Fresh, local feasts for the holidays

In the foothills, the possibilities abound for preparing a fresh, local feast for Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah or New Year’s. Here are some suggestions for finding the ingredients and preparing it:

Farmers Markets
“They’re only for summer,” you might think. Not so. The Foothill Farmers Market in Auburn is open year-round on Saturdays, 8 a.m.-noon at the Old Town Courthouse parking lot, on Auburn- Folsom Rd. at Lincoln Way.
FoothillFarmersMarket.com

Placer County Real Food from Farmers Markets
This cookbook has recipes and menus for every week of the year, prepared with local ingredients.
PlacerCountyRealFood.com

BriarPatch Co-op Natural Foods Community Market
“The Patch,” the biggest organic market in the foothills, is a one-stop shop for local, organic produce as well as beef, venison, poultry and seafood. Vegetarian and vegan items also are widely available.
290 Sierra College Dr., GV
272-5333, BriarPatch.coop

Tahoe House Bakery & Gourmet Store
Freshly baked breads, pastries, coffee drinks, cookies, European-style tortes, bottled sauces and dressings, gourmet cheeses, meats and more. Free-range turkeys for the holidays.
625 West Lake Blvd., Tahoe City
583-1377, Tahoe-House.com

Nevada County Free Range Beef
Owner/Rancher Jim Gates’ filet mignons are a favorite for holiday dining. This time of year, the stew meat, short ribs and soup bones make for a gourmet comfort food meal. Gates’ beef is available at BriarPatch and at the ranch.
273-1025, NevadaCountyFreeRangeBeef.com

New Earth Market
Based in Yuba City, New Earth Market is committed to providing the highest quality natural and organics products available. Locally owned and independent.
1475 Tharp Rd., Yuba City
673-9355, NewEarthMarket.com

Sinclair Family Farm
This farm provides naturally grown, pasture-raised lamb, beef, chicken and pork on its properties in Penryn and Ophir. It also sells cage-free, pasture-raised eggs. Sinclair is a longtime favorite of ours.
916-663-3990, SinclairFamilyFarm.net

Newcastle Produce
This store and deli is a “one-stop” shop for all things “PlacerGrown.” The fresh produce aisle includes the best of what’s in season. 9230 Cypress St., Newcastle,
916-663-2016, NewcastleProduce.com