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Happening at the Crossroads
November 15, 2007
by Coggin Heeringa In
kitchens all over the Door County, designated family cooks are
preparing for the annual eating orgy known as Thanksgiving
dinner---planning menus, making shopping lists, checking the spice rack
to see if there is enough poultry seasoning for this year's dressing.
Poultry
seasoning? Just what is it---and why is it used? Well, poultry
seasoning is a combination of herbs......among them: parsley, sage,
rosemary and thyme. Catchy phrase, huh?
When I say sage, I
suppose most Americans think of sagebrush---the pungent plant of the
West. Actually, sagebrush is a member of the sunflower family, while,
like rosemary and thyme, true sage is a mint. And mint has long been
cherished as a flavoring. First century naturalist Pliny the Elder
wrote: "The smell of mint stirs up the mind and appetite to a greedy
desire of food."
What was true in ancient Rome is true at
Thanksgiving, but why? Well, plants in the mint family have oil glands.
These plants exude volatile oils which evaporate into the air -- in
other words, giving off scents which attract insect pollinators to the
plants.
Those same essential oils, when added to food, give off an aroma which makes the food more palatable to us.
The
original reason for adding sage and other herbs to rich foods turns out
to be more mundane. Since the Middle Ages, sage has been valued for its
medicinal properties. Herbalist believed it cured everything from fever
to soft gums and heartache. According to these early physicians, sage
was especially helpful in preventing biliousness and flatulence. So
when rich food was to be served, sage was added as a preventative
measure.
The flavor has become associated with chicken and
turkey and the herbs of poultry seasonings have been passed down
through the generations. If they work, then I guess we have just one
more reason to be thankful.
Perhaps, it's a conditioned
reflex, like in Pavlov's dogs, but when I catch the aroma of poultry
seasoning, I think about Thanksgiving and reflect on our many blessings.
At
Crossroads we have so much for which to be grateful. We are
grateful to the Board of Directors, staff, committee members. We also
thank Friends of Crossroads, the Door County Historical Society,
The Door Peninsula Astronomical Society, Sturgeon Bay Home and Garden
Club, guest speakers, and hundreds of volunteers.
We thank our donors, and the foundations, agencies, businesses and organizations which support us in so many ways.
We are grateful to be associated with The Ridges, The Land Trust, The Clearing, and The Nature Conservancy.
We
are so thankful to teachers and parent (and grandparent)
chaperons and youth group leaders from eleven area schools for their
efforts so " no child is left inside."
We owe a great
deal to other non-profits which have collaborated in our
programming efforts and for the researchers who have been involved in
water quality studies. And the media for publicizing our events and
telling our story.
A very blessed Thanksgiving to all. The
Collins Learning Center will be closed on Thanksgiving Day, but the
trails will be open (and safe.) To learn whether the Leif Everson
Observatory will be open, call the Astronomy Hot-line 746-5696 and a
recorded message will tell you if the dome will be open.
In
what has become a Thanksgiving tradition, Crossroads will hold its
annual History Film Festival on Friday. Folks with Door County
connections enjoy viewing these videos with family members. After
each film, the audience will be invited to join in a time of sharing
and remembering. Come to one or all. These are free programs.
The
Collins Learning Center at Crossroads is located at on County Highway T
across from Whitetails Unlimited. To reach the Leif Everson Observatory
and Stonecipher Astronomy Center, use the Utah Street Entrance. If
skies are clear, call 746-5896 for a recorded message announcing
whether the observatory will be open.
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