Illustration by Kat Frick Miller
To call Littlejohn Farm in Prince Edward County, Ont., quaint may seem cliché, but how else do you describe a house, a barn, a pumpkin patch and even a wooden treehouse all tucked onto a few acres of land just off the shores of Lake Ontario?
Home to chef, sommelier and farmer Zach Littlejohn, his wife Luhana, and their two children, the farm seems like the perfect setting for Thanksgiving: tables under the gazebo set for a feast, apple cider served by the firepit and pumpkin patch, and a few turkeys gobbling in the pen.
“We also like to have squash on display, all of autumn,” says Littlejohn.
Since the couple purchased the property in 2017, they have been raising their children alongside a farm full of heritage pigs, chickens, sheep, ducks and, of course, some turkeys.
Here, the couple also hosts culinary events curated by Luhana, the farm’s co-founder and CEO, including collaborations with chefs such as Toronto’s Ron McKinlay, multi-course lunches and a classic Thanksgiving Sunday dinner that features produce grown on the farm. With each ticketed event, the couple hopes to teach people where their food comes from through wholesome, healthy and sustainable culinary experiences.
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The Littlejohns also host their own personal Thanksgiving lunch with their family and sometimes neighbours, who pop in for an afternoon on the farm.
Given his expertise in preparing Thanksgiving feasts both big and small, The Globe and Mail asked Littlejohn for advice on how to put together a Thanksgiving dinner – and, of course, what’s in his cart?
What’s on the table: I typically host 15 to 25 people. Our table always has a seasonal bounty of vegetables including squash varieties such as delicata, butternut and acorn, Brussels sprouts, autumn greens, cabbages and potatoes. The brassicas and gourds are always roasted, potatoes mashed with a generous amount of cream and butter and we always have a couple autumn-inspired salads with greens, beets, dried fruits, apples, pear and high-fat yogurt and cheese.
Tips to save some time: It can be kind of daunting because the goal is to not spend the entire time cooking, and instead, spend more time with your guests. For this reason, I typically plan a menu that allows us to go heavy on the prep leading up and easier on the day of execution. I give myself one or two days ahead of time to debone the thighs of the turkey and tie it; I also brine the beast ahead of time to make it juicier. You can purchase items such as cranberry sauce to save time, but I recommend cooking your own vegetables so you can control the oil, salt and tenderness.
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How I make the perfect bird: For a successful turkey, I always opt for two smaller birds over one large bird, depending on the size of the group. It’s difficult to get a big bird evenly cooked in a small household oven.
I cook it at 350 degrees Fahrenheit and stuff the cavity with savoury herbs, a sliced whole head of garlic and two halved shallots (I often leave the skin on). I cook my trussed bird in an All-Clad roasting pan on a bed of mirepoix (onions, carrots and celery) and add one cup of dry white cooking wine and a litre of cold water to the bottom of the roasting pan, which creates some stock in the bottom of the pan from drippings.
I cook the turkey until the internal temperature comes to 160 degrees Fahrenheit, and rest it for half an hour before carving (the internal temperature will continue to rise). Take the roasting pan and strain the liquid into a sauce pot to make a pan gravy and reserve the vegetables to add to a stock pot with the bones and cold water to make a soup for the next few days. After I carve my turkey, I always place it on a platter and drizzle it with olive oil and Maldon salt for extra flavour, and place the platter under the broiler for one minute.
How I save: Buying old-fashioned dinner rolls and pumpkin pies. I have made pumpkin pies and dinner rolls many times, but I feel that you can get pretty good premade options that don’t cost a lot or take a lot of time to make.
How I splurge: On good-quality dairy products such as a good brie that I can turn into an appetizer. I also splurge on the turkey. Get a fresh, free-range or pasture-raised turkey and support your local butcher or farm when you can.
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The hardest shopping habit to keep up: Avoiding hidden sugar in packaged foods. It’s important to read labels and inform yourself about ingredients.
How I’ve changed my eating habits recently: With us being a Brazilian/Canadian household, a new tradition that I have embraced is eating rice and beans as side dishes.
Five items always in my cart:
- Cranberries – Springbrook Cranberry – $3.99 a pack: I buy these fresh throughout the season, and I’ll often buy extra to freeze so we can use them for the holidays as well.
- Sea salt flakes – Maldon – $10.99 per box: This salt is the best for finishing your turkey with and adding on top of the butter that you will spread on your bread rolls.
- Maple syrup – Edwin County Farms – $13 per bottle: I enjoy this drizzled on top of my pumpkin pie. I may save a bit on a pie, but I spend those savings on great maple syrup.
- Brie wheel – Alex de Portneuf Brise du Matin – $16: This makes a great little appetizer inside of puff pastry baked with the brie cheese and fruit compote, with a drizzle of honey. This cheese costs around $16 a wheel, so with the puff pastry, fruit, honey and baguette, you can expect to spend $24 to feed 12 people.
- Vanilla ice cream – Kawartha Lakes – $8.99 per tub: This is a must to go with the pumpkin pie and maple syrup. A tub can easily feed about 12 people.