Roast Turkey, Wild Onions, and Maple Squash

"We will be known forever by the tracks we leave." 

-- Words of wisdom from the Dakota People

Thanksgiving is supposed to be a day in which we give thanks for all of our blessings over the past year. The holiday draws inspiration from events, partly historical and partly fictional, that transpired in the fall of 1621. The pilgrims of the Plymouth colony (that is, white colonizers) organized a feast to celebrate their successful harvest, giving thanks for the cultivation of food that would support them through the winter. 

That's where the history ends and much of the fiction begins. Subsequent generations would be taught that the feast was one shared by grateful pilgrims and their neighbors, the indigenous Wampanoag people. That is not entirely accurate. The feast was initially a white person, pilgrim/colonizer affair, because they did not initially invite the Wampanoag to the feast. Rather, the Wampanoag arrived after hearing gunshots fired off by celebratory pilgrims, thinking that the pilgrims were under an attack. Only after they arrived were the indigenous people allowed to stay and join in the feast. 

Thanksgiving was, and continues to be, built upon a myth of celebration and cooperation between white colonists and the indigenous people. The actual history -- over four hundred years of it -- defined what would become the United States. That definition includes the forced displacement and death of a majority of the indigenous people, removed from the land upon which their ancestors built not only comunities but also entire cultures and societies. Much of those civilizations have been lost, as the United States established itself, and expanded itself, at the expense of the indigenous peoples, nation after nation. 

Those are the tracks that we have left as a country and as "the American people." It is a path hardly discussed because holidays like Thanksgiving have us looking anywhere but down at our feet. So, for this particular Thanksgiving in 2025, I thought I would do something other than express gratitude for my blessings. I am looking down at my feet, at the ground.

The particular context of my feast unfolded in the city of Crisfield, Maryland, where my beautiful Angel and my wonderful family took a short trip during the holiday weekend. I found a lovely house in Crisfield, Maryland (more about that in another post), where I would prepare our holiday feast with help from our family. The city of Crisfield lies on a peninsula that was originally the home of the Annamessex people, who, in turn, were part of the Pocomoke Paramountcy. As an aside, the colonizers who reached this penninsula referred to it as the "Annamessex Neck." 

It is difficult to find much about the Annamessex people, but there is more out there about the greater Pocomoke nation. That nation stretched across the eastern shore, particularly along the Annamessex, Manokin, and Pocomoke rivers. They were organized into communities, with women and younger children growing corn, beans and squashes, while men and older boys hunted, trapped and fished. The Pocomoke were also traders, producing wampum, which are the shell beads and belts, and peake, which are darker beads made from clams. In addition to trading wampum and peake, the Pocomoke also crafted dug-out canoes that they used for transport and trade. 

As European colonizers settled in Annamessex Neck, the indigenous people were driven from their lands. The colonizers claimed the territory, refused to allow indigenous people to hunt on the land, and, with the assistance of the local and state governments, forced the Annamessex onto a reservation located at Askiminokonson, near present day Snow Hill, Maryland. Eventually, the white colonizers claimed that territory, leaving the Annamessex, along with the greater Pocomoke nation, with nothing. 

I have been unable to locate any Annamessex or even Pocomoke recipes for a turkey. This particular roast turkey recipe comes from Sean Sherman, an Ogala Lakota chef who has made it his mission to preserve and advance indigenous cuisine. He focuses upon both the ingredients and cooking processes used by indigenous cooks across Turtle Island. (I also used his recipe for wojape to serve alongside the turkey). 

I have to admit that I had some concerns, because the recipe did not call for a stuffing. I have always prepared roast turkeys with stuffings, using the latter to help regulate temperatures and add flavors to the meat. Fearful that I would overcook the bird without a stuffing, I decided to utilize a stuffing from Renewing America's Food Traditons, a book written by Gary Paul Nabhan. A first-generation Lebanese-American, Nabhan is an Agricutural Ecologist, Ethnobiologist, and Franciscan brother. He has worked with indigenous peoples, particularly in the southwestern United States and Mexico to preserve their foodways and advocate for their sovereignty. This particular stuffing comes from the opposite side of the United States, with a recipe offered in connection with a discussion of the endangered Naragannsett Turkey. The stuffing is not a traditional one that would be served alongside the bird. Instead, it consists of ingredients intended to provide additonal flavors to the meat. 

With these recipes in hand, I proceeded with Chef Sherman's Roast Turkey, Wild Onions and Maple Squash recipe. The overall dish provided a great example of indigenous foods could be prepared by indigenous peoples like the Annamessex. Wild turkeys are found across the State of Maryland; and, as noted above, the Annamessex cultivated squash. They could have easily gathered wild onions from around their village, along with other ingredients, such as juniper berries, which could have been gathered from the eastern red cedar trees or perhaps the common juniper (before it went locally extinct in the State of Maryland). 

In sum, this dish and my heart is with honoring those who were originally present and thriving here, long before any Spanish explorer or English colonizer ever set foot on dry land in this hemisphere. I also want to acknowledge the tracks that have been left over the centuries, and, for what that means when it comes to the United States. Our greatness (if it can be called that) came with a tremendous cost, a price not paid by those who benefitted the most, year after year, decade after decade, generation after generation. If we want to truly be known as a great country (however that could be defined), then that requires us to come to terms with our past. Otherwise, we can never truly achieve greatness as a country.  

ROAST TURKEY, WILD ONIONS AND MAPLE SQUASH

Recipe from Sean Sherman, The Sioux Chef's Indigenous Kitchen, pg. 107

Additional cavity stuffing recipe from Gary Paul Nabhan, Renewing America's Food Traditions, pg. 125

Serves 8

Ingredients (for the roast turkey):

• 1 small turkey (about 10-12 pounds)
• 1/4 cup hazelnut oil
• 2 tablespoons chopped sage
• Coarse salt
• Crushed juniper
• 2 cups corn, wild rice, or turkey stock
• 4 wild onions or 2 large onions, quartered
• 1 cup wild mushrooms, chopped
• 2 cups winter squash, cubed
• 1/4 cup maple syrup

Ingredients (for the cavity stuffing):

• 2 tablespoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon dried marjoram or sweet basil leaves
• 1/4 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 1/2 cup whole wheat bread crumbs
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup chopped celery stalks
• 1 small white onion, chopped

Directions:

1. Prepare the turkey. One hour before roasting, remove the turkey from the refrigerator and bring to room temperature. In a blender, puree the hazelnut oil and sage and rub over the turkey. Season with salt and juniper.

2. Prepare the cavity. Rub the cavity with a mixture of 1 tablespoon of salt, 1/2 teaspoon of pepper, all of the basil or marjoram, and some of the chopped parsley. Combine the bread crumbs, lump of butter (mixed with salt and pepper), the rest of the parsley, chopped celery and onion. Stuff the mixture into the cavities of the turkey. 

3. Roast the turkey. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Place the turkey in a roasting pan, add the stock and put in the oven. Roast until the turkey is a light golden brown, about 45 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and continue roasting. After about 1 1/2 hours, scatter the onions, mushrooms and squash into the roasting pan and baste the turkey and vegetables occasionally with the pan juices. Continue cooking until the an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thigh reads 160 degrees Fahrenheit, about 30 minutes to 1 hour longer. Brush the turkey with the maple syrup. 

4. Finish the dish. Remove the turkey from the oven and transfer to a cutting board. Arrange the vegetables on a platter. Carve the turkey and arrange over the vegetables. Drizzle the pan juices over all. Serve with wild rice and cranberry sauce or wojape.  

PEACE.

Blistered Shishito Peppers and White Onions

The history of the Shishito pepper goes back about five centuries.  In some respects, it is a tale that begins as the story of many peppers. That beginning is aboard a Portuguese caravel during the 16th century.

The 16th century represented perhaps the pinnacle of Portuguese "exploration." I used the word in quotes because the areas they explored -- such as the coasts of Africa, the subcontinent, and eastern Asia -- already existed with their own long histories and cultures. (I always try to be mindful of how history is told from a western perspective.) By the beginning of the 16th century, the Portuguese had "discovered" what is known today as Brazil.  By the mid 16th century, Portuguese explorers and traders had not only navigated around the Cape of Good Hope in Southern Africa, but they had made their way to what is modern day India, China and even Japan.  At least two Portuguese traders -- Antonio Mota and Francisco Zeimoto --  were the first to make their way to island of Tanagashima in 1543.  Those traders were the first Europeans to make contact with the Japanese and they did so by accident.  Their vessel had been blown off course by a typhoon and wrecked on the island. In the years that followed, the Portuguese established more formal contacts, especially focused on trade.  

As these Portguese vessels made their way around the world, they brought one very little tasty vegetable as an item for trade ... the pepper. The Portguese brought different peppers with them, including the malagueta pepper from Brazil and the padron pepper from Spain. The Portuguese brought the former pepper to Africa, where it has become the piri-piri (or peri-peri) pepper.  As for the latter pepper, the Portugutese most likely brought it to Japan, where it literally and figuratively took root. The relatively mild pepper came to be known as the Shishito pepper. The name "shishito" comes from the Japanese for lion (shishi) and pepper (togarashi).  Together, the word shishito is the Japanese Lion Head pepper.  

Fast forward to today, the shishito pepper seems to be making its way around the world much like an explorer. It seems to have made its way across the Pacific Ocean to restaurants across the United States. Chefs and cooks across this country have taken to the little pepper, blistering them and serving them as appetizers and tapas to hungry guests.

This recipe follows that trend, but with a slight nod back to the pepper's origin.  The blishito peppers are "blistered," that is sauteed until the skins begin to brown, with a sauce made from soy sauce, lemon juice, water and a little sugar.  The recipe was good and easy to make.  However, the next time I think I will try a different way to prepare these peppers.

BLISTERED SHISHITO PEPPERS AND WHITE ONIONS

Recipe adapted from CSA Cookbook, page 48

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon of canola oil

2 cups of shishito peppers

1 white onion cut lengthwise into eighths

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons water

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon sugar

Directions:

1. Saute the peppers.  Heat a large saute pan over medium-high heat.  Swirl in the oil, then spread the peppers and onions across the pan with as little overlap as possible, pressing down on them lightly with a spatula.  Cook undisturbed until the bottoms are lightly blistered and browned, about 5 minutes.  Shake up the pan and continue cooking until the pepper are tender and the onions are translucent, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

2.  Make the sauce.  Combine the soy sauce, water, lemon juice and sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat.  Stir until the sugar is dissolved.  

3.  Finish the dish.  Transfer the peppers and onions to a serving dish and pour the sauce over them. Stir to coat evenly and serve warm.

ENJOY!

Beer Braised Turkey Tacos with Chipotle Guacamole

Deborah Schneider, the author of Amor y Tacos, once said, "The immediacy of a taco, handed to you hot from grill and comal, can’t be equaled. You can stand there and eat yourself silly with one taco after another, each made fresh for you and consumed within seconds."  She added, " a great taco rocks with distinct tastes that roll on and on, like a little party on your tongue, with layers of flavor and textures: juicy, delicious fillings, perfectly seasoned; the taste of the soft corn tortilla; a morsel of salty cheese and finally, best of all, the bright explosion of a freshly-made salsa that suddenly ignites and unites everything on your palate."  Those words provide a much better advertisement for tacos than any thirty second advertisement from the chain with the bell.  And, dare I say Schneider's words also trump the smell of chicken cooking on the flat top of another chain ... the one takes its name from a pepper and who makes far better tacos that that bell place.

Although I usually eat tacos once a week (from that place with the pepper name), I recently had the urge to make some tacos at home.  When I make tacos at home, I usually make fish tacos, like Tacos de Pescado, so I can eat with my beautiful, pescatarian wife.  This time, however, I wanted to make something different.  And, I mean truly different.  I did not just want to make chicken tacos or steak tacos.  For once, I did not even want to make carnitas tacos.  I really wanted to try new flavors and textures.

I did some research and came across a recipe for beer-braised turkey tacos.  The recipe came from Deborah Schneider.  Her recipe sounded delicious, but I had to make a few alterations and substitutions.  First, her recipe calls for a Mexican dark lager, like Negro Modelo.  I bought most of the ingredients at a grocery store that did not have Negro Modelo, so, I had to improvise.  I bought a dark lager from ... Utah.  It was Unita Brewing's Baba lager. The other alteration was that I decided to leave off the garnish of cilantro and sesame seeds.  First, the store was surprisingly out of fresh cilantro.  Second, I had other designs for the taco that would preclude sesame seeds.

As I thought about how beer-braising the turkey would introduce a lot of distinct tastes, I wanted to add additional flavors that went beyond mere sesame seeds.  My beautiful wife has made me a fan of guacamole, so I decided that I would add a spicy, chipotle guacamole to add to the tacos. This recipe for guacamole is very simple and it packs a good kick from the chipotle and adobo.  More importantly, I thought the smoky and earthy flavors from the chipotle and adobo would reinforce the malty and roasted flavors of the dark beer used to braise the turkey.  In the end, the flavor combinations worked perfectly.  I had made myself some substantial, richly flavored tacos. 

BEER BRAISED TURKEY TACOS WITH CHIPOTLE GUACAMOLE

Taco recipe adapted from one by Deborah Schneider

available at Food and Wine

Makes 12 Servings

Ingredients (for the tacos):

2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil

2 pounds of turkey thighs, skin and fat removed

4 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1 medium white onion, cut into 1-inch dice, 

     plus minced white onion, for serving

1 large oregano sprig

1 chipotle pepper with 1 teaspoon of adobo

1/2 of an ancho or poblano pepper, diced finely,

1 2-inch cinnamon stick

1 cup of water

1 12-ounce bottle of dark beer, such as Modelo Negro

Ingredients (for the guacamole):

2 avocados
1 chipotle, diced with 1 teaspoon of adobo
1/2 red onion, diced finely
1 lime, juiced
1 teaspoon of sea salt

Directions:

1.  Brown the turkey.  In a large enameled cast-iron casserole, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Season the turkey with salt and pepper and cook over moderately high heat until richly browned all over, about 8 minutes. Transfer the turkey to a plate. 

2.  Saute the base ingredients.  Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil to the casserole along with the garlic, diced onion, oregano and chipotle and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until the onion is softened, about 8 minutes. Add the tomato, ancho or poblano pepper (reserve some for a topping on the tacos) and cinnamon stick and cook, stirring, until the tomato releases its juices. 

3.  Braise the turkey.  Return the turkey to the casserole, add the beer and water and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer over low heat, turning once, until the turkey thighs are tender, about 1 hour. Transfer the turkey to a plate and let cool. Discard the oregano sprig and cinnamon stick and boil the sauce over high heat until reduced to 1/4 cup, about 12 minutes. 

4.  Prepare the guacamole.  Add the avocados, chipotle with adobo, red onion, lime and sea salt in a bowl.  Mash and mix all of the ingredients together until you achieve the desired consistency.

5.  Finish the dish.  Preheat the oven to 350°. Wrap the tortillas in foil and bake for about 8 minutes, until softened and heated through. Remove the turkey meat and shred it. Transfer the sauce to a food processor and puree. Return the sauce to the pot and stir in the shredded turkey. Season with salt and pepper.

6.  Plate the tacos.  Spoon the turkey onto the tortillas. Top with minced onion and minced pepper. Serve immediately.

That quote from Deborah Schneider at the beginning of this post ends as follows: "At the end of our two or three-bite taco you just want to repeat the experience until you are sated."  I can truly say that, at the end of eating one of these beer-braised turkey tacos, with the chipotle guacamole, I truly wanted to eat another ... and another ... and another....

ENJOY!