LandVest’s Top Places to Gather – Thanksgiving, Part 1

In late November we gather our family and friends together to celebrate, feast, and give thanks. In this 2-part blog series we’ll explore LandVest’s favorite places to celebrate Thanksgiving: by the sea, in town, in the mountains, and in the country. Looking for last minute recipe’s? Our brokers share some of their holiday go-tos.

Stew Young, a Luxury Real Estate Broker on Cape Cod, offers a tasty twist on classic stuffing. Stew suggests doubling the recipe because it’s so good it will go fast, and you’ll want leftovers to enjoy at a later date!

CORNBREAD STUFFING WITH SAUSAGE AND MUSHROOMS

PREP TIME: 15 minutes
COOK TIME: 45 minutes

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 lb. MILD ITALIAN SAUSAGE
• 1 large ONION, diced
• 8 oz. MUSHROOMS, mixed types, sliced
• 1 (14 oz.) pkg CORNBREAD STUFFING (I prefer Pepperidge Farm)
• 1 tsp DRIED THYME
• 1 tsp DRIED ROSEMARY (I often use Herbes de Provence instead of thyme and rosemary)
• SALT & PEPPER
• 2 cups CHICKEN BROTH (I prefer Swanson low sodium)

 

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Brown sausage, onion, and mushrooms in a large skillet. Drain grease from the pan.
3. In a large bowl, stir together cornbread stuffing and herbs. Add sausage/onion/mushroom mixture. Pour in chicken broth a little at a time. Stir well. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
4. Place in 9×13 baking dish and cover with foil. Bake for 45 minutes.
5. You can mix this together ahead of time, cover, and refrigerate until you are ready to bake.

 

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Terry and Joe Sortwell, Luxury Real Estate Brokers in Camden, Maine, also have a special way to make stuffing. The Sortwell’s use a New England delicacy – oysters!

OYSTER STUFFING

PREP TIME: 45 minutes
COOK TIME: 30 minutes

INGREDIENTS:

• 11 cups 1⁄2-inch-cubed white French bread (about 14 oz.)
• 6 slices bacon, cut crosswise into 1⁄4-inch strips
• 6 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted, plus more for greasing the pan
• 6 shallots, thinly sliced
• 4 ribs celery, thinly sliced
• 40 medium oysters (go local!), shucked (about 1 lb.), with 1 cup of the liquid reserved
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 1⁄4 cup port wine
• 1⁄3 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves
• 2 tbsp. chopped thyme leaves
• 2 tbsp. chopped sage leaves
• 1⁄2 tsp. Tabasco
• 1⁄4 tsp. fresh grated nutmeg
• 1⁄8 tsp. ground cloves
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Heat oven to 250˚. Arrange bread cubes on a baking sheet in a single layer and bake, stirring occasionally, until dried but not browned, about 15 minutes. Let cool.
2. Put bacon into a 12-inch skillet; cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until crisp and its fat has rendered, about 10 minutes. Add 4 tbsp. of the butter and heat. Add shallots and celery, reduce heat to medium, and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are soft, about 10 minutes. Add oyster liquor, stock, madeira or port, parsley, thyme, sage, Tabasco, nutmeg, cloves, and salt and pepper. Bring to a boil over high heat and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Scrape the mixture into a large bowl and stir in the bread cubes and oysters. Set aside to allow the flavors to come together for 10 minutes.
3. Raise the oven temperature to 400˚. Transfer mixture to a buttered 2-qt. oval baking dish and cover with foil. Bake for 30 minutes, remove foil, drizzle with remaining butter, and continue baking until golden brown and crusty, about 15 minutes more. Serve immediately.

 

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THANKSGIVING BY THE SEA

These seaside properties offer our favorite coastal estates to bring the family together this year, and many years to come.

1 Sea Street
Rockport, ME

 

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Amy Donovan, a Luxury Real Estate Broker in Boston, likes to mix up some mulled wine. “Imagine the aroma coming from the country kitchen, then choose your favorite fireplace for sipping fireside!”

SLOW COOKER MULLED WINE

PREP TIME: 5 minutes
COOK TIME: 90 minutes

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 Bottle Red Wine
• 2 Cinnamon Sticks
• 3 Star Anise
• 5-6 Cloves
• 2 Pears, thinly sliced
• Juice of 1 Orange
• 2 Tablespoons Honey
• 2 Limes, thinly sliced
• 1 Orange, thinly sliced

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Pour wine into a slow cooker along with cinnamon sticks, star anise, cloves, orange juice, honey, and pear slices. Stir to combine. Turn on heat and let simmer on low heat about 1 hour.
2. Add lime and orange slices and let infuse about another 30 minutes on the “keep warm” setting.
3. Strain mulled wine, leaving out cinnamon sticks and star anise.
4. Garnish with a few slices pear and orange and lime.
5. Enjoy!

 

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THANKSGIVING IN TOWN

These in town properties offer some of our favorite places to bring the family together this year, and many years to come.

Coming Soon – Beacon Hill
Boston, MA

For more information on these and other LandVest luxury properties, visit LandVest.com or call our Boston office, (617) 723-1800.