Thanksgiving is right around the corner, and what better way to celebrate than with delicious recipes from the City of Fruita team and fresh, locally sourced ingredients from Fruita’s finest businesses? This year, we’ve put together a mouthwatering Thanksgiving menu that will impress your guests and make your holiday feast truly special. So, let’s dive into the recipes and discover where you can find these fantastic local ingredients.
Cranberry Sorbet
Ingredients:
– 4 cups Cranberries
– 2 cups Sugar
– 2 Lemons – juiced
– 2 ½ cups water
– 1 tsp gelatin softened in 1 tbsp water
Directions:
1. Cook cranberries with 2 ½ cups of water over medium heat until cranberries have stopped popping.
2. Strain and return to the pot (use a strainer and pestle set for this step).
3. Return strained berries to the pot and add sugar. Cook over medium heat until sugar is dissolved.
4. Stir in gelatin and allow it to cool slightly.
5. Stir in juice from lemons and transfer to a freezer-safe container.
6. Freeze for 2 to 3 hours and then stir. Return to the freezer and allow it to freeze solid.
Sausage, Apple, and Cranberry Stuffing
Ingredients:
– 3 ¾ cups cubed white bread
– 1 ½ cups cubed whole wheat bread
– 1 pound ground turkey sausage
– 1 cup chopped onion
– ¾ cup chopped celery
– 2 ½ teaspoons dried sage
– 1 ½ teaspoons dried rosemary
– ½ teaspoon dried thyme
– 1 Golden Delicious apple, cored and chopped
– ¾ cup dried cranberries
– ⅓ cup minced fresh parsley
– 1 cooked turkey liver, finely chopped
– ¾ cup turkey stock
– 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Spread white and whole wheat bread cubes in a single layer on a large baking sheet. Bake until evenly toasted, 5 to 7 minutes.
3. Cook sausage and onions in a large skillet over medium heat, stirring and breaking up lumps, until evenly browned, 6 to 8 minutes.
4. Add celery, sage, rosemary, and thyme; cook and stir until flavors blend, about 2 minutes.
5. Pour sausage mixture over bread in a bowl.
6. Mix in chopped apple, dried cranberries, parsley, and liver.
7. Drizzle with turkey stock and melted butter; mix lightly.
8. Allow stuffing to cool completely before loosely stuffing a turkey.
Mild Elk Burger Chili
Ingredients:
– 5 pounds elk burger
– 2 pounds Red Donkey locally sourced Pinto beans
– Three cans chopped tomatoes with green chili
– One can Pace medium picante sauce
– 1 teaspoon garlic powder
– 1 tablespoon salt
– 1 tablespoon ground red chili powder
– Black pepper to taste
Directions:
1. Cook the elk well to 167 Fahrenheit in a cast iron pan.
2. Wash and cook the beans in a pressure cooker.
3. Combine ingredients and simmer in the crockpot for an afternoon.
4. Serve hot in the crockpot.
Award-winning Apple Pie
Ingredients:
– 8 small Granny Smith apples, or as needed
– ½ cup unsalted butter
– 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
– ½ cup white sugar
– ½ cup packed brown sugar
– ¼ cup water
– 1 (9-inch) double-crust pie pastry, thawed
Directions:
1. Peel and core apples, then thinly slice. Set it aside.
2. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
3. Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add flour and stir to form a paste; cook until fragrant, about 1 to 2 minutes.
4. Add both sugars and water; bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 3 to 5 minutes.
5. Press one pastry into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch pie pan. Roll out remaining pastry so it will overhang the pie by about 1/2 inch. Cut pastry into eight 1-inch strips.
6. Place sliced apples into the bottom crust, forming a slight mound. Lay four pastry strips vertically and evenly spaced over apples, using longer strips in the center and shorter strips at the edges.
7. Make a lattice crust: Fold the first and third strips all the way back so they’re almost falling off the pie. Lay one of the unused strips perpendicularly over the second and fourth strips, then unfold the first and third strips back into their original position. Fold the second and fourth vertical strips back. Lay one of the three unused strips perpendicularly over top. Unfold the second and fourth strips back into their original position. Repeat Steps 6 and 7 to weave in the last two strips of pastry. Fold and trim excess dough at the edges as necessary, and pinch to secure.
8. Slowly and gently pour sugar-butter mixture over lattice crust, making sure it seeps over sliced apples. Brush some onto the lattice, but make sure it doesn’t run off the sides.
9. Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) and continue baking until apples are soft, 35 to 45 minutes.
Brown Butter Pumpkin Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients:
– 1 cup salted butter
– 1 1/4 cup brown sugar
– 2/3 cup pumpkin butter
– 1 large egg
– 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
– 1 tablespoon espresso powder or instant coffee (optional)
– 2 cups all-purpose flour
– 2 cups old fashioned oats
– 1 teaspoon baking soda
– 1/2-1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
– 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
– 2 cups chocolate chunks or chips
– Sea salt (optional)
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Add the butter to a skillet set over medium heat. Cook until the butter begins to brown, about 3-4 minutes. Remove from the heat and transfer to a heatproof bowl. Let cool 5 minutes or so.
3. To the browned butter, mix in the brown sugar, 1/3 cup pumpkin butter, the egg, vanilla, and espresso powder, mixing until smooth. Add the flour, oats, baking soda, pumpkin spice, and salt.
4. Dollop the remaining 1/3 cup pumpkin butter over the dough. Sprinkle over the chocolate chips. Gently fold the pumpkin butter and chocolate into the dough, being careful to not over-mix. You want streaks of pumpkin butter.
5. Roll the dough into rounded tablespoon size balls, it might be a little sticky. Place 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet. Gently flatten the dough down. Bake 8 minutes. Remove from the oven, rotate, and tap the baking sheet on the counter 1-2 times to flatten. Bake another 2-3 minutes or until the cookies are just beginning to set on the edges.
6. Sprinkle with sea salt (if desired). Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet. They will continue to cook slightly as they sit on the baking sheet.
Now, let’s explore where you can find these incredible local ingredients in Fruita.
Skip’s Farm to Market
Located at 211 E. Aspen Ave, Skip’s Farm to Market is your go-to place for fresh veggies, fruit, meat and seasonings to make your Thanksgiving meal the best. They proudly use local Colorado vendors to stock their shelves, ensuring that you get the freshest and finest ingredients for your holiday feast.
Lobato Farms
If you’re looking for farm-fresh eggs, tomatoes, corn, pumpkin, beans and more, look no further than Lobato Farms at 1066 19 ½ Road. Their locally sourced produce is a must-have for creating the perfect Thanksgiving dinner that’s bursting with flavor.
Triple J-D Specialty Meats
For those seeking the highest quality cuts of highland beef and lamb, Triple J-D Specialty Meats at 1526 14 1/2 Rd, Loma, CO 81524, is your ideal destination. Their premium meats are perfect for elevating your Thanksgiving celebration to the next level.
Sweet & Simple and Hailie’s Oven
If you’re short on time or craving some ready-made treats, Fruita has you covered. Sweet & Simple at 138 S. Park Square is a cupcakery that sells homemade sweets made from scratch every morning. You’ll love their popular flavors like Tres Leches, Lemon Drop and Coffee Caramel Crunch. Additionally, Hailie’s Oven at 340 US-6 offers gluten-free goodies such as bread, pie, cinnamon rolls and scones. These homemade treats are sure to make your Thanksgiving even sweeter.
This Thanksgiving, let Fruita’s local businesses and our delicious recipes from the City of Fruita team come together to create a memorable feast for you and your loved ones. Enjoy the freshest ingredients and the most mouthwatering dishes, all while supporting the community and savoring the flavors of this beautiful region.
If you have any suggestions for more businesses to include, please let us know at [email protected]. Happy Thanksgiving!
