With Thanksgiving just ten days away I'm well into planning the menu. There are some dishes which just have to be served because they have become part of the tradition of it all: home baked breads, whipped butternut squash, dressing and, of course, a turkey. Each year I take a different riff on these essentials--sometimes the turkey is maple glazed, other years it is done up with Chinese Five-Spice and currant glaze, then there's that fabulous version with the apple cider gravy-- but the table is never complete without them. Extras like gourgeres, sweet potatoes, and pie are really like icing on the cake.
This year, I'm going to try a local riff. There's a movement afoot called the 100-mile Thanksgiving and the challenge is to eat as much as your Thanksgiving meal as you'd like from ingredients procured from within 100 miles of your house. How can I resist--especially knowing how relatively easy it can be in our area.
I've already ordered a local turkey from the Syracuse Real Food Co-op (they still have Cobblestone Valley [Preble] turkeys available, plus some wonderful birds from a farm in Vermont) and finding local squash, onions, garlic, carrots, potatoes, greens, flour, butter, cheeses, wines, and other meats is a cinch--check out the Local Food Source list to the left or check one of the local farmers' markets or the CNY Regional Market.
Like other Eat Local Challenges, I will be making some exceptions. I've recently discovered a recipe for dressing (stuffing) that includes some gorgonzola dolce--there's no way I'm not making it. But my aim is to find local sources for the rest of the ingredients. In addition, I've got a cellar full of Long Island and California wines and I'm sure a bottle or two will complement the Finger Lakes Rieslings we'll be pouring.
This should be a cool experiement. The other part of the challenge will be to see how many of the foods I traditionally prepare can be found locally--if my husband wants a taste of home (Bahamas) we'll be making more exceptions but all these exceptions will be made consciously. And conscious eating is always a good thing.
One more thing: there's that nagging issue of cost. We have made some decisions about our food choices that I realize we are privileged to make. We are paying more for our turkey (it is the single most expensive food item we purchase all year) but most of our vegetables are coming either from our garden, bulk purchases from local farmers, and the rest is a matter of diligent sale watching at the Co-op and Wegmans. It all balances out in the end and the results of the meal because of the quality of the ingredients cannot be compared.
For inspiration, information and to sign up to participate in the 100-mile Thanksgiving, click here.
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