by Ben Becker, Newsletter Writer
As the striking colors of autumn fall from the trees and swirl in the chill winds, we continue to walk through a world where masked faces amid these apple cider days have simply become something normal. Yet as time goes on and nature goes on with its ritual dance, nothing looks quite the same as it used to. The already stressful planning that came with holiday preparation may be enhanced with further concerns about how to get the supplies for our November feasts. On a deeper level, the times we live in may call into question what we have to be thankful for.
Even with the COVID-19 restrictions, this Thanksgiving can still be an opportunity for celebration. For lovers of this rather food-centric day of the year, there is still the chance to fill your plates and sit down to share with those in our own inner circles. In recognition of the challenges folks will be facing this year, Willy Street Co-op staff are working hard to adapt to the times and do all they can to make sure that whatever size meal you are cooking up, you can get your hands on it as conveniently and safely as possible. “It is really our time to shine because Thanksgiving is a very food-based holiday,” says longtime cashier Jesse Thurber. “Staff really do really enjoy Thanksgiving even though it is a busy and stressful time.” In the middle of a chaotic world, Jesse still finds ways to reflect on what this community-centric grocery store still provides “We are all thankful that we are still open and still working and have a place to go every day.”
Prepared Foods Shopping
As the Co-op’s employees are putting their minds and muscles to work to provide safe and convenient ways to set your Thanksgiving table this year, our Production Kitchen and Prepared Foods department are designing their offerings to make the prospect of preparing your feast less daunting, especially as your normal gathering plans may be altered due to COVID.
In planning to ramp up holiday meal preparation, Kitchen Director Nicholas O’Connor and Prepared Foods Category Manager Josh Perkins are looking forward to discovering what Owners’ guest lists might look like. While in more normal years, where travel and large gatherings would be considered safe, many Thanksgiving celebrants might have been able to expect a large inclusive table complete with dishes prepared by all. “We might see a lot of folks who are doing their first Thanksgiving on their own,” says Nicholas, noting that their goals are to prepare for uncertainty while meeting demand. “We are not sure how demand in COVID times is going to be. We want to be able to have products for our customers for what they need and what they want.”
In order to respond to the customer needs and logistics in the midst of safety concerns, the Prepared Foods department is shifting away from the catering services the Co-op has offered in prior years toward options that can be quickly purchased either in-store or through online ordering. Your Co-op staff wants to be conscious of the pressure on customers to prepare more meals for fewer guests. To this end, if you are looking to lighten your culinary load, our Thanksgiving packages are designed to feed two to three people, depending on how many sides you like, and your appetite. This should help small family gatherings avoid overdoing it on the cooking. They are also designed to be scalable so bigger groups can multiply their helpings or just save some for leftovers. These packages will include staples such as Oven-Roasted Turkey sourced regionally from Ferndale Farms in Minnesota, Green Bean Casserole, and Mashed Potatoes or Stuffing (with or without the gluten!). Don’t forget to add some new or favorite flavors with individually sized containers of Butternut Beet Hash, Potato Corn Chowder, Rosemary Carrots, and of course Cranberry Sauce and Gravy. Supply of all of these items will be limited.
In developing this menu, Nicholas and Josh have made some great epicurean innovations, taking particular pride in the Roasted Root Vegetables and a new turkey recipe. “We worked together to do a different brining process for our turkey this year creating a great color on the skin,” states Josh, referring to this convenient centerpiece. “Also I am a longtime fan of Potato Corn Chowder and I think it would make a great addition to the holiday table.”
Locally sourced
The Co-op’s Purchasing department is working hard to ensure that dishes on your table are sourced from local producers. Josh wants Owners to know “how much effort goes into making sure we are sourcing ingredients that are local and are the best quality they possibly can be.” These locally prepared packages are just about as close to the traditional home-made meal as you can get without making everything from scratch in your own kitchen.
Staple boxes
Willy Street Co-op’s Prepared Foods is not the only department working on alternative offerings this month. For those looking for fresh, local ingredients to use in their own family recipes, keep an eye out for staple boxes containing many of the items you might need. In responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, our staff has been preparing staple boxes throughout the past month highlighting local fruits and vegetables, making it easy for Owners to get food quickly and easily without exposure to the risks that come with shopping indoors. This month, staple boxes are being updated just in time for the season and include cranberries, Brussels sprouts, celery, and potatoes grown from local farms along with other ingredients you’ll want to stock your cupboard with before preparing this holiday feast. In addition to the staple box, we will also have wine boxes featuring Fair Trade vintages.
Turkeys
While Co-op shoppers can still expect to have turkeys available for pre-order, there will be a few changes to the process from prior years. One major shift will be how our Co-op prices turkeys to order. While in years past, turkeys were priced by their actual weight, with the cost per pound being applied to calculate the final price when the bird is placed on the scales, this year our meat departments will switch to a more simplified approach, where you can purchase your poultry by the unit. In order to offer this, turkeys will be categorized by to two-pound increments of weight. Customers can order turkeys between 10 and 12 pounds, between 12 and 14 pounds, and so on all the way up to a 24 pound and above bird, at which weight all sizes above would cost the same. This new by the unit system is designed to favor customers as the advertised price per bird will ensure that they receive a guaranteed minimum weight of turkey upon pickup. Check out page 14 of this newsletter for more details!
While the pricing structure is being revamped, ensuring we have the optimum stock of birds to satisfy customer needs is still not an exact science. When ordering our turkeys from the suppliers in advance, our Meat Managers work hard to carefully plan around what customer demand will be come November. This year, we anticipate the same sales trends that our Kitchen and Prepared Foods departments are predicting. We are focusing more on smaller birds and greater quantities that can feed a greater number of more intimate gatherings.
Unfortunately, in order to procure the best quality free-range and organic birds means dealing with the uncertainties inherent in raising a living animal in the most natural way possible. As a result, there is no way to guarantee that the turkey stocks we plan for will be exactly the same as the ones that show up in November. With this in mind, there are a few things you can do to ensure that you have what you are counting on. First, pre-order the turkey size you want as early as you can to ensure your bird is reserved. Second, show up as soon as you can to pick up your order, as our stock will be more plentiful and more likely to match your request. You will also have more convenient pick-up options if you want to grab your order more quickly and safely. This year, curbside pickup will be available for Owners with turkey pre-orders so that you can get in and out without even leaving your car. If planning in advance is just not your style, you are not out of luck, though. Check with our helpful Meat department staff to see what open-stock we have available, and keep in mind that if you just want a small helping of white meat to supplement your sides, we usually have turkey breasts on hand to meet your needs.
This Thanksgiving just might not feel the same. For many of us, the best thing about Thanksgiving is having the opportunity to connect with family members who we don’t often see, or to socialize with buddies at a “Friendsgiving” gathering. While physical interactions might be reduced, it doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the company. For many folks, the past eight months have included mastering various forms of online meeting technology, allowing us to stay in touch both at work or in our personal lives. If you don’t mind the camera, this might be a nice way for your parents to walk you through that secret family stuffing recipe.
Quality time
For those who are usually in charge of tracking the football scores and not whipping up potatoes, this year might be the chance to put the culinary stylings of you and yours to the test. For families looking to spend some quality time together away from the everyday distractions, cooking up that big feast might be just the ticket.
The experiences young people have in food prep not only give them a chance to expand their horizons and tastes but to develop skills and independence that will serve them in life. One way to do this is to encourage tasting as you cook. It not only helps to build culinary instincts but to introduce something new to the pallet of picky eaters. Another great strategy is to involve your teens and preteens in planning the day’s menu. Let everyone decide on at least one dish; it could be a family classic that is always enjoyed year after year or maybe something new and bold. Encourage your youth to take on preparing and cooking their selection, which can give them a sense of ownership in the meal.
If your people aren’t quite ready to hold a knife or boil water safely, they can still be involved. Look for art projects like creating a centerpiece or making hand turkeys, which little ones can make safely and take pride in. The more ways you can get everyone involved, the more memorable your Thanksgiving day is likely to be. For many of us, cooking is a way to express care and affection for others, so participation can not only mean fond memories of time spent together, but also creating a means of development as our worlds expand beyond home.
What to be thankful for?
In a time where the pandemic weighs heavily on our minds, giving thanks might seem a challenge. Finding room for gratitude might seem a bridge too far when the ritual gatherings of family and friends we count on have been disturbed, not to mention our other holiday traditions. One touchstone of this harvest festival is that it is a quintessentially American holiday and one which unites fellow Americans from all corners and walks of life in shared practices. Although this heritage carries with it the burdens of controversy and myth-making, the celebration of community and the recognition of our table of plenty stand as cornerstones of the American experience, as much as is reckoning with the history we share as a people.
On perhaps a deeper level than our national identity, giving thanks is perhaps a practice of humility, by which we observe what is most fundamental in our lives. Though we may not always eat well, we are by-and-large a people who are well-fed, and in this holiday centered upon the dining table, we can remember that there are many absent who still go hungry. Or, we might observe with gratitude the our health and that of those around us while we hope for the recovery of others.
As many businesses suffer under economic stress, we may count ourselves lucky to have a warm, safe home to go to or a paycheck we can count on. As many of us are privileged with the benefit of time off to relax and reconnect with loved ones, we may remember that there are those for whom this sacred Thursday is just another day at work, and perhaps a stressful one at that. In this spirit we might choose to forego the rituals of after-Thanksgiving shopping and to instead acknowledge that Thanksgiving is not truly a time of year to say what more do I need, but what all do we truly share.