Your Ultimate Guide to a Farm Fresh Thanksgiving
Your Ultimate Guide to a Farm Fresh Thanksgiving
Holidays are a time for being with the ones you love and creating wonderful memories around the table. Whether you are cooking the holiday meal for the first time or are a seasoned professional, this ultimate guide can help you be prepared to enjoy the day and make the most of your celebration. We have… Read More »
Holidays are a time for being with the ones you love and creating wonderful memories around the table. Whether you are cooking the holiday meal for the first time or are a seasoned professional, this ultimate guide can help you be prepared to enjoy the day and make the most of your celebration. We have specially curated our favorite Farm Fresh Thanksgiving recipes that are nutritious and delicious as well as easy to prepare allowing you to have more time with the ones you love.
As with any successful endeavor, planning is a key to success. Start thinking about your meal with color, flavors and textures in mind. Thanksgiving is less than a week away so you should have secured your turkey by now, if you desire one, and should be getting ready to select your side dishes and corresponding recipes.
While outlining your meal, think about the colors and flavors of the season so that your meal is as appealing to the eyes as it is to the palate, full of nutrients your body needs this time of year. Choosing foods that represent a variety of colors will not only make your table beautiful but also is good for you! Be open to stopping into your local farm stands or shop online, or in person, in our farm store to see what is in season right now and use those colors as a guide to inspire your flavors. Pretty golden yellows are represented in the squashes, as well as oranges and greens, and these can be prepared in a variety of ways from soups to roasting or pies. Hearty root vegetables such as red or golden beets, orange carrots and red radishes bring lots of earthy color, taste and crunch to your meal and can be roasted in one sheet pan for ease. Leafy greens, red cranberries, purple potatoes and shaved crispy Brussel sprouts all add to the festiveness and complete the thanksgiving color palate.
Plan to develop your meal at least one week in advance of your gathering and then shop for the bulk of the ingredients during that week for freshness. Spend some time organizing your fridge in advance to make room for your holiday meal. Now is also a great time to gather your serving trays, bowls, platters and cookware to have them handy and ready to go when needed. Washing and properly storing your produce is advisable to ensure they stay fresh & crisp. Prepping your produce by washing, chopping and storing will save you time when it’s time to cook these items. Another time saving tip is to prepare some dishes in advance such as; stuffing, side dishes or soups and be one-step ahead of your dinner preparations and more relaxed on the big day.
This delicious roasted carrot soup featuring carrots, shallots, onions & ginger can
be made in advance and warmed up on your stove on Thanksgiving Day before serving. Another delicious make-ahead dish is our roasted garlic purple mashed potatoes, stuffed acorn squash or rustic panella apple stuffing. Preparing these dishes in advance won’t impact the taste or flavor and will allow you to focus on your guests and family instead of spending your holiday in the kitchen.
Besides introducing different colors and flavor to your dishes, serving a variety of textures and temperatures of food is also another way to make sure your meal is truly something to savor. For example; add cold salads, crispy veggies or cold cranberry sauce as compliments to your main dish of roasted turkey. This great 
recipe for seasonal Brussel sprout salad is not only great tasting, it also provides a festive presentation to your holiday table and helps nourish your family by eating in season. Serving a fresh homemade cranberry sauce is a great way to brighten up your turkey and give it a personalized touch. You can use our basic recipe and add in your favorite ingredients making it your own creation.
Another simple way to add great color along with taste and flavor to your Thanksgiving meal is to utilize fresh snipped herbs in your dishes or as garnish or platter decoration. If you are using fresh snipped herbs remember to double the quantity in recipes calling for dried herbs.
On Thanksgiving day, follow the directions for cooking your Turkey on the package directions, or read
our helpful tips on how to easily prepare the perfect Thanksgiving Turkey in five easy steps. We are proud to offer fresh, all natural turkeys that are locally raised without any hormones, antibiotics, preservatives or fillers ensuring you feed your family the same high quality ingredients as our homegrown, sustainable produce.
Remember to have fun, do things in stages and engage the family and kids in the preparation and shopping. Children who are involved in food choices are more likely to try new dishes plus it’s exciting and a great learning opportunity for them to be part of the process. Get the kids & Seniors involved tailoring their tasks according to skillset. Have them peel and prep veggies, chop fresh herbs or mix and stir ingredients. Get everyone involved to spend time together and foster new traditions around eating in season in your kitchen.
Any way you slice it, this Thanksgiving is sure to be a favorite and you may just have created some wonderful new memories to last a lifetime.
Best wishes from our farm kitchen to yours!
