Free Thanksgiving 101 by Rick Rodgers

16 to 20 first-course salad servings
    Make Ahead: The salad must be made at least 8 hours ahead; it can be refrigerated for up to 2 days.
    1 tablespoon (about 1½ envelopes) unflavored gelatin
    2 cups bottled apple juice, divided
    One 12-ounce bag fresh cranberries, rinsed and picked over
    2 /3 cup sugar
    1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored, and chopped into ½-inch pieces
    1 medium celery rib, chopped
    1 /3 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
    1. In a small bowl, sprinkle the gelatin over ½ cup of the apple juice; set aside. In a large saucepan, mix the cranberries, the remaining 1½ cups apple juice, and sugar. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring often to dissolve the sugar. Cook until all the cranberries have popped, about 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to very low. Stir in the gelatin mixture and continue stirring until the gelatin is completely dissolved, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer the cranberry mixture to a large bowl. Refrigerate until cool and partially thickened (a spoon drawn through the mixture will leave a definite impression), about 2 hours. Or place the bowl in a larger bowl filled with ice water. Let stand, stirring the mixture often and adding more ice to the water as it melts, until the mixture is cool and partially thickened, about 45 minutes.
    2. Lightly oil a 5-cup mold. Stir the apple, celery, and walnuts into the cranberry mixture. Pour into the prepared mold and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate until the mixture is completely set, at least 8 hours or overnight. (The salad can be prepared up to 2 days ahead.)
    3. To unmold, fill a sink or large bowl with hot tap water. Dip the mold, just to the top edge, into the water and hold for 5 seconds. Remove from the water and dry the outside of the mold. Remove the plastic wrap. Invert the mold onto a serving platter. Holding the mold and the platter firmly together, shake them until the salad releases from the mold. Cut the salad into wedges and serve chilled.
    Baby Spinach and Fuyu Persimmon Salad with Ginger Vinaigrette
    This unusual but absolutely mouthwatering salad will generate a conversation on the merits of persimmons. Be sure to use Fuyu (sometimes called Sharon) persimmons, which can be eaten while crisp-ripe. Other varieties, such as Hachiya, need to be ripened until very soft or they will be inedibly tannic, and they don’t make the best salads. Also buy fresh, plump ginger with smooth, unwrinkled skin, as it will yield the most juice.
    Makes 8 servings
    Make Ahead: The ginger dressing and spinach can be prepared up to 1 day ahead; the persimmons can be prepared up to 4 hours ahead.
    GINGER VINAIGRETTE
    6 ounces firm, fresh ginger
    1 /3 cup cider vinegar
    1 tablespoon sugar
    ¾ teaspoon salt
    ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
    1 cup vegetable oil
    1 tablespoon dark Asian sesame oil
    2 tablespoons finely chopped shallots
    18 ounces baby spinach
    3 firm Fuyu persimmons
    1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon sesame seeds, for garnish
    1. To make the dressing, shred the unpeeled ginger on the large holes of a box grater. Wrap half of the shredded ginger in the corner of a clean kitchen towel. Wring the ginger over a small bowl to extract the juice. Discard the juiced ginger. Repeat with the remaining ginger. You should have about ¼ cup of juice.
    2. In a medium bowl, whisk the vinegar, ginger juice, sugar, salt, and pepper. Gradually whisk in the oil. Stir in the shallots. Cover tightly and refrigerate until ready to serve; whisk the dressing well before using. (The dressing can be prepared up to 1 day ahead.)
    3. Rinse the spinach and spin-dry in a salad spinner. Wrap the spinach loosely in paper towels and place in a large plastic bag (a grocery bag is perfect). Refrigerate until ready to serve. (The spinach can be prepared up to 1 day ahead.)
    4. Using a small, sharp knife, cut out the green calyx from the top of each persimmon. Using a vegetable peeler, peel the persimmons, moving the peeler vertically around the outside of each persimmon to