100-mile Thanksgiving
One of the things that I love about going to the farmer's market and belonging to a CSA is the introduction of new foods. My father was born and raised in Montana - almost everything we ate when growing up was either beef or fish based and standard veggies: broccoli, beans, potatoes, iceberg lettuce, etc.
When I went to college I became a little more adventurous in my food choices: artichoke hearts, sundried tomatoes, feta cheese all became part of standard fair. However, I was still pretty naive about many of the foods available. So, before this summer, I had never seen a red beet, used kale, or cooked with parsnips. This week I received each of those items and have cooked with them.
Romanesco - an italian brocolli. We love it!
Celeriac - excellent in soup!
Kale - great sauteed. High in iron!
100-mile Thanksgiving
So, I have some ideas for our Thanksgiving meal. All local.
Turkey
(summer hill family farm in Lanesboro has organic + free-range. )
Stuff with local apples (http://www.appleridgeorchard.com/).
maple butter and thyme (all local) on and under skin.
- maple syrup from the Amish family at the farmer's market
- butter from Pastureland ( http://www.pastureland.coop/Butter.htm )
- thyme from my herb garden (now hanging and drying)
(potatoes, celeriac, rosemary, butter, milk, stock)
potatoes, celeriac, and rosemary from our CSA Rock Spring Farm ( http://www.rsfarm.com/)
milk from Kappers' Big Red Barn (http://www.the-land.com/story.php?storyid=2340)
Sauteed Kale
kale, garlic (again from CSA)
olive oil and balsamic vinegar (on hand)
Stuffing
Apples, homemade bread, thyme, sausage (Shady Hills Farm)
Acorn squash
flavored with maple syrup
Pumpkin pie + Apple pie
all from local ingredients. The crust will be made with home ground wheat.
I have yet to find cranberries - I do know that there are some grown within this radius. I have yet to find them. I am not going to go out of my way.
I may try to find a local wine. My MIL is bringing Apple Cider (local from Chicago area).
I may add or remove items. However, I think we have almost everything covered. With the exception of salt, olive oil, vinegar, wheat berries, and a few spices, we are 100% local!
5 comments:
Ooh, I love your ideas. Unfortunately, when I tried to find a CSA to join in our area, the only ones operating in winter are full. :( We are still farmer's market shopping but the volume and diversity of what's available has greatly diminished lately. We've eaten a whole lot of pumpkin and sweet potatoes! Seasonal, at least, if not all local.
For Thanksgiving, I ordered spiced nuts from a farm (and a source of social justice since the 1950's) in Georgia. I emailed to ask if they would arrive by Thanksgiving, and I got a personal reply. So nice!
I may also do an apple pie with local apples if I can figure out where to get local apples without driving 60 miles for them. It's so stupid that the grocery store stocks apples from NZ and CA when there are great apples in GA.
Sounds like a lovely meal plan. I wish we were celebrarting Thanksgiving. ):
Too bad about the cranberries. I know there are some organic cranberry producers in Warrens WI and I think Viroqua, but that's a over 100mi.
Cranberries are grown in Tomah, WI just over an hour from Rochester. Many farmers in the area also grow for the Oceanspray facility there as I have stopped and bought from them in the past. However, I doubt they offer an organic product, but you may want to inquire at the grocery organic section.
Thanks for letting me know that cranberries are local. If I have time to find some, I will get them. Otherwise, I will forego this year.
Thanks! :)
Sounds like a great meal. I am not quite ready to take the step of a 100 mile meal as living in Singapore my thangiving meal would be Durian, palm oil, some veggies for sure, but no turkey for sure
:-(
Maybe next year I will be more daring!
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