Dinner was by far the best Thanksgiving meal I have had in a very long time. The meal was fresh and full of flavor. It was a lot of work (since I was the only one cooking) but well worth it. Only a few non-local ingredients were used (see my summary below).

Farmers Market purchases (things I purchased last weekend at my local farmers market):

• 13lb free-range, Virginia turkey – enough to serve 6 people, with a bit of leftovers
• sweet potatoes – baked and mashed, with a hint of cinnamon, nutmeg, tiny bit of butter and salt
• Red potatoes – mashed with butter, milk and salt
• Brussels Sprouts – tossed in olive oil, fresh rosemary from my deck garden, salt and pepper. Roasted until browned
• Kale – sauteed onions, garlic and some bacon (not local) – then threw in 1/2 cup local white wine to de-glaze the pan, then chicken broth and kale
• Onions & Garlic-  for just about everything
• Granny Smith Apples – for deep dish apple pie
• Apple Cider – used as part of the turkey brine as well as to drink
• Eggs – for brushing the pie pastry
• Sausage – for the stuffing.

From my deck garden: Fresh Rosemary, Sage, Thyme – all from my deck garden. I used these for the turkey as well as for the stuffing.

To decorate my table: I used some blue glass bottles with sprigs of sage, lavender, lemon verbena and rosemary (all from my deck). Beautiful.

Local beverages served:

Blenheim Vineyards 2005 Virginia Meritage

Barboursville Vineyards 2006 Virginia Chardonnay

Barboursville Vineyards 2006 Virginia Cabernet Savignon

Afton Mountain Vineyards 2007 Virginia Gewurztraminer – by far my favorite of the evening

Starr Hill Virginia Dark Starr Stout

Shenandoah Joe’s Coffee

Non-local ingredients: Salt, Pepper, Stuffing mix, chicken broth, flour, celery, walnuts, some spices, coca-cola

A working flour mill (circa 1750), Wades Mill produces all-natural all-purpose white flour—as well as whole-wheat flour, cornmeal, grits, and more—on mill stones.  They also have local syrup, jams and jellies.

Wades Mill products are reasonably priced and are available at several markets in the Charlottesville area

• Foods of All Nations (Charlottesville)
• Greenwood Gourmet Grocery (Crozet)
• Cranberry’s (Staunton), Feast! (Charlottesville)
• C’Ville Market (Charlottesville)
• Retail Relay (mjh.retailrelay.com)

For those living outside of the Charlottesville area, you can order directly from them online via their website: http://www.wadesmill.com.

I will have to do some research, because the local farmers markets are ending and I will have to get more creative. I live in Virginia, so my choices will likely look something like this:

• Free-range, heritage Turkey
• Sweet Potatoes
• Red Potatoes
• Winter Squash – butternut, acorn, pumpkin
• Apples – lots of them
• Nuts
• Dried fruits
• maybe some Peas
• Leafy greans like Kale, etc

My next post will include some online resources that I uncover after I do my research.

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