Thanksgiving Dinner-1840 Style
Turkey
Parsnips and Carrots
Rolls
Pumpkin Pie
The turkey was prepared by washing inside and out. The neck, gizzard, liver, giblets, an onion and carrot were simmered. The cooked meat was minced fine and added to soaked bread, salt and pepper, and sweet herbs were added. The crop and and body were filled with the dressing and it was sewn up. The legs and wings were tied up and the body was rubbed with salt and butter. It was roasted slowly twenty five minutes per pound. It was basted frequently with the stock acquired from the neck. Water was added to the dripping pan to aid in keeping the bird moist during cooking.
Parsnips were considered to be more tasty after the first frost. They were scrubbed and split long ways, and boiled slowly until tender. They need to be watched, for they can over cook and turn mushy quickly. After cooking they are peeled and served with butter. Cold parsnips were sliced and fried brown. Parsnips are sweet and flavorful.
Pumpkins were cut into small strips and boiled in just enough water to keep them from burning. When they were soft they were strained and steamed for 20 minutes. This stewed pumpkin was mixed with two quarts of milk and a dozen eggs. Sweeten the pumpkins with sugar and a little molasses, ginger and lemon or nutmeg. Bake the filling in a very hot oven.
Blackberry Jelly Roll
This melt in your mouth dessert was a family favorite.
Blackberry Filling:
1 pint blackberries
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
Prepare filling, combine blackberries, sugar and lemon rind and juice in a saucepan. Heat over medium heat 5 to 7 minutes until berries have released their liquid and can easily be broken apart with a spoon. Set aside to cool.
Jelly Roll
1/4 cup confectioners sugar
1 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 eggs
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoon grated lemon rind
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla
Prepare Jelly Roll: Heat oven to 375 degrees. Coat a 15 x 10x 11/2 inch jell roll pan with butter. Line with waxed paper; coat the paper with butter or non stick spray. Dust kitchen towel with 2 tablespoons of confectioners sugar.
Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl. In a medium sized bowl beat eggs for about 5 minutes until thick and lemon colored. Gradually add granulated sugar until well blended. Beat in lemon rind and juice and vanilla. Gently fold in flour mixture until well combined. Scrape batter onto prepared pan, spreading evenly.
Bake 375 degree oven for 12-15 minutes until top springs back when lightly touched.
Immediately invert cake onto cloth dusted with confectioners sugar. Remove paper; roll up cloth and cake together from a long side. Cool completely on a rack. Unroll and spread blackberry filling evenly. Reroll from long side. Dust with confectioners sugar lightly.
The beating of the eggs is what gives this cake its lightness. It makes a delicious sponge type cake that the jelly rests upon. This blackberry jelly was also delicious on a cookie called Thumbprint, in which an indent with your thumb left a place for a small teaspoonsful of blackberry jam. Other berries work just as well in this recipe. Blackberries were usually plentiful in the fall and sweet. If you don't like all the seeds you can press the cooked berries through a foley mill or sieve leaving the seeds behind.
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