Advertisement 1

A locally-sourced Christmas feast is always better, and easier than you think

From turkey to root veggies, baked goods and even eggnog, local producers have it all and you'll get far better quality by shopping closer to home

Article content

Putting together a completely locally sourced Christmas dinner isn’t as hard a prospect as it may seem.

Particularly what is thought of by many as a traditional Canadian Christmas dinner with turkey and trimmings — even down to the condiments, if you so desire. Considering the fact “shop locally” and all its benefits are beginning to resonate a lot harder with people, it’s a good time to look into how you can do this in Alberta.
Advertisement 2
Story continues below
Article content
First up, we’ll start with the obvious: the bird.

“Turkey holds a certain nostalgia for a lot of families as a part of holiday traditions,” notes Laurel Winter, a representative for Alberta Turkey Producers and co-owner of Winter’s Turkeys in the southern Alberta town of Dalemead. “It’s a staple protein for a lot of dinners at Christmas, and as turkey growers, we’re very thankful for that.”

They’re especially grateful considering that a particularly virulent worldwide strain of avian influenza has impacted the country’s poultry farmers, leading to the death of millions of birds. The good news is that there should be enough turkey to go around, whether you opt for grabbing a frozen bird early on or a fresh one closer to the date. As Winter stresses, they’re all local, whether from Alberta or Canada.?

For the purposes of this article, we’re sticking as close to Edmonton as we can. Therefore, Winter lists a number of butchers like Acme Meat Market and D’Arcy’s Meats, or specialty shops like The Butchery, Blush Lane Organic Market and Freson Brothers. Call ahead and check for availability. Farmer’s markets are a good place to shop as well; Sunworks Farms will be among the local turkey dealers blasting Edmonton with birds closer to the date, showing up on Dec. 23 at the Old Strathcona Market, Bountiful Market deeper on the south side, the Downtown Market and Our Meat Shop on Whyte Avenue. Many places require a down payment, so start planning now.

Article content
Advertisement 3
Story continues below
Article content

Want to make a road trip of it? There’s also the option of heading out to the Holden Colony, a bit more than an hour southeast of Edmonton, where you can load up on various meats and vegetables as well.

Have we spoken enough of that most majestic of birds? Probably not, but let’s give a nod to some alternative Christmas main dishes. For instance, you may want to replicate the final chapter of Dickens’ A Christmas Carol by bringing home a fat goose from D’Arcy’s Meats, or a pork loin roast from Real Deal Meats. Check in early to make sure you get your meat of choice.

Now, let’s move on to vegetables. Luckily, most of what you’re after will be of the root variety and thus were freshly dug up as recently as late November. Depending on where you live you can source most of what you need at such places as Maplewood Acres at the Old Strathcona Market, Helen’s Veggies at Bountiful, or Lacombe Fresh at the Downtown Market, and that’s just the tip of greenhouse veggies you’ll find around town. You’ll be able to locate potatoes for mashing, onions for sauteing, carrots and parsnips for roasting at a number of stalls at your local market, and even hydroponically grown lettuce via Vertical Roots at Bountiful. Other options include heading to Kuhlmann’s Greenhouse or order online from Erdmann’s Gardens and Greenhouses in Westlock.

Advertisement 4
Story continues below
Article content

How about the stuffing, you ask? Well, there are myriad ways to make that most delectable dish, so we’ll just choose ingredients from the family recipe. Day-old bread is the easiest; for a high-quality bakery, you may choose Brio, or Bon Ton Bakery, where you can also pick up some buns. Bacon can be sourced from a number of places, like Irving Farms, whose products can be found at OSFM, Bountiful and stores like the Italian Centre and Meet Fresh Meat. Onions have already been covered, and both Canadian wild rice and mushrooms can be sourced from Mo Na Foods. Locally-grown herbs can be found at Chickadee Farm Herbs where you’ll find such mainstays as French thyme, garden sage and a few herb blends. You’ll be ordering online, though, so get right on that.

Mojo Jojo may be best known in the public eye for pickles, but they also stock their own mustard, ketchup and a few other items that could be good dinner accompaniments. Meuwley’s also carries a few varieties of fancy, locally-made condiments, as does The Butchery, whose co-owner Caitlin Fulton notes also offers locally made “gravy, which now has a cult following, house-made cranberry sauce and eggnog.” Definitely a good thing considering how hard it would be to find fresh cranberries in Edmonton during the winter season.

Advertisement 5
Story continues below
Article content

Keep in mind these are just suggestions for where to look. Once you start digging in online you’ll find other possibilities for everything you need this Christmas.

Beyond the Western traditional feast

After an entire article about Christmas dinners, we need to acknowledge that not everybody sits down to a meal of turkey, stuffing and mashed potatoes when the holidays come around. So shout-outs are appropriate for other groups in Edmonton, like Ukrainians. Their own Orthodox Christmas falls on Jan. 7, but many happily mix in the Western tradition of celebrating Dec. 24 and 25 with Christmas Eve feasts featuring 12 meatless dishes, including borscht, holubtsi and kolach, to name a few.

If there isn’t a baba available to cook for you, and you’re unwilling to do it yourself, you can find some amazing Ukrainian food in this city for some holiday feasting. For instance, there’s The Authentic Canadian, which offers delivery and pickup — check out those blueberry perogies. Yo Baba! on the north side has been around for four decades, and their cabbage rolls are legendary. Meanwhile, Stawnichy’s on 118 Avenue brings the Mundare sausage, and we can never have enough of that.?

Advertisement 6
Story continues below
Article content

Edmonton’s Yo Baba! offers traditional Ukrainian dishes you can take home for a Christmas feast.
Edmonton’s Yo Baba! offers traditional Ukrainian dishes you can take home for a Christmas feast. Photo by Orianna Scheck /Supplied

If you’re Jewish and inclined to traditions you’ll be celebrating Hanukkah this year between Dec. 18 and 26. That means a whole table full of nourishing and hearty food. If you’re planning to order in take a look at Ben’s Meats for the brisket, kugel at Bliss Baked Goods,?and latkes, which you can also buy at Bliss but which you can also easily make yourself if you weren’t such a lazy klutz.

They sure know how to celebrate Christmas in the Philippines, and food is a huge part of it. Instead of a turkey, there’s usually a spit-roasted pig called a lechon, which you can find here in Edmonton at Rolymie Bakery in the deep south of the city. Mick’s Food Specialties offers another popular dish, the hardboiled egg-stuffed meatloaf called embutido, and you can finish it all off with a dessert called leche flan, available from Manila Sweets.

yegarts@postmedia.com?

Article content
Comments
You must be logged in to join the discussion or read more comments.
Join the Conversation

Postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion. Please keep comments relevant and respectful. Comments may take up to an hour to appear on the site. You will receive an email if there is a reply to your comment, an update to a thread you follow or if a user you follow comments. Visit our Community Guidelines for more information.

Latest National Stories
    universo-virtual.com
    buytrendz.net
    thisforall.net
    benchpressgains.com
    qthzb.com
    mindhunter9.com
    dwjqp1.com
    secure-signup.net
    ahaayy.com
    soxtry.com
    tressesindia.com
    puresybian.com
    krpano-chs.com
    cre8workshop.com
    hdkino.org
    peixun021.com
    qz786.com
    utahperformingartscenter.org
    maw-pr.com
    zaaksen.com
    ypxsptbfd7.com
    worldqrmconference.com
    shangyuwh.com
    eejssdfsdfdfjsd.com
    playminecraftfreeonline.com
    trekvietnamtour.com
    your-business-articles.com
    essaywritingservice10.com
    hindusamaaj.com
    joggingvideo.com
    wandercoups.com
    onlinenewsofindia.com
    worldgraphic-team.com
    bnsrz.com
    wormblaster.net
    tongchengchuyange0004.com
    internetknowing.com
    breachurch.com
    peachesnginburlesque.com
    dataarchitectoo.com
    clientfunnelformula.com
    30pps.com
    cherylroll.com
    ks2252.com
    webmanicura.com
    osostore.com
    softsmob.com
    sofietsshotel.com
    facetorch.com
    nylawyerreview.com
    apapromotions.com
    shareparelli.com
    goeaglepointe.com
    thegreenmanpubphuket.com
    karotorossian.com
    publicsensor.com
    taiwandefence.com
    epcsur.com
    odskc.com
    inzziln.info
    leaiiln.info
    cq-oa.com
    dqtianshun.com
    southstills.com
    tvtv98.com
    thewellington-hotel.com
    bccaipiao.com
    colectoresindustrialesgs.com
    shenanddcg.com
    capriartfilmfestival.com
    replicabreitlingsale.com
    thaiamarinnewtoncorner.com
    gkmcww.com
    mbnkbj.com
    andrewbrennandesign.com
    cod54.com
    luobinzhang.com
    bartoysdirect.com
    taquerialoscompadresdc.com
    aaoodln.info
    amcckln.info
    drvrnln.info
    dwabmln.info
    fcsjoln.info
    hlonxln.info
    kcmeiln.info
    kplrrln.info
    fatcatoons.com
    91guoys.com
    signupforfreehosting.com
    faithfirst.net
    zjyc28.com
    tongchengjinyeyouyue0004.com
    nhuan6.com
    oldgardensflowers.com
    lightupthefloor.com
    bahamamamas-stjohns.com
    ly2818.com
    905onthebay.com
    fonemenu.com
    notanothermovie.com
    ukrainehighclassescort.com
    meincmagazine.com
    av-5858.com
    yallerdawg.com
    donkeythemovie.com
    corporatehospitalitygroup.com
    boboyy88.com
    miteinander-lernen.com
    dannayconsulting.com
    officialtomsshoesoutletstore.com
    forsale-amoxil-amoxicillin.net
    generictadalafil-canada.net
    guitarlessonseastlondon.com
    lesliesrestaurants.com
    mattyno9.com
    nri-homeloans.com
    rtgvisas-qatar.com
    salbutamolventolinonline.net
    sportsinjuries.info
    topsedu.xyz
    xmxm7.com
    x332.xyz
    sportstrainingblog.com
    autopartspares.com
    readguy.net
    soniasegreto.com
    bobbygdavis.com
    wedsna.com
    rgkntk.com
    bkkmarketplace.com
    zxqcwx.com
    breakupprogram.com
    boxcardc.com
    unblockyoutubeindonesia.com
    fabulousbookmark.com
    beat-the.com
    guatemala-sailfishing-vacations-charters.com
    magie-marketing.com
    kingstonliteracy.com
    guitaraffinity.com
    eurelookinggoodapparel.com
    howtolosecheekfat.net
    marioncma.org
    oliviadavismusic.com
    shantelcampbellrealestate.com
    shopleborn13.com
    topindiafree.com
    v-visitors.net
    qazwsxedcokmijn.com
    parabis.net
    terriesandelin.com
    luxuryhomme.com
    studyexpanse.com
    ronoom.com
    djjky.com
    053hh.com
    originbluei.com
    baucishotel.com
    33kkn.com
    intrinsiqresearch.com
    mariaescort-kiev.com
    mymaguk.com
    sponsored4u.com
    crimsonclass.com
    bataillenavale.com
    searchtile.com
    ze-stribrnych-struh.com
    zenithalhype.com
    modalpkv.com
    bouisset-lafforgue.com
    useupload.com
    37r.net
    autoankauf-muenster.com
    bantinbongda.net
    bilgius.com
    brabustermagazine.com
    indigrow.org
    miicrosofts.net
    mysmiletravel.com
    selinasims.com
    spellcubesapp.com
    usa-faction.com
    snn01.com
    hope-kelley.com
    bancodeprofissionais.com
    zjccp99.com
    liturgycreator.com
    weedsmj.com
    majorelenco.com
    colcollect.com
    androidnews-jp.com
    hypoallergenicdogsnames.com
    dailyupdatez.com
    foodphotographyreviews.com
    cricutcom-setup.com
    chprowebdesign.com
    katyrealty-kanepa.com
    tasramar.com
    bilgipinari.org
    four-am.com
    indiarepublicday.com
    inquick-enbooks.com
    iracmpi.com
    kakaschoenen.com
    lsm99flash.com
    nana1255.com
    ngen-niagara.com
    technwzs.com
    virtualonlinecasino1345.com
    wallpapertop.net
    nova-click.com
    abeautifulcrazylife.com
    diggmobile.com
    denochemexicana.com
    eventhalfkg.com
    medcon-taiwan.com
    life-himawari.com
    myriamshomes.com
    nightmarevue.com
    allstarsru.com
    bestofthebuckeyestate.com
    bestofthefirststate.com
    bestwireless7.com
    declarationintermittent.com
    findhereall.com
    jingyou888.com
    lsm99deal.com
    lsm99galaxy.com
    moozatech.com
    nuagh.com
    patliyo.com
    philomenamagikz.net
    rckouba.net
    saturnunipessoallda.com
    tallahasseefrolics.com
    thematurehardcore.net
    totalenvironment-inthatquietearth.com
    velislavakaymakanova.com
    vermontenergetic.com
    sizam-design.com
    kakakpintar.com
    begorgeouslady.com
    1800birks4u.com
    2wheelstogo.com
    6strip4you.com
    bigdata-world.net
    emailandco.net
    gacapal.com
    jharpost.com
    krishnaastro.com
    lsm99credit.com
    mascalzonicampani.com
    sitemapxml.org
    thecityslums.net
    topagh.com
    flairnetwebdesign.com
    bangkaeair.com
    beneventocoupon.com
    noternet.org
    oqtive.com
    smilebrightrx.com
    decollage-etiquette.com
    1millionbestdownloads.com
    7658.info
    bidbass.com
    devlopworldtech.com
    digitalmarketingrajkot.com
    fluginfo.net
    naqlafshk.com
    passion-decouverte.com
    playsirius.com
    spacceleratorintl.com
    stikyballs.com
    top10way.com
    yokidsyogurt.com
    zszyhl.com
    16firthcrescent.com
    abogadolaboralistamd.com
    apk2wap.com
    aromacremeria.com
    banparacard.com
    bosmanraws.com
    businessproviderblog.com
    caltonosa.com
    calvaryrevivalchurch.org
    chastenedsoulwithabrokenheart.com
    cheminotsgardcevennes.com
    cooksspot.com
    cqxzpt.com
    deesywig.com
    deltacartoonmaps.com
    despixelsetdeshommes.com
    duocoracaobrasileiro.com
    fareshopbd.com
    goodpainspills.com
    kobisitecdn.com
    makaigoods.com
    mgs1454.com
    piccadillyresidences.com
    radiolaondafresca.com
    rubendorf.com
    searchengineimprov.com
    sellmyhrvahome.com
    shugahouseessentials.com
    sonihullquad.com
    subtractkilos.com
    valeriekelmansky.com
    vipasdigitalmarketing.com
    voolivrerj.com
    zeelonggroup.com
    1015southrockhill.com
    10x10b.com
    111-online-casinos.com
    191cb.com
    3665arpentunitd.com
    aitesonics.com
    bag-shokunin.com
    brightotech.com
    communication-digitale-services.com
    covoakland.org
    dariaprimapack.com
    freefortniteaccountss.com
    gatebizglobal.com
    global1entertainmentnews.com
    greatytene.com
    hiroshiwakita.com
    iktodaypk.com
    jahatsakong.com
    meadowbrookgolfgroup.com
    newsbharati.net
    platinumstudiosdesign.com
    slotxogamesplay.com
    strikestaruk.com
    trucosdefortnite.com
    ufabetrune.com
    weddedtowhitmore.com
    12940brycecanyonunitb.com
    1311dietrichoaks.com
    2monarchtraceunit303.com
    601legendhill.com
    850elaine.com
    adieusolasomade.com
    andora-ke.com
    bestslotxogames.com
    cannagomcallen.com
    endlesslyhot.com
    iestpjva.com
    ouqprint.com
    pwmaplefest.com
    qtylmr.com
    rb88betting.com
    buscadogues.com
    1007macfm.com
    born-wild.com
    growthinvests.com
    promocode-casino.com
    proyectogalgoargentina.com
    wbthompson-art.com
    whitemountainwheels.com
    7thavehvl.com
    developmethis.com
    funkydogbowties.com
    travelodgegrandjunction.com
    gao-town.com
    globalmarketsuite.com
    blogshippo.com
    hdbka.com
    proboards67.com
    outletonline-michaelkors.com
    kalkis-research.com
    thuthuatit.net
    buckcash.com
    hollistercanada.com
    docterror.com
    asadart.com
    vmayke.org
    erwincomputers.com
    dirimart.org
    okkii.com
    loteriasdecehegin.com
    mountanalog.com
    healingtaobritain.com
    ttxmonitor.com
    bamthemes.com
    nwordpress.com
    11bolabonanza.com
    avgo.top