounder and put it in my freezer a few days before Thursday. When Tuesday evening rolled around, I thought it best to remove it from the freezer and let it thaw on the porch. I know from experience that it always takes longer than you think to thaw 20 pounds of solid frozen meat.
Wednesday morning I went to the kitchen and then to the porch to check on my turkey. It had disappeared! I could not believe my eyes. Who would have taken/moved my big bird? I went around the house searching, looking in the fridge and freezer, checking the whole porch and every room. No bird.
In the afternoon, I had finally given up hope and went to my car to go grocery shopping. I had called the store to make sure they had another turkey, and they told me they had one left. When I backed the car out from the parking place, I noticed something fairly large and torn-looking on the ground beneath the car. I knew exactly what it was. Here was my turkey. I picked it up to check, and half of the turkey was gone. The plastic around was torn to pieces and the middle was still frozen. When I turned to put it in my car, a furious tabby hissed at me from behind a small bush.
“Oh no, you don’t, “ I told the tabby.”you have already eaten half my turkey, and I intend to give the rest to someone who doesn’t steal”!
The new turkey thawed nicely in my sink overnight, and we had a great Thanksgiving dinner. Here is what I did with the green beans and the red cabbage:
Green Beans my secret way
1/2 lbs green beans
a pinch of salt
a pinch of sugar
black pepper,
olive oil and garlic
Wash the green beans, put them in a flat bowl or a plate and stick them in the microwave for two minutes.
Throw the beans in a frying pan with olive oil and garlic and fry them for a few minutes. Add sugar and salt and taste them. Add more of whatever is needed. Go over the beans generously with a pepper grinder and serve them right away.
Red cabbage with cranberries
Cut the cabbage and sauté it at medium heat until it gets soft. Add some cranberry juice , salt and pepper and let it boil for a few minutes. When the juice is evaporated, add cranberries, jellied in a can, and let them soak into the cabbage.
Add some pepper and some hot sauce if you like. Serve with both the turkey and the potatoes and any vegetarian dishes you have on the table.