Start Your Thanksgiving Feast: Southern Starters

Thanksgiving is just around the corner, and at Piedmont Fresh we believe your holiday table should do more than satisfy — it should tell a story. A story of flavor, care, and community, built from ingredients grown and made right here in the Piedmont. When you choose local farms and makers, you’re investing in more than taste. You’re supporting your neighbors, nurturing the regional economy, and reducing the environmental footprint of your food. Studies show that locally sourced foods often have more nutrients and flavor since they’re harvested at peak ripeness — not trucked in from hundreds of miles away. Local food systems keep dollars close to home and farmland thriving for generations to come.

So, this Thanksgiving, let your table be a celebration of the people and places that make the Piedmont delicious. Begin your meal with a true Southern classic: Rabble & Rise Baking Co.’s Pimento Cheese. Rich, creamy, and perfectly spiced, it’s delicious spread on warm pretzels or crackers — but don’t stop there. Pair it with fresh local veggies like crisp celery sticks, broccoli florets, or carrot slices for a lighter, farm-fresh twist on an old favorite. It’s the perfect way to ease into the holiday feast while the turkey roasts and the kitchen fills with the scent of garlic and butter.

No Thanksgiving table is complete without the sides, and this year, make yours shine with local flavor. Deviled eggs made with Sunflower Hill Farm LLC’s fresh eggs are a must — there’s nothing quite like the taste of truly farm-fresh eggs. For a creamy, indulgent side, whip up cheesy garlic mashed potatoes using Sunflower Hill Farm garlic and SandyCreek Farm’s Ashe County Mountain Marble Cheese. Add a little Southern comfort with green beans and baked beans cooked in Crossings Farm bacon, and round it out with corn on the cob slathered in SandyCreek Farm Ashe County Butter. Each dish tells a story of the people and farms that make our region unique — a connection that turns every bite into something meaningful.

Now for the main event — the Thanksgiving turkey. Pre-order your bird through Piedmont Fresh to make sure your centerpiece is pasture-raised and full of rich, authentic flavor. Local turkeys tend to roast faster and stay juicier, offering a depth of taste that’s hard to match with store-bought options. Complete your spread with a loaf of Rabble & Rise Baking Co.’s fresh-baked sourdough bread, perfect for soaking up gravy or stacking with leftovers for next-day sandwiches.

When it’s time for dessert, look no further than the creations from Rabble & Rise or SandyCreek Farm. A cozy slice of Fig Sweet Bread or one of their other local desserts pairs beautifully with a steaming cup of coffee from Bush Hill Coffee Co. — the perfect ending to a meal that’s all about warmth, community, and gratitude. And for an extra special touch, try making your own homemade stuffing with shiitake mushrooms grown by SandyCreek Farm. Their earthy, rich flavor brings a little forest magic to your holiday table and makes every bite feel like fall.

Choosing local isn’t just about great taste — it’s about gratitude. Every ingredient from a Piedmont Fresh vendor supports small farms, reduces waste, and keeps our food system vibrant and sustainable. Locally grown foods are fresher and often more nutritious. Every dollar spent with a local farm stays in the community, strengthening small businesses and creating jobs. Fewer miles from farm to fork means fewer emissions and less packaging waste. And perhaps most importantly, you know who grew your garlic, who churned your butter, and who collected your eggs — there’s real comfort in that kind of connection. Supporting local farms also helps preserve farmland, ensuring the next generation can enjoy the same abundance and beauty that we do today.

This Thanksgiving, let your gratitude extend from your heart to your plate. Order your local ingredients today through the Piedmont Fresh Online Market and build a holiday feast rooted in community, craftsmanship, and flavor. From pimento cheese to pumpkin pie, every dish can be a celebration of the farmers and makers who make the Piedmont home. Farm-fresh. Full of love. Unforgettably local.

North Carolina Gumbo: A Local Twist on a Louisiana Classic

Gumbo is synonymous with Louisiana cuisine, but its roots trace back to West Africa. The name “gumbo” comes from the West African word for okra, ki ngombo, highlighting the dish’s signature ingredient. Okra’s natural thickening properties make it a staple in soups and stews across many cultures, and while French cooks later introduced roux—a flour-and-fat blend—to thicken dishes, okra alone often provides enough richness.

This gumbo recipe celebrates the harvest, combining fresh vegetables like tomatoes, peppers, celery, onions, okra, and corn with a mix of land and sea proteins—sausage, chicken, fish, and shrimp. Here in North Carolina, you can put a local twist on this classic dish by incorporating seasonal vegetables like butternut squash or pumpkin, using sausage from local farmers, pasture-raised chicken, or shrimp harvested from our coast. The result is a true North Carolina gumbo, honoring the bounty of our land, air, and sea.

Ingredients

(Serves 6–8 as a side dish or 4 as a main course)

• 3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

• 2 large yellow or white onions, diced

• 2 stalks celery, diced

• 3–5 garlic cloves, minced

• 1 green bell pepper, seeded and diced

• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced

• 6–8 cups chicken broth or bone broth

• 1 tsp thyme

• 2 bay leaves

• 1 tsp dried basil or 1/4 cup fresh basil

• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)

• Salt (try Hatteras salt)

• Sausage, chicken, fish, shrimp, and optional seasonal veggies like butternut squash or pumpkin

Instructions

1. Brown the sausage
Heat a large, heavy-bottomed stockpot over medium-high heat. Add sliced sausage in a single layer and cook 1–2 minutes per side until lightly browned. Transfer to a plate and set aside.

2. Sauté the vegetables
In the same pot, add a little olive oil over medium heat. Sauté onions, garlic, celery, and bell peppers for 5–6 minutes, until fragrant and softened.

3. Add broth and tomatoes
Pour in the chicken broth and add tomatoes (fresh or canned) and chicken. Bring to a boil.

4. Season and simmer
Reduce to a simmer. Add salt, bay leaves, thyme, and basil. Simmer for 1 hour.

5. Add okra, sausage, chicken, fish, and shrimp
Add proteins and okra, cooking until shrimp is done and all ingredients are heated through.

Optional: Make chicken broth from scratch
Place a whole chicken or 6 drumsticks in a large pot with 1 gallon of water. Simmer until fully cooked, then use the broth for your gumbo base.

Tips for a Perfect NC Gumbo

• More protein: Add ham, extra sausage, or other favorite meats.

• Spice it up: Include a jalapeño or your favorite chilis.

• Storage: Keep leftovers in a tight-lid container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

This gumbo is a vibrant, hearty celebration of local produce and seafood. It’s a dish that invites creativity, encourages seasonal cooking, and showcases the best of North Carolina’s farms and coast. Whether you’re serving it as a main course or a side, it’s sure to be a crowd-pleaser.

Veggie Spiral Pasta with Farm Fresh Pesto

Looking for a light, flavorful, and farm fresh meal that’s quick and easy to make? Try this Veggie Spiral Pasta with Farm Fresh Pesto made with ingredients from our local farms — including pesto from Crossings Farm and fresh veggies from Seven Sisters Farm and Ander’s Family Farm!

This recipe takes only 15–20 minutes from start to finish — fresh, simple, and straight from the farm.

Here’s how to make it:

1. Boil your spiral pasta (rotini or fusilli work perfectly!) in one pot until it’s cooked through and tender.

2. Chop your veggies: green beans, carrots, scallion onions from Seven Sisters Farm, and peppers from Anders Family Farm add great flavor and color. Add broccoli if you’d like — it blends beautifully with the other veggies.

3. (Optional) Add water chestnuts for that perfect extra crunch, and steam all the veggies together in a saucepan until they’re tender.

4. Drain your pasta and combine it with the veggies in a large bowl.

5. Add the star ingredient: stir in Crossings Farm Pesto until everything is coated in that fresh, herby flavor.

What’s nice about this plate is that the more veggies you add, the more delicious it becomes — and it’s totally customizable. I even like to add asparagus when it’s in season! You can also top it with freshly cut cherry tomatoes from Anders Family Farm for a fresh, colorful garnish.

Serve warm or at room temperature — it’s light, colorful, and works great as a main dish or side. For even more flavor, top your bowl with an extra spoonful of pesto before serving.

Looking for a quick and delicious after-meal treat? Take some Rabble & Rise Sourdough Bread, toast it, and drizzle with honey from Sunflower Hill Farm. It’s the perfect sweet finish and a great addition to your weeknight meal plan.

Shop local. Eat fresh. Taste the Piedmont.