Finally the asparagus.  I know the hated green bean casserole is the standard, but not if I am cooking.

Ingredients:

2 # fresh asparagus, ends trimmed

12 slices of bacon

1/2 C light brown sugar

1 stick of butter

1 T soy sauce

1/2 t garlic salt

1/4 t ground pepper.

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Divide the asparagus into 12 bundles.  carefully wrap 1 piece of bacon around each bundle, starting about 1/2” from the bottom of the tips.  Secure the bacon-wrapped spears with a toothpick.  Lay the bundles in a low sided casserole dish.  
3. In a medium saucepan, combine the brown sugar, butter, soy sauce, garlic salt, and pepper.  Bring the mixture to a boil.  Pour the hot sugar mixture over  the asparagus bundles.  
4. Transfer the dish to the oven and roast until the spears have begun to wilt and the bacon looks fully cooked, about 25 minute.  (I did this while the Turkey was resting and being carved.  Everything but baking the day before.)

I didn’t do the stuffing recipe as I have done this one for several years.  It was good as usual.  When Sandy called to say she was sick I was too far along to cut it in half.  Bud has a lot of stuffing to eat, but I told him it could be frozen.  

The last thing we did on Thursday was to start the turkey carcass broth.  I slow simmered it until Monday.  We drained it and used most of it for soup.  I thought I took a photo of it.  Anyway the soup recipe comes from my Williams Sonoma 365 days of soup.

Ingredients:

2 T EVOO

1 yellow onion, chopped

3 cloves of garlic, minced

3 carrots, peeled and finely diced

4 celery ribs, finely diced

1 1/2 T minced thyme

8 C broth (I added abut 3 more cups after the turkey and noodles were cooked.)

1/2# shredded cooked turkey meat

2 C packed spinach leaves

salt and ground pepper

Directions:

1. In a large, heavy pot, warm the oil over medium high heat.  Add the onion, garlic, carrots, celery and thyme and sauté until the carrots begin to soften, about 8 minutes.  
2. Add the broth and bring to a boil.  Add the egg noodles and cook until ardent, about 5 minutes.
3. Add the turkey and spinach and stir to combine.  
4. Simmer the soup for 5 minutes to blend the flavors.  
5. season to taste with salt and pepper.