PrintEast End Eats: Where to Reserve Your Turkey
After selling heritage turkeys for three years, Eve and Chris Kaplan-Walbrecht of Garden of Eve organic farm in Aquebogue lost their entire flock of Bourbon Red chicks, or baby turkeys, in a fire. They still have winter CSA shares available, but they will have no turkeys to sell this year.
Those looking for a tasty alternative to the raise-it-fast-and-cheap-even-if-it’s-bland Butterball—not to mention the gastronomic karma that comes from rescuing a breed of farm animal from the brink of extinction—can still find these old-fashioned breeds at Singing Bird Farm in Bellport (631-874-0448). Husband and wife team Dan and Marilyn Morris run Singing Bird Farm and sell only 20 birds per year.
Slaughtered just a day or so before turkey day, a local bird is likely to be fresher than what you can get at the supermarket, even when local turkeys are the same Broad-Breasted Whites that constitute 99 percent of our nation’s flock.
After the jump, more farms offering local turkeys.
Mecox Bay Dairy is fattening a few hundred birds and still has some available for sale. 855 Mecox Road, P.O. Box 411, Bridgehampton NY 11932 (map); 631-537-0335; mecoxbaydairy.com
North Sea Farms at 1060 Noyac Road in Southampton, which specializes in chickens and eggs, also does a big business in turkeys. 1060 Noyac Road, Southampton NY 11968 (map); 631-283-0735
Iacono Farm heralded by a past generation of New York Times food writers, offers ducks in addition to turkeys for more adventurous holiday chefs. 106 Long Lane, East Hampton, NY 11937 (map); 631-324-1107
For those foragers on the North Fork, drive from Riverhead to Orient on the south road and a handful of farms, from Wells Homestead Farm in Aquebogue to Ty Llwyd in Northville, have poultry waiting for a home.
Wells Homestead Farm; 460 Main Road, Aquebogue NY 11931 (map); 631-722-3796; wellshomesteadmarket.com
Ty Llwyd; 5793 Sound Avenue, Riverhead NY 11901 (map); tyllwyd.wordpress.com
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4 Comments:
Hey Brian-
Mrs Iacono told me no turkeys. Also, what about Milosky's. Didn't you do a profile on them? He said he's got tons of turkey and I was figgering to buy my TG turkey there. Any thoughts?
Kieran
kbrew at 12:56PM on 10/16/08
Hey Kieran, Thanks for the update on Iacono. We did do a piece on Miloski's a few years back. (Here's a link to the story from our pre-html days: http://www.edibleeastend.com/pages/articles/winter2006/pdf/roadsideDiaries.pdf.)
They have turkeys, raised outside, that many folks on the North Fork rave about. They also have a very diverse selection of obscure game, from alligator to bison.
Let me know how the bird tastes.
Brian
Brian Halweil at 12:47AM on 10/17/08
New update on Iacono-- they'll have ducks starting this weekend, and geese the week of Thanksgiving.
As for the Miloski's turkey, I'm sure it'll be great. Might just be tempted to fry up some gator....Anyone around raise pork? I'm still aquiring my taste for Bison.
PS- Made clam pie for the Amagansett PTA potluck picnic this year and last. 100% 'Gansett ingredients. Except of course the commodity items, but hey, Eli says he's gonna start milling wheat soon, so maybe one of these years....
kbrew at 6:22PM on 10/17/08
Yes, would be a fantastic novelty, the local wheat. For the clam pie, the potatoes, clams and onions are just too easy to get nearby this time of year.
I know a couple places to get pork, but I'll email you that directly. They are both "illegal," as you know, because technically four-legged animals need to be slaughtered at a USDA abattoir. Poultry are exempt from the law.
Brian Halweil at 8:24PM on 10/19/08