By Maggie Beamguard
Insider Editor
The three-day harvest festival attended by the Puritan separatists of the Plymouth Colony and the Wampanoag is ripe with folklore and imagery, with Pilgrim hats and turkey legs being among the most prominent.
But there is considerable debate about what dishes constituted the meal we have come to call the first Thanksgiving. Most of us would be disappointed to show up for reservations at that table expecting roast turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, cranberry sauce or pumpkin pie.
More likely, we would have to ask our host, “pass the eel, please.” We’d dine on shellfish, venison, waterfowl, onions, leeks, nuts and berries gathered from the forest and corn served as porridge, not on the cob.
Since the first Thanksgiving was locally sourced, I’ve pulled together some options for your table this year from right here in Seven Lakes.
Whether your table is traditional or unconventional, it all starts with the bird.
Talk Turkey
A lucky few can secure a fresh bird right off of N.C. 211. And no, I’m not referring to roadkill.
Jeremy Rust’s experience working in a meat market during his younger years provided him with knowledge and skills to provide fresh, humanely raised turkeys for the community.
Rust and his son, Charles, are in their fifth year of raising turkeys. They are sold at LDIG, Rust’s landscape design business located at 5615 NC-211.
This year’s poults arrived around July 4. They started with 70 birds in the hope of yielding 40 to 50 turkeys. With a high cost and labor investment, the endeavor isn’t exactly profitable. The turkeys eat 1.5 lbs. of feed per day each in their final six to eight weeks. Raising them is a passion project.
A local farm stand, Dewey’s Veggie Vibe, run by Cain Garner, donates leftover produce, tomatoes, squash, corn and more to feed the turkeys. This partnership emerged from shared values of quality, sustainability and supporting local food systems.
Father and son and other helpers spend two 12-hour days processing the turkeys on-site with professional-grade equipment.
Once Rust begins advertising on social media and with a sign at the road in early November, the turkeys will be spoken for fast. They sell for $100 and require a $50 deposit. There is usually a waitlist.
Customers pick the turkeys up the Sunday before Thanksgiving and go home with instructions for how to best store, prep and cook the birds. Pick-up day feels like a mini-holiday for the family and community members. For Rust, it makes the hard work worth it.
Do The Mashed Potato
Round out your locally sourced meal by shopping at a local farm stand. There are two convenient options in the Seven Lakes area.
The aforementioned Dewey’s Veggie Vibe, 4381 NC 73, will be open ahead of Thanksgiving. Stop by on Nov. 25 or 26 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. to pick up all things veg: sweet, red and Yukon potatoes, pumpkins, collards, turnips, fall squash, peas, beans, brussel sprouts, carrots, broccoli and spinach.
“I love my community, and I want to support every local farmer as much as I can, as well as give my customers fresh local fruit and veggies,” said Garner. “If I can’t grow it, I want to get it local.”
Andrews Farm Produce, 115 Grant St., will have a colorful selection of fresh fruit and vegetables as well as some other local products. Everything is sourced in North Carolina, including sweet potatoes, pumpkins, beans, collards, mustards, Macintosh apples, honey, jams and jellies. They carry a variety of dry goods by the Old School Brand such as a cobbler mix, gravy mixes, biscuit mix, pie crust mix, cornbread and grits.
You can order pies and other desserts from Ann Andrews a week in advance for pick up by the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. Sweet potato, pumpkin and German chocolate pie are among customer favorites. Or splurge on a pint or quart of Hershey brand ice cream seasonal flavors like Pumpkin or Deep Dish Apple Pie.
Andrews Farm Produce will be closed on Thanksgiving, but open the day before and the day after.
Easy as Pie
DeLucia’s Bake Shop, 4245 Seven Lakes Plaza, is preparing for its second Thanksgiving season.
Pre-order your favorite baked goods beginning now through the Monday before Thanksgiving. Pick up is no later than 3 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 26.
Pies are available in a variety of flavors: pumpkin, apple, blueberry, cherry, peach, Key Lime, pecan, bourbon pecan, salted caramel bourbon, lemon meringue, chocolate creme, coconut cream, banana creme, coconut custard, and egg custard. All pies are 10 inches except for Key Lime.
Packs of 12 dinner rolls can be ordered as well as specialty desserts and decorated cakes. Visit DeLucia’s new website, deluciasbakeshop.com, for ideas and more information.
One Stop Shop
Our local Food Lion, 1075 Seven Lakes Drive, has all the goods whether you are cooking from scratch or looking for a little pop-in-the-oven convenience. For people short on time, the relatively small size of the grocery is an advantage for getting in and out in record time.
But the odds are high that you might bump into your preacher, your next door neighbor, your pickleball partner, or your dentist. So maybe don’t run out in your slippers and curlers.
You’ll find all the staples to whip up your banquet as well as the Savannah Classics line of family size, ready-to-cook sides: cornbread dressing, macaroni and cheese, baked potato casserole, green bean casserole and sweet potato casserole.
It’s always a good idea to stock up early. You don’t want to find yourself in a situation where you are fighting in aisle 3 with your child’s teacher over the last box of Jiffy cornbread mix.
It’s All Gravy
A no muss, no fuss alternative to heating up the kitchen requires just a little forethought.
Let someone else do the cooking. Sit down at Greenebows, the meat-and-three at 4375 NC-211, on Wed. Nov. 26 until 2 p.m. for turkey and all your favorite fixings. Choose from fried okra, stewed apples, dressing, mashed potatoes, cornbread, black eyed peas, pinto beans, turnip greens and more.
Box up your leftovers to enjoy while watching football the next day. Or order a second meal to go.
Greenebows will be closed Thanksgiving Day, so plan ahead.
The Wine-Down
If you are looking for a little extra spirit, don’t forget to stop by the Sandhills Winery, 1057 Seven Lakes Drive. The shop is closed on Thanksgiving Day, but otherwise open from 1 to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday and 1 to 6 p.m. on Saturday.
The staff can recommend individual wine selections to accompany your feast or order full cases if you are entertaining a crowd. They also sell a variety of beer and recently started supplying kegs.
The Hail Mary
So you waited until the last minute to shop. Or you forgot to take your bird out of the freezer. Or there was a conflagration in the turkey fryer. Or you’re dining solo. Or you’d just rather not cook.
The Shell gas station, 4219 NC-211, will be your salvation.
You’ll want to go early in the day on Thanksgiving to grab a selection of the hot case fried chicken. It has a cult following for a good reason. It’s crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. Wings, legs, thighs and breasts will run you from .99 cents to $2.29.
When they run out, they run out. It’s not turkey, but you won’t go a-fowl with this variation.
Throw in a bag of Chex snack mix as a stuffing substitute. Satisfy your craving for corn with some corn nuts, popcorn or Fritos. And who needs mashed potatoes when you’ve got Ruffles potato chips?
If you are feeling fancy, assemble a charcuterie board with beef jerky, cheese sticks, Vienna sausages, pork rinds and Funjuns. Maybe just don’t breathe on anyone.
Don’t forget dessert. Let Little Debbie take it from here. Grab a cranberry-raspberry Snapple to wash it all down.
Sure, it’s not the healthiest way to go. But there will be no pots and pans to clean.
Contact Maggie Beamguard at maggie@thepilot.com.
