Thanksgiving – a holiday that brings family and friends together to share each other’s company and, of course, delicious food and drink. There are several ways to incorporate Real Maine ingredients and products into your Thanksgiving celebration, adding local flavor and giving you the opportunity to try some new recipes. Here are some ideas, both traditional and non-traditional.
BUILD AROUND LOCAL MEAT AND POULTRY
Having a local turkey as a centerpiece of your Thanksgiving meal supports Maine farms and provides you with the tastiest and freshest gobbler possible. You can pre-order yours online or by calling, or go to your local specialty store. You can also consider other local meat, like roasting a chicken, cooking a beef roast, or other alternatives.
Many Real Maine members such as Bleecker and Greer, along with other stores and butcher shops, partner with local farms to offer the freshest meat and poultry for the holidays. They can also fulfill specific requests.
A great way to incorporate local flavor into your meat or poultry is to use Maine maple syrup. Real Maine member Northern Reach Maple suggests using their Season’s Finest for the holiday.
Jackman Maple Syrup, another Real Maine member, invites you to try this recipe:
Maple Glaze
1 cup Maple Syrup (preferably Jackman Maple Syrup, but you can use any pure Maine maple syrup)
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
6 cloves garlic, crushed
(Cut recipe in half for smaller quantities)
Combine ingredients and warm over low heat. Baste, marinate, or drizzle.
Local honey also makes a great choice to use in baking or cooking your favorite meal during the holidays. Maple syrup and honey work well for drizzling on, glazing, basting, or topping your meat, sides, appetizers, or desserts. You can even whip some maple syrup or honey into your butter. And you could start your day making pancakes or waffles using Real Maine member Hilltop Boilers’ mix, as well.
Maine spice makers craft special blends that can add complexity and vibrancy to your holiday dishes, such as Real Maine member Lecker Spice’s “Gobble Gobble,” a mix of thyme, rosemary, parsley, garlic, onion, and black pepper. Lecker Spice suggests using the blend on poultry or in stuffing. Real Maine member Morning Dew Farm’s small-batch paprika and chile flakes can add some savory flavor and heat.
SPOTLIGHT ON SIDES
Thanksgiving side dishes can steal the show (and fill your plate)! Bring locally grown vegetables to the table, such as Real Maine parsnips, carrots, onions, and squash. There are more options than ever to source local produce during the holidays, whether by preordering for pickup at your local farm or farmers’ market, choosing a farm delivery option (such as FarmDrop or the Daybreak Growers’ Alliance), or shopping at stores that carry Real Maine products.
No Thanksgiving in Maine would be complete without potatoes. It’s easy to find Maine-grown potatoes at farm stands, farmers’ markets, and local specialty/grocery stores. Even large supermarkets typically carry hearty Maine potatoes. Just be sure to check the packaging or signage to learn where the potatoes are from. Russet potatoes and Yukon Golds (both grown in Maine) are perfect for mashing, such as in this recipe from the Maine Potato Board.
INVITING SEASONAL BEVERAGES
The holidays represent a perfect time to sample local craft beers, wines, ciders and spirits, or to use them to make a flavorful cocktail.
Real Maine member WillowsAwake Winery’s recipe for mulled wine includes their Naut D’ Taut Oak Rested Frontenac & warm spices, and can be made in a slow cooker. WillowsAwake suggests these pairings with the mulled wine.
(NOTE: WillowsAwake is featured in this year’s holiday episode of MaineLife!)
There are other ways to incorporate the taste of local craft beverages into your holidays. Real Maine member eighteen twenty wines suggests using their rhubarb-infused wine as an ingredient in the recipe for Blueberry Pie with a Twist.
Real Maine member Green Bee crafts beverages such as soda and sparkling water sweetened with honey that can be incorporated into mocktails and cocktails.
CRANBERRY SEASON
Cranberries are harvested on Maine farms in the fall and become available in time for the holidays. They are a rugged little berry that stores in the refrigerator, freezes well and are a versatile ingredient. You can pair Real Maine cranberry products in a number of ways with your Thanksgiving celebration.
ADDITIONS TO YOUR PANTRY OR MEAL
There are many ways to include Real Maine products in your cooking and for stocking your pantry.
There is a wide variety of Real Maine members that produce products to fill your cupboard and your palate, such as pickles, sauerkraut, jams, jellies, vinegars, salad dressings, and sauces. Real Maine member Farthest Field Farm’s Garlic Scape Sweet Pepper Relish makes a unique complement to your holiday meal, along with Real Maine members Mother’s Mountain’s Spiced Apple Mustard and Barters Island Bees’ Maine Mousse (their flavored creamed honey).
Real Maine member Hilltop Boilers suggests starting your day on Thanksgiving with a breakfast that includes their pancake or waffle mix.
DON’T FORGET
If you are traveling for holidays, don’t forget to bring something for the host or hostess. Maybe something that smells like the season, such as the Harvest Spice Owl Shaped Soap from Real Maine member Spriggits, which includes local cider as an ingredient. Or maybe a hand-crafted wreath from Real Maine members such as Lazy Acres Farm?
Forget something for your holiday celebration? Real Maine members such as Pine Ridge Acres, a self-service farm stand open 24/7, have you covered. Real Maine is the state’s official agriculture and agritourism promotions program.
From Thanksgiving ingredients to Christmas trees to holiday gifts, plan your Real Maine agricultural experience. Visit www.RealMaine.com to connect to farms, food, and agriculture throughout Maine.
