To be thankful in these challenging times might seem daunting. As the colorful leaves fall from the trees, nothing looks quite the same as it used to. We long for the pre-pandemic fall get-togethers—hot cider, chili, flannels, warm fires in our living rooms with friends gathering around. The already stressful planning that comes with holiday preparation carries a further complication—how to make the most of our celebrations as we consider those loved ones who will be absent from our November feasts. With the exhaustion of an unceasing pandemic, how can we find ways to be thankful?
While the social distances may inhibit the hosting of our traditional gatherings and practices, this Thanksgiving can still be an opportunity for celebration. For lovers of turkey, Tofurky, and pies of every stripe, 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 continuing to adapt to the times and do all we can to make sure that holiday meal is still one to remember. “It is really our time to shine because Thanksgiving is a very food-based holiday,” says long-time cashier Jesse Thurber, “Staff really do really enjoy Thanksgiving even though it is a busy and stressful time.” In the middle of a care-worn world, our staff still strive to supply, stock, and provide for all your holiday needs and reflect on what a community-owned grocery store stands for.
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 turkey day feast less daunting, especially as your normal gathering plans may be altered due to COVID-19. In planning to ramp up the preparation of the best dishes the Co-op can add to your holiday, Director of Willy Street Co-op’s Production Kitchen Nicholas O’Connor and Prepared Foods Category Manager Dustin Skelley are working to incorporate as much local product as possible into your holiday menu. While in years past where travel and large gatherings would be considered safe, many of us are missing our large, inclusive tables.
With the uncertainty of a second COVID Thanksgiving, our goals are to prepare for meeting demand in the face of a compromised supply chain. “We want to be able to have products for our customers for what they need and what they want.” To provide for these needs, our Deli will have your offerings packed more flexibly. This will be accomplished by providing your Prepared Foods offerings priced by the pound, so you will be able to seek out the serving size that fits your gathering the best. These will continue to be available without the hassle of ordering from our catering services, so that you can grab them quickly and safely at the store. This should help small family gatherings avoid overdoing it on the cooking, and it is also designed to be scalable so bigger groups can multiply their helpings or just save some for leftovers.
If you are looking for a convenient way to lighten your culinary load, you can count on staples being available from your Co-op such as oven-roasted turkey (sourced regionally from Ferndale Farms in Minnesota), green bean casserole, mashed potatoes, or stuffing. Don’t forget to add some new or favorite flavors with individually sized containers of Potato Corn Chowder, Maple-Roasted Root Vegetables, and of course, cranberry sauce and gravy. In developing this menu, Nicholas and Dustin have made some great epicurean innovations, taking particular pride in showcasing the local veggies. This way, you can take pride in knowing your meal is sourced from and supports the local farmers and producers right here at home.
The Co-op’s Purchasing department is working hard to ensure that dishes on your table are sourced from local producers. The care that was taken to ensure your meal will please those sitting down to it may not be apparent from looking at the packaging and when trying to distinguish Co-op-made foods from other products. However, 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, and you are sure to enjoy the time you’ll save by picking a few up.
Other Departments
Willy Street Co-op’s Prepared Foods are not the only offerings we are working to innovate for greater access this November. For those looking for fresh, local ingredients to use in their own heirloom recipes, keep an eye out for the seasonal flavors available on our Produce shelves. These are likely to include cranberries, Brussels sprouts, celery, and potatoes grown from local farms along with other ingredients you’ll want to stock your cupboard with before curating your menu.
You can also help yourself and your guests get into the spirit of Thanksgiving by trying out options from our wine and spirits selection. Bring a bottle to the table from our Fair Trade and organic vintages perfect for enjoyment as you garnish your favorite Field Roast or to take the edge off the pressure of slicing the turkey. If cocktails are more your thing, pick up some Wisconsin specialities such as Midwest Vodka, or pack some punch into your libation with a shot of Death’s Door Gin. Beer snobs can’t go wrong as Co-op coolers are packed with a changing seasonal selection from our state’s many breweries.
Turkeys
Turkeys are available for pre-order starting November 1, and this year we are getting back to the traditional formula. We are once again offering turkeys priced by their actual weight, so you will only be charged for the amount of turkey you take to the register rather than having to select from a size range. Customers can order turkeys around a mere 10 or 12 pounds, or go all the way up to 24 pounds and above if you are looking to feed lots of folks or just love leftovers.
Because we source our turkeys from regional farms using more sustainable and bird-friendly practices, our ability to get turkeys sourced at an exact weight is often challenging, but our Meat department staff are always ready to do all they can to make you happy. For the best guarantee that you will get exactly what you want, don’t forget to place your pre-order, and get your pick up early while we still have plenty of stock. If you miss the pre-order, or are just looking for a side of turkey to complement your other dishes, we usually have turkey breasts or other offerings other than a whole bird on hand leading up to the big day. Check out page 15 of this newsletter for more details!
Desserts
Let’s face it; some of us are just dessert people. The centerpiece may be the turkey, and the side dishes allow for a great deal of innovation and celebration of your traditions through time-honored recipes. However, for those with a massive sweet tooth, all of these courses are merely forerunners to the main event. This year might be your chance to mix it up by incorporating sweet potatoes into your favorite crust, mixed in with your favorite sweeteners and spices. If pumpkin seems a little too tired to you, give it a fresh approach by trying it in a sweet and delectable custard. You might want to think outside the can, and pick up some pie pumpkins to process for a made-from-scratch dessert.
If the kitchen is not your special place but you are looking for a crowd-pleasing favorite, be sure to pick up some of our pre-made pies at the Co-op featuring locally produced ingredients. If fruit is your thing, grab one with Door County cherries for a culinary throwback to summer on the peninsula. These pies are sure to disappear fast, so don’t wait to get yours right away!
If travel anxieties have gotten the better of you this year, or if vaccination rates mean you’ll be setting out fewer chairs at the table, this Thanksgiving might not be what it was in those good old days before the pandemic. For many of us, the best thing about Thanksgiving is having that opportunity to connect with family members who we don’t often see, or to socialize with our buddies at a “Friendsgiving” gathering. While physical interactions might be reduced, it doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the company. One silver lining of the pandemic is that we have mastered various forms of online meeting technology, allowing us all to stay in touch both at work and in our personal lives. If you don’t mind the ever-unflattering camera angles, this might be a nice way for your snowbird parents to walk you through that secret family stuffing recipe.
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 perform 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 pestilence, fear, dissension, and just generally weariness weigh on our minds, giving thanks might seem a challenge to the reality we live in. 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, even as we reckon with what that experience is.
On a deeper level, 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 who still go hungry. At a time when so many lives are ravaged by death, disease, and lingering health issues, we might observe with gratitude the health of ourselves and 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 continual habits of working and shopping in favor of peace, reflection, and being conscious of those we are spending time with. In this way, we might fully acknowledge that Thanksgiving is not truly a time of year to say what more do I need, but what all do we truly share.
