Thanksgiving is just around the corner (how?) and our inboxes are full of funny messages from Mom accompanied by cryptic, rather threatening lines of emojis (real-life example: 
).
We’re rushing to plan the perfect family dinner and the requisite Friendsgiving celebrations, asking ourselves big questions like which of our friends will actually bring a dish and whether or not we’re going to count Grandmom’s marshmallow-encrusted sweet potato casserole as a vegetable this year. As always, we’ll be cutting a few corners this Thanksgiving (I’ll be schlepping Junior’s Cheesecake down to North Carolina instead of making a pie). Here, we round up the best places to source raw ingredients and more in time for next Thursday.
Need more recipe inspiration? We like Short Stack’s free recipe book (highlights: sprouted chickpeas with mustard greens and caramelized potatoes) and we’ve been hitting up feedfeed for cocktail ideas and Thanksgiving Eve recipes.
The bird
There are tons of options for picking up a sustainably raised turkey in the city, and a small apartment is no excuse to skip the bird — here’s our guide to cooking a large dish in a small space. Plan on choosing a size based on the number of guests at your Thanksgiving table — we recommend allowing for 1-1.5 pounds per guest.
This year, our family is spatchcocking our turkey — we got inspired by our interview with Dan Pashman of the Sporkful in our upcoming issue (Stay tuned! Online and on stands this week!). Tamarack Hollow, DiPaola Turkey, Quattro’s Game Farm, Violet Hill and a few others are still taking orders at the Greenmarket, and this year you can even order a bird from Blue Hill at Stone Barns. And if you’re looking for stories to supplement your supper, here’s what it’s like to be a turkey farmer this time of year.
Fleisher’s is offering a variety heritage breeds (and this awesome DIY jerky kit for your leftovers), but we recommend doing a little research before you commit to cooking a wild-ish turkey — if you don’t cook whole birds regularly, they can dry out much more quickly than their broad breasted counterpart. If you run into trouble, help hotlines abound on the day of the feast —the Butterball Hotline has been saving the day since 1981, and we like Food52‘s expert culinary advice.
The sides
Everyone knows sides are the most fun part of any Thanksgiving meal. If you’re don’t feel like braving the Greenmarket on the busiest day of the year, we recommend sourcing your vegetables Hell’s Kitchen Farm Project — they’re offering a one-time Thanksgiving CSA complete with 16 herbs and vegetables for $40. We’re turning to Bien Cuit for buttermilk biscuits, and this year Runner and Stone is making stuffing featuring their delicious buckwheat baguettes.
The pie
It’s hard to go wrong with pie this time of year, whether you’ll be emptying out a sentimental can of Libby’s or roasting your own cheese pumpkin to nestle inside a decadent market-sourced lard crust. We’re partial to pies from Four & Twenty (who isn’t?) and you can replicate that salted caramel apple wonder with their cookbook.
If you want to put in the elbow grease and make your own, consider our great pie crust debate (featuring Sam Sifton, Alison Kave of Butter & Scotch, the Four & Twenty sisters, Kat Kinsman, Food52‘s Caroline Lange and more) and instructions on how to make a killer pie lattice. We’ve also got your gluten-free pie crust covered as well as options for cardamom honey squash filling and a salted caramel apple pie with a bourbon crust. Running low on oven space? You can also pick up great pies from Forager’s and Marlow & Son’s.
Everything else
White Moustache‘s new turkey brine that makes use of a yogurt byproduct is whey cool, and we’ll be trying our hand at cranberry sauce using Breezy Hill Orchard’s fresh cranberries. Tørst gave us their beer pairing recommendations, and Astor Wines & Spirits wine buyer outlines her turkey day necessities here. This year, we’re psyched to put cider on our Thanksgiving table — Eve’s and Eden will be gracing our spread alongside exciting newcomer Good Life Cider.
