8 cups day-old bread, cut or torn into pieces, about 1/4 inch square
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped onion
2 sticks unsalted butter
salt and pepper
poultry seasoning

Melt butter in large pot. Add celery and onion and cook over medium heat until softened. Add salt, pepper and poultry seasoning. (About 1 teaspoon of the salt and pepper and 1 TB. poultry seasoning, to start.) Stir to incorporate. Add bread and stir to mix thoroughly. Cook on low heat until all the bread is coated. Adjust seasoning.

Note: You may add more melted butter if mixture seems too dry.

Place in oven-proof pan and reheat before serving. If stuffing in turkey, it must reach 160 degrees on instant read thermometer to serve safely.


adapted from The California Cook by Diane Rossen Worthington

2 TB. olive oil
4 medium leeks, white part (cleaned & finely chopped)
1 carrot, peeled and finely chopped
1 celery rib, finely chopped
6 large tomatoes, coarsely chopped
3 TB. all purpose flour
3 1/2 cups corn kernels (7 medium ears)
2 garlic cloves, minced
6 dry-packed sun-dried tomatoes
8 fresh basil leaves
2 TB. tomato paste
6 cups chicken stock
1 teas. salt
1/4 teas. pepper

Relish:
1/2 cup reserved diced tomato
1/2 cup reserved corn kernels
1 TB. finely chopped fresh basil
1/8 teas. salt, pinch of pepper

In a large soup pot over medium heat, heat the olive oil. Add the leeks, carrot, and celery, and sauté for about 5 minutes or until softened. Reserve 1/2 cup of the tomatoes for the relish, add the remaining tomatoes, and cook for 3 minutes or until slightly softened. Add the flour and stir with a wooden spoon, making sure the flour is dissolved. Continue cooking for 2 minutes.

Reserve 1/2 cup of the corn kernels for the relish and add the remaining corn kernels, garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, basil, tomato paste, and stock and bring to a simmer. Simmer, partially covered, for about 25 minutes. Puree the soup in the pot using a hand blender or in a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Pour the soup through a strainer into a large container. Add the seasoning. Bring to room temperature and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

For the relish, finely chop the reserved tomato and place in a small mixing bowl. Add the reserved corn kernels, basil, salt and pepper. Taste for seasoning.