A Northern Michigan Thanksgiving will probably taste better…

Here’s a few ideas to help make your Thanksgiving holiday a little more local … and a lot tastier!

It all starts with the turkey. I’m not sure if the folks at Hubbell’s Farm or Haymaker Poultry Co. have any left, but I do know that one great place to get a tasty turkey is Biehl’s Circle B Turkey Ranch. You can order them at the Merc in Leland and Oryana in Traverse City (and probably elsewhere as well). Don’t forget to check the local produce and products at your favorite store – the Merc, Anderson’s in Glen Arbor, Cedar City Market, Hanson’s in Suttons Bay and Oryana and Burritt’s Market in Traverse City all feature a lot of great food that hasn’t traveled too far. There’s a indoor farmers market at the Grand Traverse Commons every Saturday from 10 AM – 2 PM. If last week is any guide, there will be PLENTY of potatoes, squash and also lots of greens! If anyone has other ideas to localize your table, post them in the comments!

Once you have your bird and some ingredients, you need to think about how you’re going to put it all together. Elizabeth Edwards at MyNorth/Traverse Magazine put together a collection of some of their best Thanksgiving recipes.

We asked Lee Lutes, winemaker at Black Star Farms to share some of his thoughts on wine pairings with the items below.

Two tasty appetizers are a Wild Game Sausage on Apple Slices with Cranberry Butter, with which Lee recommends a lighter red like Pinot Noir or Gamay Noir, and with the Wedge of Raclette Served With Spiced Walnuts and Pear Chips, he calls for something delicate maybe a bubbly (may we recommend Black Star Farms’ really excellent Bubbly Nouveau when it’s bottled) or a Pinot Grigio or a Pinot Blanc. Two tasty side dishes that really in season are Honey Roasted Root Vegetables and Buttermilk Biscuits with Pumpkin Butter. You’ll be in great shape with Pinot Gris, Riesling, Pinot Blanc or Auxerrois. For dessert, how about a Plum Almond Tart, with which Lee would pair any of their Sirius dessert wines and also Ice wines.

See more thoughts on how make it a Michigan Thanksgiving on Absolute Michigan.

photo credit: Apple Stuffed Acorn Squash by carianoff