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FeedViva La France
The Bistro on the Brandywine returns to culinary tradition.
(page 4 of 5)
Talking Turkey, Talking Fresh
Chicken may get top billing in Delaware, but there are plenty of turkeys to be had at this time of year. So skip the freezer aisle. Opt for a fresh, locally processed gobbler, instead.
Tended by the Palmer family for more than 30 years, T.A. Farms (4664 Mud Mill Road, Wyoming, 492-3030) is the only turkey farm in Delaware. The small farm sells 3,000 birds every year and supplies fresh turkeys to stores across the state. It ain’t the giblets that are in demand. It’s the tender, juicy white meat that comes from raising free-range birds on a natural diet.
“We make our own feed,” says Danny Palmer. “We don’t use any medications or hormones. It’s Delaware corn, soybean meal and a mineral package.” The results of natural feeding and a little leg room? “It’s just going to taste better,” Palmer says.
Pick up a T.A. Farms turkey at its farm in Wyoming or at Johnson’s Country Market (36258 Zion Church Road, Selbyville, 436-3276), Hill’s Fresh Plants and Produce (1795 Milford-Harrington Hwy., Milford, 422-4450), Willey Farms (4092 Dupont Pkwy., Townsend, 378-8441) and Fifer Orchards (1919 Allabands Mill Road, Camden 697-2141).
Birds from nearby Rumbleway Farm (592 McCauley Road, Conowingo, Md., 410-658-9731) are hatched, raised and processed in-house. The farm is certified organic, says owner Robin Way. Reserve your turkey early at the farm or at Harvest Market Natural Foods (7417 Lancaster Pike, Hockessin, 234-6779).
North Wilmingtonians head to Highland Orchards Farm Market (1431 Foulk Road, Wilmington, 478-4042) for fresh turkey from the Howe farm near Downingtown, Pa. “The fresh birds are very tender, they cook more quickly and just come out so juicy,” says owner Ruth Linton. “It’s like getting fresh, local corn on the cob versus the frozen stuff you get at the store. There’s no comparison.” Head north for fresh birds from Stoltzfus Poultry at the Booths Corner Farmers Market (Naamans Creek Road, Marcus Hook, Pa., 610-485-0774). —Matt Amis
Page 5: Say Cheese | Exotic gourmet cheese is all around us. So slice into some of the really good stuff.
