​One of the best things about our traditional American Thanksgiving dinner is the choice of leftovers and the creative uses to which such leftovers can be put.  Thanksgiving evening, shortly after we think, “I can’t eat another thing,” we may find ourselves heading to the kitchen and opening the fridge to see what would make a quick snack.  For me, that is usually a leftover biscuit split in half, dabbed with mayo, and filled with a small piece of cold turkey and topped with a spoonful of cranberry sauce.

My favorite leftover, however, is Turkey Carcass Soup.  Making it also clears out the fridge a bit.  Though not as rich as a traditional bone broth because the turkey bones have given up most of their goodness during the roasting process, this soup is satisfying because of the addition of fresh vegetables, frozen corn, and wild rice.  It became even more filling the year I decided to make croutons from leftover stuffing.

The morning after Thanksgiving, while the Turkey Carcass Soup was simmering gently on the stove, perfuming the whole house, and working up appetites for lunch, I was rearranging the fridge.  “What can I do with all this leftover stuffing?” I wondered.  I transferred it to a large rectangular baking dish and baked it until crisp and cut it into small squares to top the soup.  Ever since, these croutons have been part of this soup recipe, which I hope you will try this Thanksgiving.

A New Mexico friend—when she lived on a small farm in Michigan—threw a star-gazing party most every August during the Persied Meteor Showers.  Friends from several states would arrive in campers and trucks loaded with food.  One year, three turkeys were brought—my smoked turkey, a roasted turkey, and one made on site on a Weber grill.  After a long, sumptuous outdoor feast and lots of oohs and aahs as we watched the meteors, several women gathered in the farm-house kitchen and began stripping the turkey carcasses of meat, and all during the night a large stock pot simmered with turkey bones and meat and lots of vegetables.  The first person to waken was expected to enter the kitchen and turn on the huge coffee pot already filled with water and coffee.  As I crawled out of my pup tent, I realized I was the only person there to see the sun rise.  Walking up the steps to the kitchen, I was overwhelmed with the smell of turkey carcass soup.  Sometimes I think I can still smell it.  Yes, I know I can!
​
Ingredients
​dressing (stuffing) left over from turkey dinner
butter
​3 tablespoons salt
1 tablespoon black pepper
2 tablespoons sage
10 cups cold water
​1 large onion, diced
1/2 stalk of celery, diced and including leaves
1 handful of flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped
6 large carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch ‘sticks’
carcass of 1 roasted turkey, stripped of meat
​1 cup wild rice, rinsed and drained
3 cups water
1/2 teaspoon salt
​the diced, left-over turkey cooked wild rice
1 cup frozen corn
​flat-leaf parsley, chopped
baked dressing croutons

​Directions

• ​After turkey dinner, place leftover dressing into a buttered large rectangular baking dish.  Pat down to an inch in height.  Cover/refrigerate until soup is in process.
  
• Throw Seasonings into a large stock pot and add 10 C Water
• ​When water comes to a boil, add remaining ingredients; return to a boil; then, lower heat and simmer for 2 hours.  While soup is simmering, dice left-over turkey; set aside.  While soup is simmering, cut cold dressing in baking dish into 1/2-inch dice.  Bake in preheated 375-degree F oven until brown on top.  Remove from baking dish and separate into croutons.  If croutons are not crisp on bottom, return loosened croutons, a half batch at a time, to oven to finish browning.  Remove from oven; set aside.  While soup is simmering, prepare wild rice (see below).
• Put all ingredients into a medium saucepan; bring to a boil; stir.  Lower heat to very low; lid the pot; let wild rice absorb all of the liquid (takes 45 to 60 minutes).  Set aside.  Chicken or vegetable stock can be substituted for water.
• ​At end of 2-hour cooking period, retrieve and discard turkey carcass.  Incorporate diced turkey, wild rice, and frozen corn, stirring well.  Cook for an additional 10 minutes.  Remove soup from heat.  Note:  Adding a little turkey bouillon at this point intensifies the flavor of this soup.  Recommended:  Better than Bouillon Turkey Base.
  Pour soup into a tureen or into individual soup bowls.  Garnish with parsley.  Pass croutons in a separate bowl.  Serve immediately.

 
EnJOY

by Jessica Rath

It saves energy. It uses less electricity because it doesn’t emit much heat; plus, foods are cooked much faster than in an oven.

It saves calories. Deep-fried foods need several cups of oil, air frying takes just a teaspoon; sometimes a little more.
​
It saves time. A conventional oven has to be preheated; by the time the oven is ready the meal in the air fryer is already cooked. 

Plus, it’s convenient because you can leave it and let it do its thing; it’s easy to clean; food cooks quickly so nutrients tend to be retained; and you can use it to reheat leftovers and thaw frozen food.

Here are some recipes to get you started:

​Preparation:
Cut the tofu and place in a medium bowl. Crumble it, either using your fingers or a fork. Add soy sauce and other ingredients except olive oil and cheese, mix thoroughly, and let rest. 

Prepare the mushrooms: wipe the caps with a moist paper towel; normally, that’s all it takes to remove dust and dirt. Remove the stems and save them for soup stock or stir-fry. Using a teaspoon, gently scrape off the black gills from the mushroom caps. Make sure you don’t create nicks or cracks in the rim. Brush the caps with a bit of olive oil and set them cap-side down on a plate. Divide the stuffing mixture evenly between the mushrooms, pressing it down gently so they are full but not overflowing. Top with vegan cheese. 

Place the mushrooms into the basket of your air fryer. Set the temperature to 375 F and fry for 10 minutes. Increase temperature to 400 F and fry for another 3 - 5 minutes, until the cheese has browned.

​Preparation:
Wash the potatoes, scrub them with a vegetable brush, and pat dry. You don’t have to peel them if the skin is thin but remove any spots. Cut them into half and then into wedges about ¼” thick. Rinse in cold water to remove starch, then dry well with paper towels. 
Toss with olive oil, salt, and spices.
Place into the airfryer in roughly one even layer. Fry at 375 F for 10 minutes. Shake them, increase temperature to 400 F, and fry for another 10 minutes.

​Preparation:
Cut the tofu into ¼” cubes and place in a medium bowl. Add soy sauce and let it stand for about 10 minutes, tossing the tofu a few times so that the soy sauce soaks in evenly. Strain the tofu, reserve the soy sauce for another dish. Then coat the tofu evenly with the nutritional yeast.
Place into the airfryer, one even layer, and fry at 400 F for 10 minutes. Shake once or twice in between.

Greg Lewandowski
See Greg's Photography online

​​The Ojitos trail can be found 8 miles down 151 off of 84. This is the monastery road. Be cautious on 151 there are very sharp switch backs and plenty of opportunity to slide off the road. Just at 8 miles on the left is a small parking are with some forestry boards up with info about the area. Skull bridge is also right there.
 
On the right is the tailhead (TH). There is a pole marker near the TH. It’s a narrow trail and starts off uphill over rocky terrain. This is part of the Continental Divide Trail. It is well traveled and well maintained. There are no forks to worry about. Watch for switchbacks. As you hike up you will begin to see over your shoulder excellent views of the Chama River Valley, part of the Chama River Wilderness. I stopped frequently to take in these majestic views. The trail goes through a few clearings, some narrow uphill spots and always rocky.
 
After about 2 miles you will go through a forested area. Quite lovely with the light through the trees as it hits the trail. After 4 miles you will have reached the top of the ridge where the trail flattens out. You will have climbed 1600 feet of elevation in 4 miles. On the top are more majestic views of the valley. I hiked another 2 miles before turning back. I found the top of the ridge to be a great spot for a backpacking trip. The morning and evening light on the red rock walls and the river would make for some great photos.
 
I would rate this to be a moderately difficult hike. It took me about 7 hours and I covered close to 12 miles.
 
Prep
Hiking poles
Sturdy hiking boots
Although this is a day hike it is still a wilderness hike and I always carry appropriate equipment A search and rescue device, I use Garmin inReach.
A GPS, I use the Gaia app on my iPhone. It will track me back if I get off the trail and I save the trail on my unit.
I took 2L of water although I didn’t use it all I always pack a head lamp.
 
Be safe and enjoy our wilderness area.