Turkeys in pasture at DDD Homestead… One of these might be my bird.

I just got an exciting email from farmer Dan Dashem of DDD Homestead, telling us that our turkey will be graduating. This is not a cap and gown kind of graduation; rather it’s a more gentle way of saying that the broad breasted white turkey we ordered for Thanksgiving, who has lived a humane pastured existence for the last stretch of months on a nearby farm in Millheim, PA, will soon be on its way to the butcher before being delivered to our front porch.

For the last fifteen years or so, my family has been bringing the turkey to our Thanksgiving gatherings. This is one way we can express gratitude for our incredible local farmers and support them with our dollars during this holiday. Getting to build relationships with the people who raise the animals and grow the food we eat is a true benefit of living here in Central PA.

Farmer Dan Dashem and a visit I took to the farm to meet the chickens

Last year on the day of our turkey delivery, Farmer Dan surprised us with gifts from other local producers: cranberry kombucha from Keystone Cultures, beef sticks and cheddar cheese from Kinfork, a small Amish farm cooperative. We were really touched by his generosity and we shared both with family on the big day.

Gifts from Farmer Dan along with last year’s 27 pound turkey!

This year, we will be driving to the Philadelphia area and the bird will be coming with us. I like to make a brine of brown sugar, salt, fresh herbs and citrus, letting the bird soak overnight in a cooler outside with ice packs. We give it a rinse, pat it dry, wiggle pads of butter under the skin and then roast it with a careful eye on the temperature. Pastured birds cook faster and tend to be more moist than your average grocery store varieties.

We always try to order the biggest turkey we can — usually somewhere around twenty pounds — so we can make “Bobbies,” a Thanksgiving sandwich inspired by Capriotti’s Sandwich Shop (kind of famous in Delaware though I would love for a State College deli to add it to their menu). A Bobbie is turkey, stuffing and cranberry sauce on a sub roll with generous smears of mayo. I dream of these sandwiches. You can serve them hot or cold.

Making a giant batch of turkey stock is a post Thanksgiving ritual that fills my freezer and prepares me for winter soup making. Here’s my Liquid Gold Turkey Stock recipe:

Turkey stock in the making with lots of fresh herbs

Liquid Gold Turkey Stock

1. Place turkey carcass (remove excess fat and skin) and neck in a thick bottomed stock pot.
2. Add onion skins, celery tops, garlic (skins on), chopped carrots, peppercorns, a few cloves and fresh herbs (I like lots of thyme and parsley)
3. Fill pot with water to cover contents by about an inch.
4. Bring to a boil and then let simmer for about 3-5 hours. Keep the stock at a very low simmer, just barely bubbling, to create a clearer stock.
5. Remove carcass and large vegetable chunks with tongs and discard. Strain the stock into another large container using a fine mesh strainer.
6. Let the stock cool completely before pouring into storage containers (yogurt tubs are great for this). Freeze (or not) and use in your favorite soups.

Want to order a pasture raised turkey for your Thanksgiving gathering next year? Get on the DDD Homestead newsletter list by emailing farmer Dan Dashem: DDDhomestead@yahoo.com. DDD delivers farm fresh items to your doorstep on a bi-weekly basis all year round. Farmer Dan starts taking orders for turkeys in September.