Can it be? Is it really the beginning of the holiday season again? To get used to the idea, you might consider making a list while drinking a glass of nice wine. We’ve come up with three you might like. They all go well with many holiday foods.

As usual, all our wines are purchased locally with food in mind. If you can’t find them in one shop, you’ll probably find them in another. The chardonnay is a bargain. But, each of them is fairly priced.

Our top pick this month is the 2019 Cèline + Frédéric Domaine Gueguen Bourgogne Rosé ($19-$21). Rosés are quite popular in the warmer months. Then, some people just forget about them when the temperature gets lower. For a food friendly, versatile wine any time of the year, this French offering fits the bill. It has aromas of strawberry and mint and strawberry flavors with a slight bite. Quite dry and medium bodied, serve it at the Thanksgiving dinner table. It will complement many of the dishes.

Other good bets this month are the 2018 Via Blanca Terroir Series Chardonnay ($13-$15) and the 2016 Wolfberger Pinot Blanc ($14-$16). From Argentina, the chardonnay is crisp, clean and very food friendly. It has a nice apricot flavor that will pair well with our pumpkin bisque, as well as crab cakes, goat cheese and dishes with Alfredo sauce. Seafood and lean fish are other good matches.

The Wolfberger wine is fairly typical wine from Alsace in France. It has a very light fragrance of pear with a little spice. Pineapple, pair and other fruit flavors combine to make it a very fruity, medium-bodied wine that is soft and refreshing. Roast turkey is a good match and is a nice change from more traditional Thanksgiving wines. Feta and blue cheeses work well with this wine. It’s a good wine for quiche Lorraine at a holiday brunch.


Pumpkin Bisque

• 1 medium onion, chopped (approximately 1 cup)
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 (18-ounce can) pack pumpkin
• 6 cups homemade chicken broth or about 4 (14-ounce) cans of chicken broth
• 4 Tsp. ground ginger
• 1/8 Tsp. ground nutmeg
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Toasted pumpkin seeds (optional)

Heat oil in 4-quart saucepan. Add onions and cook until soft but not browned, about five minutes. Stir in pumpkin, chicken broth, ginger, nutmeg, salt and pepper to taste. Simmer 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until heated through. Garnish with toasted pumpkin seeds, if desired. Makes two quarts. (8-12 servings).


Cheddar Cheese and Chive Biscuits

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 Tbsp. baking powder
• 1/2 Tsp. salt
• 1/3 cup unsalted butter
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, plus 2/3 cup for garnish
• 2 Tbsp. fresh or 1 1/2 Tsp. dried chives
• 3/4 cup milk
• Black pepper to taste
• Fresh chives for garnish

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Combine flour, baking powder and salt in medium bowl or food processor fitted with steel blade. Cut in butter or process with several on-off turns until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add one cup cheese and chives; mix. Add milk, mix until mixture is moistened or in processor until dough forms a ball.

Transfer dough to lightly floured surface. Knead gently eight to 10 times. Roll out dough to 1/2-inch thickness and cut with floured pumpkin or other cutter. Place on ungreased 14- by 20-inch cookie sheet. (Dough may be re-rolled to make remaining biscuits.) Bake 12-15 minutes or until golden brown. Sprinkle remaining cheese on biscuits (about one tablespoon per biscuit) five minutes before done.  Makes 8-10 biscuits.


Turkey Pot Pie

• 1 cup diced peeled potatoes
• 3/4 cup sliced carrots
• 12 cup butter, cubed
• 1/3 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 Tsp. salt
• 1/2 Tsp. dried thyme
• 1/2 Tsp. pepper
• 1 1/2 cups turkey or chicken stock
• 3/4 cup whole milk
• 2 cups cubed cooked turkey
• 1/2 cup frozen green peas
• 1/2 cup frozen corn
• 2 sheets refrigerated pie  crust

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Put potatoes and carrots in large saucepan with water to cover. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cook, covered for 8-10 minutes until crisp-tender. Drain.

In a large skillet, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add onion, stirring until tender. Stir in flour and seasonings until well blended. Gradually add milk and broth. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Cook and stir until thickened, about two minutes. Stir in turkey, peas, corn and potato mixture.

Place a pie crust over the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch round cake pan. Add filling. Top with remaining crust. Trim edges and seal. Bake 35 to 40 minutes until crust is lightly browned. Let stand 10-15 minutes before cutting. Makes six generous servings.


Cranberry Thanksgiving Pie

Crust

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 3 Tbsp. cold skim milk

Sift flour into mixing bowl.  In small bowl, mix oil and cold milk. Pour all at once into the flour and stir lightly with fork until blended. Chill 15 minutes. Flatten dough slightly between two sheets of wax paper and roll out. Place in 9-inch pie plate, trim and flute edges.

Filling

• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 Tbsp. cornstarch
• 3/4 cup water
• 3 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
• 1 Tsp. grated orange rind

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In saucepan, combine sugar, cornstarch and water. Bring to boil; stir in cranberries and grated orange rind. Boil until cranberries pop, then remove from heat and cool until mixture is lukewarm. Turn into unbaked pie shell. Bake for 20 minutes; reduce oven heat to 375 degrees and bake an additional 20 minutes.

​Most of us are addicted to serving bountiful Thanksgiving dinners, and, even in this most unusual year, we will surely still cook the traditional holiday turkey and dressing. We may not host as large a gathering as we did in earlier years, but preparing the standard favorites will make us feel more secure and normal.
That said, what will we cook?

Brisket-Stuffed Herb Cornbread

• 1 cup cornmeal
• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 Tsp. baking soda
• 2 Tbsp. sugar
• 3/4 Tsp. kosher salt
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 Tbsp. chopped thyme leaves
• 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
• 1-2 cups chopped Slow-Roasted Beef Brisket (recipe follows)
• 1 cup grated cheese, Gruyère or white cheddar

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Prepare a 9- or 10-inch cast iron skillet with nonstick cooking spray.

In a large bowl, combine cornmeal, flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, and salt. In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, buttermilk, herbs, and oil. Add to dry ingredients and mix well
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Pour half of batter into the skillet and spread evenly cover with brisket and grated cheese; add remaining batter on top. Bake for 15 to 30 minutes or until a cake tester, inserted into the thickest part of the cornbread, comes out clean. Let rest 10 to 15 minutes before slicing. Serves 12 as an appetizer or six as a main meal. It may also be made in muffin cups for individual servings.


Slow-Roasted Beef Brisket

• 2 Tbsp. brown sugar
• 2 Tbsp. paprika
• 2 Tbsp. kosher salt
• 1 Tbsp. coarsely ground black pepper
• 1 Tbsp. garlic powder
• 1 Tbsp. onion powder
• 1 Tbsp. dried parsley
• 2 Tsp. cumin
• 1 Tsp. chili powder
• 1 Tsp. cayenne pepper
• 1 (6- to 8-pound) brisket, trimmed
• 2 Tbsp. liquid smoke, optional
• Barbecue sauce of choice

Line a baking pan with heavy-duty aluminum foil. In a medium bowl, combine sugar, paprika, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, parsley, cumin, chili powder, and cayenne. Spread mixture generously all over brisket. (Leftover spice blend may be stored in a small jar in a cool, dry place for several weeks.) Sprinkle with liquid smoke, if using.

Wrap meat in foil, fat side up, and seal completely; place in baking pan. If possible, refrigerate overnight. Remove from refrigerator one to two hours before putting in oven.

Preheat oven to 275. Bake brisket for five hours. (Total cooking time will be approximately 1 ½ hours for every pound of meat.) Remove foil, pour off accumulated juices, and reserve. Return brisket to oven and cook an additional two to three hours. Brisket should be tender but not falling apart. Remove from oven and tent with foil. Let rest a least one hour before carving; cut into thin slices across the grain. Serve with barbecue sauce or reheated reserved juices. Makes 10 to 12 servings.

The following main dish only needs the addition of a green salad and some fresh fruit to make a delicious meal.


Croissant, Pear, and Chocolate Bread Pudding

• 10-12 croissants, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 4 large eggs
• 2 1/2 cups heavy cream
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 Tsp. cinnamon
• 2 Tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/4 Tsp. kosher salt
• 3 to 4 pears, peeled, cored, and cubed
• 3/4 cup bittersweet chocolate morsels
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Lightly spray a 9- by 13-inch baking dish with baking spray. Arrange croissant cubes in dish. In a large bowl, whisk eggs, cream, sugar, cinnamon, vanilla, and salt. Pour liquid mixture over the cubes. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight to allow bread to absorb liquid.

Preheat oven to 350.

Remove pudding from refrigerator and gently toss in the pears and sprinkle chocolate morsels and walnuts over the top. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes util set in the center and golden brown on top. Allow to rest for 10 minutes before serving. Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Makes eight servings.


Sausage, Cheddar, and Polenta Soufflé

• Unsalted butter
• Flour
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1/2 pound bulk Italian sausage
• 2 Tbsp. chopped scallions
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• Kosher salt, to taste
• 1/2 cup polenta or grits
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• Pinch of cayenne pepper
• 1/2 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
• 4 large eggs
• 1/4 Tsp. cream of tartar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour four (1-cup) ramekins.

Heat olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Cook sausage until brown then add scallions and continue to cook until soft. Set aside.

In a medium pot over medium heat, bring milk to a boil. Gradually stir in polenta, salt, pepper, and cayenne and whisk two to four minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat and stir in cheese. Let cool slightly.
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Separate egg yolks and whites in two bowls. Whisk egg yolks into cooled polenta. In a large bowl using a hand mixer, beat egg whites and cream of tartar until stiff. Gently fold half of the egg whites into the polenta mixture, and then fold in the rest.

Divide the sausage mixture into the ramekins and fill with the egg white mixture. Bake 20 to 25 minutes until slightly brown and firm. Souffles are best served right out of the oven. Makes four servings.

Jenks Parker Jr. is now selling pecans from his family’s farm. Peachburg Farm is located on several thousand acres in Union Springs, Ala., on land granted in 1851. In the 1880s, the Turnipseed family used it as a peach orchard and cannery along the Central of Georgia Railway. In the early 1900s, heirs converted it to a large pecan plantation, much of which remains today. In fact, those original pecan trees are still producing nuts, which the family has been giving away as presents. Jenks’ father, Jenks Sr., bought the farm in 1980, and he and his sons, Jenks, Quincy, and Michael have all worked together on a true family farm, part of which is a private quail plantation for hunting.
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In 2012, the family decided to expand the pecan orchards. They cleared the land in 2013 and planted 880 pecan trees in several varieties the next year, adding more in subsequent years. Jenks Jr, who oversees the pecans, and his brothers are very proud of their pecans. According to the Peachburg website, “Compared to the pecans sold in grocery stores, our extraordinary pecans are golden in color, buttery in texture, and rich in taste. Most folks don’t realize the nutritional density of pecans. According to the American Pecan Council, ‘The unique mix of unsaturated fats, plant sterols, fiber and flavonoids all add up to make pecans a superfood for your heart.’ When you start with fertile soil, lots of sunshine, nutrient-rich irrigation water, you get an extraordinary nut.”

Jenks is more than happy to deliver your online purchases to your door, or you can arrange a pick-up. Prices are $10 a pound for pecan pieces and $14 a pound for halves, making them very reasonable. They can also be purchased at the Market on the Mountain, and once you taste them, you will see that they are outstanding. The family is also busy working on other pecan products that all sound delicious. (Rumor has it that the pecan butter is to die for!) The mission of this family is to produce a pecan second to none:  a nut that tastes like it was harvested and shelled the week before - no matter the season.” I can assure they have!

by Gwin Tugman

One fall morning in 2018, Hollee Huckaba Brock set out from a village in France to walk 500 miles across northern Spain. A wife and mother of six who grew up on Signal Mountain and is now a long-time resident of Lookout, she was embarking on a thousand-year old pilgrimage called The Camino de Santiago de la Compostela, which would take her to a place known as the Field of Stars.  In it lies the remains of Saint James and the two men who, in the first century, brought his body to be buried at the farthest point he had traveled to carry the message of Jesus. The graves lay hidden until the 9th Century when a hermit, led by dazzlingly bright stars, discovered them in a field. The king ordered a church and monastery to be built and the monks to be guardians of the sacred graves. Thus, the Cathedral of St. James of the Field of Stars, Santiago de Compostela, came into being.

Compostela was designated a sacred site by the Roman Catholic Church, and the route became the “first great thoroughfare of Christian Europe.” In 950, the Bishop of Le Puy in France led the first known pilgrim group, and his route, called the French way, is still the most traveled. Beginning in St. Jean Pied-du-Port in the French Pyrenees, it follows the Milky Way across the mountains and continues 500 miles through fields, woods, villages, and towns to the cathedral. This became known as The Camino de Santiago de Compostela (still a synonym in Spain for Milky Way), or simply, The Camino or The Way, signifying the road itself and the spiritual journey of seeking one’s own way to enlightenment or redemption.

Hollee had wanted to make this pilgrimage for more than 15 years, since first learning of it, and the time was right. “I had reached the end of a long and intense season in my life, and I wanted to mark that,” she said. She’d married her high school sweetheart while still studying at Covenant College, and six children arrived in the nine years that followed. She hadn’t planned on a big family, but she was given “these immortal souls,” and she was “all in,” making a home, homeschooling the children, “being COO of Brock Enterprises,” she says affectionately. Now they were grown, she had the resources, and she was ready.

From ancient times, people have been asking (after what’s for dinner and where can I sleep tonight), some version of these two questions: why am I here, and where will I go when I die?  One way to find answers was to embark on a journey to an unknown or foreign place, to leave worldly concerns behind for a time and focus on one’s life purpose and connection to the Divine. Both an external and internal journey, this one requires a willingness to trust whatever happens, to go wherever one is led, physically and spiritually. The hope is to expand one’s understanding of life, to experience personal transformation, or to expiate sins and cleanse souls. It is also a way to demonstrate one's devotion to God.

Many modern-day pilgrims share these same hopes. Each has individual reasons for undertaking such a journey, some now for more secular reasons, including athletes and cyclists testing themselves or travelers wanting to experience new places and new cultures. But for everyone, it’s potentially a form of self-discovery: of who we are, of our courage, endurance, beliefs, and faith; an exploration of our soul’s yearnings and our connection to All that Is; an opportunity to experience a new dimension of existence; and ultimately, a life-affirming spiritual renewal.

Hollee’s motivation was three-fold, beginning with a certainty that she “really wanted to do it.” It would be an act of worship, an expression of her dedication to an ever-faithful God, of giving thanks for all she has been given. She also wanted to share this gift (the means to make the pilgrimage) with others and was led to establish a fund in support of a local organization that assists refugees resettling in Chattanooga, called Neigh’tions. Its name signifies that we are all neighbors, whatever our nation. Having met the people there, her journey was enriched by knowing that any monies it generated would go, in entirety, to benefit people who’d been cast, without their consent, on the ultimate journey to a foreign land.

From the first day, the physical aspects became real. “It was one of the most challenging days,” said Hollee, noting 16 miles up a 4,000-foot ascent and a 1,700 foot descent down a very steep grade. The seed that had been “planted in her heart” had blossomed into strenuous, repetitive physical exertion. It’s “boots on the ground, one foot in front of the other, over and over, day after day,” she said. But walking is an essential part of a pilgrimage. Noticing fields lying fallow, being renewed before growing new crops, she realized that “walking The Camino, the mind becomes fallow, rests and settles down.” The connection with the earth, the extended time, the suspension of the ordinary allows something new to grow.

At the outset, Hollee set an intention she called “Holy Imagination,” defined as “imagination God is in charge of.” To her, “life can’t be boiled down to what we know about it - it’s much more mysterious and dynamic. There’s something richer and more magnificent going on in our universe than what can be held in our brains … Imagination works with facts but isn’t limited by them … and doesn’t deny the value of something because it can’t be logically explained.” She asked God “to grow her imagination … and to take her beyond what she knows.”As a result, she regularly observed an “interplay of what actually happened and what could have happened.” It wasn’t always easy to tell the difference, and it made the experiences even richer. She often found herself “in the midst of impossibly possible” situations, alternating with the mundane: dealing with blisters and sore feet; yearning for a favorite food; hoping to make it to the next refugio (hostel) before dark.

Another challenge is finding the signposts on the route. The early pilgrims adopted the scallop shell as a symbol, which according to legend, covered St. James’ coffin when it was brought ashore. The symbol is on the pilgrim passport,  and shells are worn around necks or on backpacks. Most importantly, it’s found on signs, walls and trees to point the way west. The other big symbol is the yellow arrow. “There were plenty of times I wandered around looking for that,” said Hollee.

Over 500 miles, the terrain varies dramatically. Near Burgos, the route literally skirts the entire length of the airport runway. The Meseta plain extends 135 miles, mountains and woods present challenges, and the road goes right through towns. Local people living along the route were warm and welcoming, calling out buen camino, or barely civil, totally ignoring the pilgrims. Like many, Hollee was walking alone, though people do walk for a time with those they meet, often seeing them again along the trail. Hollee called this “the regional appearance of oneness” - people with compatible souls keep reuniting. The first of these was Pete; when she saw him again, she renamed him RePete.

Much of her time was spent “pondering.” She came to a deeper understanding of God’s gift of free will. We’re granted volition, and we can return that gift by pursuing our desires in ways that honor God, in a process of reciprocal giving and receiving. She looked at “unimportant” places, like a hill, and considered what might have happened there that, at the time mattered, or what could happen in the future. “This makes every place possibly holy ground.” She began to see the churches as a “string of lights along the way, as we walked to wherever we will meet God.” She stopped in them as an active part of worship, attending a Pilgrim’s Mass in Pamplona and visiting the Santa Maria, the silent church of the Knights Templar ,who, a thousand years ago, dedicated their lives to protecting pilgrims. Many more churches and masses followed, some breathtaking, some humble, several dedicated to Mother Mary. The church in Villafranca has a Door of Forgiveness; the legend is, if one leans on it, all sins are forgiven.

Pilgrimage also involves limiting physical comforts. Most people carry minimal clothes, food and water, first aid basics, maybe a sleeping bag. Meals are available at some refugios, and cafes offer a Pilgrim Meal – simple, heavy on potatoes, limited veggies, but always wine! They sleep in bunk beds or on the ground, and take cold showers. It’s somewhat like what early pilgrims experienced, but safer and less unprotected. Only twice did Hollee feel unsafe. “I was on high alert, but not in clear and present danger. Mostly, the people were wonderful.” She had her share of blisters, aching knees, and sore feet, but physically held up well and wisely took three rest days. “I think that made a lot of difference,” she said. If the need (or the overwhelming desire) arises, the towns have hotels and restaurants, and taxis or buses will get one to the next town.

A surprise and an inspiration were the determination and the “sheer number of people with infirmities” on the Camino, people compromised physically in numerous ways. One of them, Martha, had planned to walk with her husband. But he died and she contracted a condition that severely limited her. “But there she was. I think she averaged about two miles a day.” Many people don’t finish, and many intend to walk only portion of it. Everyone finds his or her own “way” on the Camino.

After five weeks, Hollee arrived at the The Cathedral de Santiago de Compostela and was awaiting the Pilgrim’s Mass, which occurs only twice a week. Frustrated and fearful she wouldn’t get in due to hordes of tourists, and feeling entitled because she was a pilgrim, she experienced another moment of grace. She was shown that despite what think we know, we are all pilgrims. As they packed in, the service began. At the end, the enormous censer, for which the Cathedral is famous, began swinging back and forth in the Cleansing Ceremony. Each time, it swung faster and farther until it covered the length of the church, incense smoke filling the building. Everyone received the cleansing, and somehow, there was room for all of them there.
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Most people stop here, but Hollee was determined to go on to Finisterre, where the path meets the Atlantic, the place the ancients called “the End of the Earth.” The tradition is to swim in the ocean, signifying “a baptism of sorts; a new self [emerges], born by means of walking the pilgrimage.” Two Spanish men failed at videoing her experience but added to it even more significantly: they presented her with the ultimate relic of her journey, a shell they’d chosen for her. Some pilgrims carry them from the outset; Hollee planned to choose one at the end of her journey. Instead, it came to her “from the hands of others … what made it even more sacred was that it was hand-picked for me, not by me.”

The actual walking of the Camino is Part A of Hollee’s journey. Part B is the series of podcasts she produced and reads. These “playful ponderings” describe her experiences, frequently provoking the listener to stop and ponder, too. Unique in format, they’re highly recommended to anyone interested in the Camino and in exploring “holy imagination” for themselves. This article only touches on the ideas she explores. Entitled “Along the Camino,” each just 10-15 minutes long, they delight, charm, and inspire listeners to find “their way” to expand their spiritual lives. Available on all podcast platforms, they are also accessible by computer at https://www.buzzsprout.com/1198439.

When asked for one essential take-away from her experience, Hollee replied, “Life is a pilgrimage. If we live it more that way, we can be more connected, to each other and to God.”

by Carol Lannon