Still not sure what to serve this Thanksgiving? Why not go straight to the source and get inspired? Check out some spots where there’s still time to get your turkey on this holiday season.
The Morris Farm in Wiscasset, Maine, offers a program called Backyard Farm that focuses on sustainable living and agriculture. If you really want to know where your dinner is coming from, sign up for the Turkey Processing, where participants can slaughter (optional), pluck, and dress their own Morris Farm pasture-raised turkey. Bring a cooler and ice to transport your turkey home, and they’ll supply the rest. November 24, 2010; $120 per person/turkey (two people can process one turkey together at no additional cost).
Angelic Organic Learning Center in Caledonia, Illinois is offering “Thanksgiving Food From the Farm: A Program for Kids!” Children from first to fifth grades can contribute to the Thanksgiving table straight from the farm.
Using ingredients from the farm, they’ll make and take home five creations: pumpkin pies made from eggs collected from the chicken coop, bread baked in an earthen oven, roasted root vegetables, deviled eggs in the shape of turkeys, and gourds into turkeys for table decorations. November 24, 2010; $60 per person.
If you’ve got the ingredients but don’t know what to do with them, head to Emerson Resort and Spa in New York’s Catskill Mountains for customized cooking instruction. Instructor Chef Curt Robair focuses on organic food practices and seasonal ingredients, tying in locally grown products from the Hudson Valley. Classes take place on Wednesday and Friday nights and can be customized for holiday themes and beyond; $125 per person.
Learn how to brine a turkey with the help of a guide from RC Organics Farm in Lenox Township, Michigan. This fourth-generation family farm has been operating since 1945, and certified organic since 1996. Learn how to brine a freshly processed turkey in preparation for this Thanksgiving holiday, and how to use herbs and other creative ingredients such as orange rinds. The instructor also offers tips such how the weight of the turkey affects the brining process. November 22, 2010; $25 deposit.
The Chopping Block is both a cooking school and gourmet retail store with two locations in Chicago: an 8,000-square-foot facility in the Merchandise Mart, and a Lincoln Square location featuring a 1,000-square-foot retail store. Both offer demonstrative and hands-on courses. In addition to their Thanksgiving Crash Course, and Thanksgiving Workshop, the Chopping Block offers a class for kids ages 12-16 featuring hands-on experiences with menu planning, knife skills, and prep work.
The holiday menu will focus on items like pumpkin soup, autumn corn souffle cups, and honey-glazed carrots. November 18, 2010; $30 per person.
Nationwide, Sur La Table offers Thanksgiving cooking classes including Speedy Dinner Solutions for the Thanksgiving Table, Thanksgiving Desserts, and Speedy Dinner Solutions for the Holidays. An in-store chef will guide you through each step of the recipes, teaching you techniques and tips along the way. Items include classics like pumpkin pie, apple strudel with cranberry sauce, and spiced cranberry bread puddings. $69- $79 per person.
Williams Sonoma offers a number of in-store demonstrations during the Thanksgiving season. Look for their Technique Class, and a Time-Saving Thanksgiving which focuses on preparing an easy, but impressive Thanksgiving feast. Presenters will teach a few basic side dishes, and how to cook a whole turkey in just 90 minutes. These complimentary classes are held throughout November in stores around the country. Reservations recommended.
Related links on PeterGreenberg.com:
- Avoiding Holiday Travel Scams on CBS News
- How To Find Cheaper Holiday Airfare
- The Trouble With Traveling Near Thanksgiving
By Jessica Kate Soberman for PeterGreenberg.com
