FLORIDA HARVEST
SAVORY CITRUS THANKSGIVING RECIPE TIPS WITH A FLORIDA TWIST Written by: Brenda Eubanks Burnette
C
ovid has put a definite hole in family reunions and holiday gatherings around tables loaded with Thanksgiving meals made from recipes handed down over the years.
But I still pull out my recipes. And due to a stint as the consumer spokesperson for the Florida Department of Citrus, I have many that include citrus as some component of the meal. Traveling on the road doing food demonstrations on live TV had its share of moments, I can tell you, especially the time I was making grapefruit ham flambé and forgot the lighter— hard to flambé when there’s no flame! In my defense, I’m pretty sure that was the time I met Bruce Springsteen in the hotel lobby while waiting for the rain to stop so I could go to the store to get the groceries.
WHAT’S NOT TO LOVE?
Regardless, those experiences led me to be somewhat creative with using citrus in my recipes. What’s not to love about the natural purity and goodness of Florida’s number one agricultural industry? Both for decorative purposes and in recipes, citrus has been used in a variety of ways that have been shown in artwork throughout the ages and in every Sunday brunch you’ve ever attended. Think decorated tables that always included family heirloom tableware and centerpieces of scented candles, pine boughs, oranges and cloves. Since ancient times, oranges have been symbols of
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prosperity and happiness, so what better time to use them than at Thanksgiving? At past Thanksgiving dinners, for example, I might offer orange-glazed carrots and muffins; stuffing with celery, orange bits, sausage and onions for a sweet-savory taste; the now infamous grapefruit ham flambé; mom’s secret turkey and gravy recipe, and of course the numerous desserts, especially one of my favorites, Martha Roe Burke’s grapefruit chiffon pie!
SALAD DAZE
Salads would run the gamut from spring mix with oranges, strawberries, grapes, candied walnuts and goat cheese, to a unique stacked orange, tomato and onion caprese that a friend in Sarasota introduced to me. Normally that’s one I would do in the summer. But it seems our Novembers are just as hot as June anymore, so this one has crept into my repertoire late in the season, if the weather is still warm. I like it because it’s unique and has a sweet-sour taste that seems to get your taste buds ready for the savory main dishes to come. Whether it’s turkey, ham or steak—yes, I’m one of those that would prefer a good steak over turkey at Thanksgiving—this salad plates up beautifully or looks good chopped, if you have a big crowd. Thanksgiving always meant the excitement of seeing friends and family back in town to visit relatives and a chance to
