By Helen made Thanksgiving plans. The clipboard is back. Same clipboard, same handwriting, same ruthless efficiency applied to the logistics of feeding twelve people in a kitchen designed for four. I love the clipboard. I fear the clipboard. Both emotions coexist comfortably, which is the definition of marriage to a woman who was a charge nurse for twenty years and has never met a situation she couldn't organize.
The turkey's been ordered. Same farm in Hinesburg, same farmer, same handshake that serves as a receipt. Twenty-two pounds. I asked Helen if maybe we should get a smaller bird, since James is only one and Lucy is five months and neither of them eats turkey. She looked at me. I withdrew the suggestion. Twenty-two pounds.
I made cranberry sauce for the blog — the real kind, not the jellied cylinder that slides out of a can with a sound like a boot being pulled from mud. Fresh cranberries, sugar, water, a bit of orange zest. Cook until the cranberries pop — you can hear them, tiny explosions in the pot, like very small fireworks — and the sauce thickens into something ruby-red and tart and exactly right. It takes twelve minutes. Twelve minutes for something that most people buy in a can. I don't judge the can people. But I do pity them, slightly.
The blog post about cranberry sauce included Helen's note from her recipe card: "Don't overcook — Walt overcooks everything." This is a theme. The woman has documented my overcooking tendencies on index cards the way a scientist documents experimental results. The data is clear: I leave things in too long. The oatmeal cookies, the cranberry sauce, the Brussels sprouts (once, in 2004, never again). I'm aware of the pattern. I'm working on it. I've been working on it for thirty-seven years. Helen says I'm improving. The data does not support her optimism.
Sarah confirmed she's coming for Thanksgiving. Tom confirmed. Ben confirmed, in the sense that a three-year-old confirms things, which is by shouting "TURKEY" into the phone and hanging up. Lucy will come too, obviously. The whole crew. The farmhouse will be full. The clipboard will be followed. The turkey will be twenty-two pounds.
November. The plans are made. The cranberries have popped. The clipboard reigns. Thanksgiving approaches. We're ready.
After the cranberry sauce was done — twelve minutes, right on the money, no overcooking this time, Helen — I still had half a bag of cranberries sitting on the counter. And because the clipboard doesn’t technically govern what I do with leftover fruit, I made this Nantucket cranberry tart. It’s the same cranberries I love, the same tartness, but dressed up in a buttery crust that feels like a proper Thanksgiving dessert. Helen approved. She didn’t even write a correction on the index card.
Nantucket Cranberry Tart
Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 40 minutes | Total Time: 55 minutes | Servings: 8
Ingredients
- 2 cups fresh cranberries
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar (for the cranberry layer)
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup granulated sugar (for the batter)
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- Pinch of salt
- Butter or nonstick spray for the pan
Instructions
- Preheat and prep. Preheat your oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-inch pie plate or tart pan with butter or nonstick spray.
- Layer the cranberries. Spread the fresh cranberries and chopped nuts evenly across the bottom of the prepared pan. Sprinkle the 1/2 cup of sugar over the top.
- Make the batter. In a medium bowl, beat the eggs and 1 cup sugar together until smooth. Add the melted butter, vegetable oil, and almond extract, stirring to combine. Fold in the flour and salt until just incorporated — don’t overmix.
- Assemble and bake. Pour the batter evenly over the cranberry layer, spreading gently to cover. Bake for 40 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool and serve. Let the tart cool for at least 10 minutes before slicing. Serve warm or at room temperature, with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream if the clipboard permits.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 370 | Protein: 4g | Fat: 19g | Carbs: 48g | Fiber: 2g | Sodium: 45mg