Yes, you read that correctly.
For the last several years we have celebrated Thanksgiving in the California desert.
Don’t think we skimp on the feast just because we are dry camping in the middle of nowhere. We go all out. It’s a traditional Thanksgiving feast with all the trimmings. The day starts much like it would if we were at home; getting all the food ready. Instead of breaking up the day with parades and football games, we hop on the dirt bikes and jump in the RZR’s for rides.
Also like home, the feast is one giant pot luck. Mark’s mom and step-dad, Gail and Dave, take care of the turkey, mashed potatoes, paper goods and table decorations. The rest of us contribute appetizers, side dishes and wines. I am a busy bee on Wednesday morning making pies which are carefully transported for Thanksgiving dessert. Check out my fancy pie carrier made by a talented uncle.
I make Aunt Loretta’s Candied Yams for our Thanksgiving feast and I have not been given permission to share the recipe yet. For now I’ll just tease you with pictures and tell you they are ah-mazing.
Gail does a great job with the decorations. There are candles, cute little pilgrims, pumpkins and Indian corn down the center of the table. She finds Thanksgiving table cloths, plates and napkins to complete our festive look. Our mismatched camp chairs round out the table. It reminds me of family gatherings where the dining room chairs match but the rest of the chairs are a conglomeration of office chairs, metal folding chairs and whatever else the host could get their hands on. I find it charming.
Because it’s often windy at Ocotillo Wells, the buffet is set up inside Dave and Gail’s trailer. It’s actually very efficient. We walk in via the ramp, pile our plates high with fabulous food and walk out the side door to our decorated table.
It’s even been so windy that we cooked the turkey inside the trailer, vented of course.
The star of the show, like everywhere else, is the turkey.
Dave is the turkey master. He dutifully and meticulously tends to the turkey on the Weber BBQ. There is a science to it. Gail preps and stuffs the turkey just the same as she would for roasting in the oven. He starts with 40 briquettes in the center with the grates removed. After they turn slightly ash looking, he separates them to 20 on each side and places an aluminum foil pan between the piles to make a drip pan. He then puts the grates back in place and puts the stuffed turkey breast side up right on the grates and closes the lid. He adds five coals to each side every 30 minutes throughout cooking. He will adjust the upper and lower vents during cooking if necessary to control the heat. Cooking time is 10-15 minutes per pound unstuffed and 20-25 minutes per pound stuffed. He uses an instant read thermometer in the thickest part of the thigh and cooks until 170-175 degrees. The last part before carving is allowing the turkey to rest for 20-30 minutes and allow the temp to rise 5-10 degrees. It is a mighty pretty bird when done.
After dinner the leftovers are packed into our refrigerators for tomorrow’s dinner. Yippee, it’s time for dessert. I told you we don’t skimp on the food. I usually make two pumpkin, one apple and one chocolate cream pie. There may also be an ice cream dessert, cream puffs, or an assortment of cookies. Calories do not count this weekend.