This meal came about due to an occurrence that would be somewhat bizarre for most, but it is my world. My wife (as she does) brought home an ingredient that she randomly foraged for on a walk. This is not the first time this has happened, and it certainly won’t be the last. In the past, she’s found huckleberries, blueberries, bilberries, and even wild grapes on a kayaking trip. This time, she bio-morphed into a squirrel and collected a bunch of acorns from a red oak that had been growing along her walk route. As she has done with other past ingredients, she smiled proudly, presented them to me, and said, “Cook these!” As I have done in the past with other ingredients, I cocked my head and looked at her as though she was a crazy person (I’m still not convinced that she isn’t)…and then I pivot to accepting my fate and just go for it. If you haven’t got access to, time for, or patience for acorns, you can always swap in walnuts or chestnuts and be just fine.
We served this with Roasted Acorn Squash that we stuffed with sauteed shaved Brussels Sprouts and Red Peppers, but it would well with any sort of autumn-based side dish.
Time: 30 Minutes
Ingredients:
- Ground Turkey
- Dried Cranberries
- Onion
- Chestnuts/Waluts/Acorns
- Shredded Cheddar Cheese
Method:
- If using acorns, start by Preparing Acorns to Eat
- Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F
- Dice your onions, and begin to sautee them to caramelize.
- Chop your nuts, and add your ground turkey, dried cranberries, and chopped nuts to your onions, and sautee to cook through.
- Either add your cheese and melt it in the pan with everything, or transfer your cooked mixture to a bowl, and stir in your cheese.
- Add your now cheesified turkey amalgamation to your ramekins, place them on a baking sheet, and heat in the oven for about 15 minutes to melt the cheese, and make everything hot.
- Plate, devour, and enjoy!
