Now I just need to figure out what I'm going to do about lower-body strength, given home free weights and a balky ankle.

I suggest lots of one-legged exercises (doing one side, then the other). The balance element is good for stabilizing the ankle, and it effectively doubles the amount of work the leg is doing, so it works well if you don't have very heavy home weights.

Try one-legged deadlifts and Bulgarian split squats, or one-legged squats going down as far as you possibly can.