“We gather together”: Diestel Turkey and fresh, local sides for dinner

We’re having a Diestel turkey for tonight, with gravy, potatoes, home-made stuffing and Brussels sprouts with bacon.

The Diestel turkey is cooked in the oven the old-fashioned way, with chopped fresh herbs (rosemary, sage and thyme), butter and olive oil. It is basted regularly.

The stuffing is made with Italian sausage, breadcrumbs fashioned from a loaf of bread from Baker and the Cakemaker in Auburn, fresh chestnuts and organic apples from BriarPatch Coop, fresh herbs (thyme, sage and parsely), onions from the Nevada City Farmers Market, celery, white wine from Smith Vineyards, organic chicken stock and more. A variation of the recipe is here.

The Brussels sprouts are cooked with bacon from the Bishop Smokehouse.

The gravy is made the old-fashioned way: with a roux (butter and King Arthur’s organic flour).

The dinner wine is also Smith: a Syrah that pairs well with the herb-flavored turkey and stuffing.

It’s a variation on a theme that will be repeated all across America this month. To each his own.