Thanksgiving and Beyond

by Dennis Fisher and Joseph Fisher

 

 

November has long been considered a time to be especially thankful for

all that we have. The Belfast Farmer's Market has every reason to be

thankful for the 1998 season, which has been one of our best ever. And

it is our loyal customers who made that possible.

When we moved our summer marketplace beyond the new Damariscotta Bank

at Reny's Plaza, we thought that people might have some trouble finding

us; but we were happily wrong about that. You found us anyway, and for

that we are very grateful.

We hope that you will continue to find us at our Winter Marketplace in

the Agway greenhouse on Route 1. We'll be there from November until

March, every Saturday from 10-1.

There are a lot of festive ingredients to be found at the market this

time of year, to lend flavor and variety to the holiday board. Consider

our fall vegetables, those hearty squash, carrots, pumpkins, cabbages,

potatoes and turnips grown to be kept through the winter. These

particularly shine at Thanksgiving time, when other passing fruits of

the garden are long since gone.

Or consider our jams and preserves, our chutneys and pickles and maple

syrup. We have breads, apples and cider, meats, soups and dumplings. And

as an appetizer, try our marinated goat cheese on flaxseed crackers.

November also seems to be an appropriate time to talk about poultry.

After all, in a little while most of us will be sitting down to large

helpings of Benjamin Franklin's favorite bird. The turkey, in both its

wild and domestic forms, is enjoying quite a revival in this country. I

have seen twenty of the stately birds moving across my field, and it is

a warming sight. Once a rarity on American tables, we eat domestic

turkey so often now that it seems ordinary. Still, there is something

about the Thanksgiving bird, with glazed brown skin and spilling

stuffing like a cornucopia, that sets it apart.

Apple Hill Farm supplies poultry to the Belfast Farmer's Market. The

Llewellyn's birds are organically raised in an orchard full of antique

apple trees in Monroe. After fledging out, they are turned out onto

pasture instead of being penned up all their lives, and the difference

really shows. This method of "free ranging" improves the flavor and

tenderness of the birds immeasurably.

Most commercially raised chickens are kept in small sterile cages, fed

antibiotics, and never see the sun. The Llewellyn's chickens and turkeys

get to peck and scratch and run around all day; leading the life a

barnyard fowl is supposed to lead. Their flesh is sweet and meltingly

tender, not to be compared with that of their supermarket relatives.

Mark and Dana now process their own birds as well, producing whole

birds as well as bird parts and smoked poultry. These enterprising

farmers also raise llamas and make and sell compost.

Fisher Farm Stuffing

Everyone says their mother's stuffing is best. Here is my mother's, and

it is even better.

Turkey giblets, boiled and minced

5 potatoes, boiled and mashed

1 quart dried white bread crumbs

1 large onion, chopped

? teaspoon poultry seasoning

1 teaspoon salt

? teaspoon pepper

? teaspoon sage

? cup water

? cup margarine

To make bread crumbs: Cut the crusts off x loaves of bread. Bake the

slices at 275 for 1 hour, or until hard.

Combine turkey giblets, potatoes, bread crumbs, onion, salt, pepper,

poultry seasoning & sage. Bring ? cup water to a boil. Add margarine and

stir to dissolve. Add to the bread crumb mixture. Stuff bird lightly and

bake according to turkey directions.

 

Harvest Pumpkin Rolls

These tasty rolls have become a Thanksgiving tradition at our farm. The

recipe calls for fresh baked pumpkin, but they can also be made with

winter squash. Canned pumpkin can also be used, but it's a poor

substitute for the real thing.

1 cup milk

1/4 cup maple syrup

4 tablespoons butter or margarine

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup baked pumpkin or winter squash

1 ? tablespoons dry yeast

1/4 cup warm water

? teaspoon sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon grated orange peel

6 ? cups white flour

To bake pumpkin: Halve and clean a small (2-5 pound) pie pumpkin. Bake

at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until flesh is soft. When pumpkin has

cooled, peel and mash.

Scald the milk in a small saucepan. Add maple syrup, butter, salt &

pumpkin. Stir to mix and allow to cool. Dissolve the yeast in a large

bowl with the warm water and sugar. When the yeast has proofed, add

pumpkin mixture, orange peel and 2 ? cups flour. Beat well.

Gradually add enough flour to make a workable dough. Turn out onto a

floured board and knead until smooth. Put the dough in a lightly greased

bowl and rise until doubled in bulk.

Punch the dough down and cut into 2 dozen equal pieces. Rest the dough

10 minutes and form into balls. Brush the tops with melted butter and

let rise until almost doubled in bulk. Bake 15-20 minutes at 375

degrees.

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