Canadian thanksgiving spread

One of our friends is Canadian and far from home (it's one of the greens from the soup) and it is Canadian Thanksgiving (or as close as logistics and and the inimitable Mrs Rona would allow) and especially this year which has been peevish and painful it is a solemn and joyous duty to help a friend celebrate. We moved the celebration to our place because we are obliged to celebrate outside and some of our party are notoriously nesh. We can address this problem with our collection of ways to burn wood.  My brother, having put the chicken into brine after work and before bed, rose with the sun to smoke the bird and make the gravy. I on the other hand overslept, panicked and sloped bleary eyed to the closest shop and brought a selection of vegetables. Which, three further trips to various corner shops and a full on smoky nightclub style jazz trance cooking forged into an appetising accompaniment. We ate the food. Emerald brought out a pie so good it made me laugh (I've been waiting to try that pie as long as I've known her, it's a grandma's recipe)  Then we proceed to prove the old formula of fire, food and friends to be a true tonic. 

Picture from Rob (a few more pictures than usual this time I reckon)

Smoked chicken and squash 

a whole chicken 

salt 

bay leaf 

a squash 

a sweet potato 

Mashed potato 

Potatoes

Butter (or your preferred substitute)

White pepper (to taste, white pepper in mashed potatoes is essential)

Salt 

An egg (or milk or cream I guess)

1. I ain't telling you how to make mash. It's fundamental and I'm sure you have your method we went for a fairly rustic mash 

Glazed carrots 

Carrots (preferably fancy ones, peeled if you can be bothered and cut in half. If you only have big carrots cut them on the diagonal cos its prettier)

Butter (about 3 tablespoons)

Caraway seeds (half a teapoon)

Tarragon (a handful, chopped)

Garlic (a clove)

Salt (to taste)

Orange juice 

1. Roast your carrots until they begin to take on some colour. 
2. Melt two tablespoons of butter in an oven safe skillet and gently bloom the caraway and garlic. 
3. When your butter is fragrant add the roast carrots and barely cover them with orange juice
4. put the skillet in the oven. 
5. roast for about 20 mins, keep an eye though because if you bun them at this point they will be unsalvageable. 
6. Serve 

Pistachio stuffing

Panko breadcrumbs (two mugs full)

pistachios (about a mugful, chopped)

Tarragon (leaves, a generous amount)

Thyme (dried a teaspoon)

Onion (an onion, minced fine) 

Cellary (a single stalk, minced fine)

Garlic (two cloves, minced fine)

Lemon (the zest of one, the juice of half )

Butter (a knob)

salt (to taste)

pepper (to taste)

water (boiled, stock would be better and meat eaters sometimes use meat juice but not if you're smoking it)

1. Mix everything in a bowl until it is homogenous, add enough water so that it just about keeps together.  
2. put it into a cooking tray and get it in the oven until it has the stuffing texture you like, rough it up with a fork every 20 mins or so.   
3. It's ready to be served when its kina crisp but not yet dry 

Leeks in mustard sauce 

Leeks (get more than you think you need)

Flour 

Butter (vegan or dairy)

Milk (I used almond milk I think any would work, I think beer would work too)

Mustard (nice whole grain mustard)

Salt 

1. roast your leeks in a low oven until they have taken on some significant colour. 

2. While the leeks are cooking make the sauce by making a roux a melt the butter then add an equal amount of flour and a couple of heaping spoons of mustard.  

3. Take the pan off the heat and stir in your milk bit by bit then whisk until smooth. 

4. Return the pan to the heat and bring the sauce just to the boil. 

5. Pour the sauce over the leeks then back into the oven for the final time. Just to brown the top.

Sweet corn 

I read that sweet corn was traditional, emerald didn't seem to think so (or at least not in her family) so I wanted to make some smoked fresh corn on the cob with orange zest and salt rub or something, I couldn't find any opened a tin and warmed it through.  It took up space on the plate? was a good colour?

Onion gravy 

Onion (roughly chopped as many as you can reasonably fit in your pan, )

Garlic (whatever you have spare)

Celery heart (one)

Herbs (I used a bouquet garnet and some tarragon)

Bisto (shocking I know) 

1. Cook your onion on low until it really takes on some colour, I'm talking 40 mins of cooking minimum until it is real soft and has significantly browned.
2. Throw in your garlic and celery and leave them for a short time to soften and take a little colour before adding enough water to make the amount of gravy you're going to need. 
3. simmer for around 20 minuets then add in whatever herbs you're going to use  

Ok I insist that you serve this or any Sunday dinner family style. there is a time for elegant and well thought out individual plates but this is not that. People should get slightly more than they need of the things they like best. there should be passing things around tables and putting food on other other people's plates.  nothing here is complicated to make but the timing is a bit tricky, you can warm almost anything here up though so don't stress too much.