Thanksgiving Menu & Tidbits

I’ve been gearing up for Thanksgiving for the last few weeks.  I scoped out the bird (a lovely 13 and a half pounder from Groff’s Content Farm), sent out the evites to my peeps and I’m really, really looking forward to Thursday.  In case you’re trying to do a local Thanksgiving in DC, you can still pick up your ingredients at the Tuesday and Wednesday farmers markets.  While it may be too late to snag a local turkey from a farm (although Haskins Farm will have extra turkeys at the Foggy Bottom Farmers Market tomorrow – go early), you may still be able to get an organic or free range turkey from places like Whole Foods.

In my quest to have a successful first turn as Thanksgiving host, I’ve been perusing the interwebs for recipes and tips.  I thought I’d share some of my favorites with you before heading off to my kitchen until Thursday.

First up, here’s a rundown of my menu:

• Roast Turkey with Truffle Butter (can get truffle butter at Whole Foods)
• Chantilly Potatoes with a Parmesan Crust (got the Yukon gold potatoes from Truck Patch at the Mount Pleasant Farmers Market)
• Caramelized Butternut Squash (picked up the squash at Garner’s Produce from the 14th & U Farmers Market)
• Apple & Sausage Stuffing (made using toasted bread cubes from Panorama Bakery at the 14th & U Farmers Market)
• Nutty Cranberry Relish
• Brussels Sprouts, Bacon & Figs (dried since figs are no longer in season, but both the brussels sprouts and bacon were picked up at Truck Patch)
• Proscuitto Dijon Gruyere Puffs
• White Bean Dip with Pita Chips
• Roasted Butternut Squash Cheesecake (again, the butternut squash was picked up at Garner’s Produce)

Fingers crossed everything turns out delicious and a good time will be had by all! In case you’re still looking for menu ideas, why not stop by some of these sites:

• Food & Wine’s Ultimate Thanksgiving Guide – Filled with tons of recipes, hosting tips and wine suggestions
• The Bitten Word’s Thanksgiving Guide 2009 – A round-up of Thanksgiving recipes from a wealth of food magazines
• Ever heard of spatchcocking? No, it’s not something dirty…it just may save your Thanksgiving turkey! Check out a demo from The Bitten Word.
• Looking for some dishes you can make a day or two ahead of turkey day? Mark Bittman has you covered here.
• The Atlantic has a slideshow of lovely menu ideas (including recipes) that had my mouth watering.
• Not sure exactly how to cook that beautiful bird? The Best Bite Blog snagged a slammin’ turkey cooking demonstration by 1789′s executive chef Daniel Giusti.
• And for DC vegans, drop by Chez Hareg to pick up one of their vegan holiday pies before it’s too late! I tried a sample at the Bloomingdale Farmers Market and was shocked it was vegan!

Putting all of the cooking and anxiety aside, just remember to enjoy this Thanksgiving with your friends and family! I will be surrounded by people who have become my surrogate family here in DC and I feel very, very lucky to have found each of them.  So happy eats and I will be sure to chronicle all the successes and failures next week!