THE SCENT OF A TURTLE

Spring is in full swing at “The Meadow,” and every day brings more evidence of the season. Morning birds chirp a wake- up song, herbs are popping up in the garden, the rhubarb patch is a foot high. Scotchy, the little brown hen is nesting on eggs in the chicken coop, the geese are back with mates at their sides making homes of their own near the pond. And, the turtles have arrived, headed for the shelter and warmth of the lawn to lay their eggs as they have every year since we’ve been here at Cricket Meadow to witness their spring ritual.

I’ve never had snapping turtles come close to the house, but I have seen them in the marsh and ditches by the pasture. I will never forget my mom’s story of the snapper my dad killed and cleaned and coaxed her to fry. She was not a reptile lover, therefore was not eager to see a turtle show up in her kitchen as a potential meal. But Mom was a compliant, obliging, peacemaker type, so she bent over backwards to please her man and play the part of Betty Crocker-Suzie Homemaker.

So, when Dad sauntered into the kitchen with a freshly cleaned snapper in tow and persuaded Mom to try her hand at the preparation she balked, but to no avail. Then, in submit mode, proceeded to pan fry the disgusting mound of flesh. She recounted this tale from her newlywed years many times and, in the years since, claimed she never did fully eradicate from her memory the scent of cooking reptile and the sight of twitching meat in the pan. The meal was fed to a table of men my dad invited for the event, never letting on that it was turtle. They thought it was fowl of some sort. The dish went over well, was likened to chicken (surprise) and was promptly thrown up by one of the diners when the truth of species was divulged.

My mom was braver than I’ll ever be. I would not be able to perform such a feat. My ability to please has never hit those levels.

TURTLE (The one thing missing from this recipe is, who kills it and how?)

Turtle

3 sprigs fresh parsley

1 bay leaf

2 sprigs fresh thyme

1 medium onion stuck with whole cloves

3 stalks celery

 6 tablespoons melted butter

To cook, place turtle in a pan of cold water. Bring to a boil and parblanch about 10 minutes. Drain. Plunge turtle into cold water and leave until cool enough to handle. Scrub well.  Place turtle in rapidly boiling water. Add herbs, onion and celery. Reduce heat and simmer 35 to 45 minutes or until claws can be removed by pulling. Drain, reserving stock. Allow the turtle to cool on its back in order to trap the juices as it cools. When cool, pry the flat plastron free from the curved carapace. Near the head, is the liver. Free it carefully from the gall. Discard the gall. Slice the liver thinly and reserve, as well as any eggs. Remove the meat from the both the carapace and the skinned legs. When ready to eat, toss in melted butter and garnish with more fresh parsley.

TURTLES (THE CANDY)

12 ounces pecan halves

1 can sweetened condensed milk

1 cup light brown sugar

1/2 cup butter

Pinch salt

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

3/4 cup light corn syrup

12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips

On a cookie sheet, arrange 3 pecan halves in a triangular shape. Separate each triangle by 2 inches. In a heavy saucepan, combine milk, sugar, butter, syrup and salt. Cook to soft-ball stage, stirring constantly. Add vanilla and stir well. Using a large spoon, put 2 tablespoons caramel on top of each group of nuts. Let set until cool. Melt chocolate chips in microwave and top each pecan caramel cluster with chocolate. Let set. Store in a tightly covered container.

TURTLE BARS

1-1/2 cups flour

1-1/2 cups brown sugar

1/2 cup butter

1 cup pecan halves

2/3 cup butter

1 cup chocolate chips

In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, 1 cup brown sugar and 1/2 cup butter. Mix until crumbly. Pat into the bottom of a 9 by 13 inch pan. Sprinkle pecans evenly over crumbs. Combine 2/3 cup butter and remaining 1/2 cup brown sugar in a small saucepan. Cook and stir over medium heat until bubbly. Cook and stir 1 minute more. Pour into pan, spreading evenly over crust. Bake at 350 degrees for 18 to 20 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle with chocolate chips. Let stand for 2 or 3 minutes and then use knife to swirl chocolate slightly. Cool before cutting.

PRETZEL TURTLES

20 mini pretzels

20 chocolate covered caramel candies

20 pecan halves

Arrange pretzels in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Place one candy on each pretzel. Bake at 300 degrees for 4 minutes. While candy is warm, press a pecan onto each candy co