as published in New Canaan News Review

With Thanksgiving just around the corner, folks are gearing up for the big Turkey Day menu.  And there’s no time like the present to discuss the star of the Thanksgiving table, Mr. Turkey, himself!  More and more people are starting to purchase locally raised or organic turkeys from local farms or markets for the holidays.  But is there really any difference between the turkeys from the farm down the road and those from Perdue’s turkey factory?  Um, yes.  A lot in fact. 

Organically raised poultry are antibiotic and hormone-free.  Research is showing that the extensive use of antibiotics and antimicrobials in factory farms is contributing to the rise in resistant strains of disease, aka Super Germs.  (Hmm… swine flu?)  According to the FDA, these Super Germs are making their way into the meat and poultry cases at the local supermarket, and then into our stomachs.  With a whopping 70% of all antibiotics made in the U.S. being used in livestock feed, filling up on organic poultry is a sure fire way to keep from inadvertently filling up on chemical residues and super germs along with your daily dose of protein. 

Aside from being antibiotic and hormone-free, organic meats are more nutritionally dense.  Because the birds are allowed to roam outdoors, foraging for a more natural diet, they contain more Omega-3’s and are typically lower in fat and calories than their conventionally raised cousins.  Organic poultry is a good source of lean protein, and many vitamins and minerals like zinc, selenium, Vitamin E, and B vitamins.  AND organically raised poultry has 21% less total fat and 30% less saturated fat than non-organic birdies. 

So now you’ve decided that you want to give one of these organic turkeys a try this year.  You are probably wondering where to find them?  Of course you can go to your local Whole Foods and order your organic turkey there.  But if you really want to make the most of your purchase, place your order with a Connecticut turkey farm.  White Gate Farm in East Lyme and Ekonk Hill Turkey Farm in Moosup are good options.  You can also find other farms on the website, Buy CT Grown.  I think it is fun to pack up and road-trip it to find “homegrown” foods, but if an excursion isn’t in your future, you can still taste the farm-freshness of organic turkeys with the help of CT Farm Fresh Express, a business that delivers fresh goods from the farm to your door.  Talk about easy! 

Alright, you have your turkey in hand.  Let’s cook it up!  Unless you are a tried and true master, seasoning and roasting a turkey to juicy perfection can be a bit daunting.  You know the basics:  get turkey, clean turkey, put turkey in pan.  But where to go from there?  The possibilities are endless.  Food Network chefs stuff their turkeys with everything from oranges to parsnips and season with an even wider variety of herbs and spices.  But I’ve found a pretty simple routine that works well.  Rub the outside of the bird with some olive oil.  Then prepare a seasoning mixture of salt and pepper, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder and paprika.  Generously rub this combo all over the bird, and toss some inside the cavity as well.  Then cut up a few carrots and celery stalks, a couple bulbs of garlic and onions.  Stuff them inside the cavity along with some fresh herbs- parsley, thyme and sage do beautifully here.  Then roast away!  Ekonk Hill provides some valuable cooking instructions for the perfect Thanksgiving bird.  For fresh turkeys, Ekonk says to plan on roasting 15 minutes per pound at 325˚, but to factor an extra hour into your timeline just in case.   And remember to let the turkey sit for a good 30 minutes before slicing so that the juices redistribute throughout the meat and not all over your platter. 

Here’s to a perfect organic turkey and a healthy & happy Thanksgiving! 

Resources:

White Gate www.whitegatefarm.net

Ekonk Hill www.ekonkhillturkeyfarm.com

Buy CT Grown www.buyctgrown.com

CT Farm Fresh Express www.ctffe.com