Turkey Talk

At Fiddlehead, we love a good meal!  It can be as simple as sitting down with my harvest crew for a hearty lunch or as special as a wine dinner somewhere across the country that brings me together with friends and fans from afar.  And sometimes it is in my own backyard, like at the recent gathering in the barn at Fiddlestix for our annual First String Fiddlers Luncheon. 

So with the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday, the one day of the year when we are encouraged to indulge in the cornucopia of the season (and almost certainly leave the dinner table with an aching belly!), how could we not be excited?! 

I asked my staff to share their favorite Thanksgiving dish and what they are most looking forward to this
Turkey Day.  Here is what they had to say!

Kristen Mullin, Accounting & Compliance

"This Thanksgiving I am going to visit my family in Chico. I am most looking forward to “Pie Night”, an annual baking party we do the day before Thanksgiving.  I can tell already it’s going to be a
very messy kitchen!"

Miranda Poett, Harvest Cellar Rat & Tasting Room Extraordinaire


"This is the first time in a few years that I'm actually
going to get to be home for Thanksgiving! I'm so
excited and thankful to be able to spend it with
my family and friends! Although the day after
turkey sandwhich is aslo a favorite of mine!

Luis Ramirez, Tasting Room Manager & Lead Dishwasher

"My all time favorite Thanksgiving dish is tamales, of course.  At the end of the evening we throw them on the grill and heat them back up for midnight snacks.  Seeing the Ramirez clan and laughing lots will be what I look forward to the most."

Nicole Kantz, Wine Club & Direct Sales Concierge

"My all time favorite Thanksgiving dish is my mom’s
 famous stuffing. My plate always consists of a giant
 heap of stuffing and just a little bit of everything else.
Since this will be my little sister’s first Thanksgiving away
 from home while she is in college, I am really looking
 forward to our Skype call to her right after the feast."

Rob Fry, National Sales Manager

"I like to cook.  In fact, for many years, I was invited to multiple Thanksgiving dinners for one reason – so I could make the gravy.  Currently, I like making the sides – gingered carrots are a wonderful accompaniment to the typically rich fare that is Thanksgiving dinner.  It's simple and delicious.
Here’s the recipe – I slice the carrots on a vegetable mandolin and sauté them in a little butter with a little grated ginger.  Sweeten with a little honey, white pepper, and for some lift, add a little Italian parsley at the end.  Viola!"

Stephen Villa, Assistant Winemaker

"The thing I'm most looking forward to this Thanksgiving is not straying too far from home. For the holiday last year we took a drive out to Arizona to see some of my family. Thanksgiving day was a total blast. Absolutely terrific food, wonderful wine, and a good, long nap after dinner. Perfect day. Coming back, another story. To make it short, it was the Sunday after Thanksgiving with a million cars and trucks going every which direction
and we spent 4+ hours just inside the California border not moving
a single inch. Thanksgiving was a wonderful time and I'm so happy
we did it, but this year I'm most grateful to be around our Lompoc
family and friends, instead of our big rig pals surrounding us on I-10."

Natalie Leschuk, Office Manager

"I love my grandma's stuffing!  Her recipe has been perfected over the years...and now that I’ve taken over some of the chef responsibilities, I have a hard time resisting eating the stuffing while cooking it!  However, my ultimate favorite is the taste of the stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, cranberry sauce, and green bean casserole all mixing together in one delicious and colorful bite. 
As an avid NFL fan, I always look forward to the annual Thanksgiving football games and making bets with my family on whether the Lions and Cowboys will win or lose."

And from yours truly...my favorite dish is the dish of
left overs!  The main event for my family is the creating of 
the menu, the shopping and the cooking. The meal that
night seems so much less fabulous than the day leading
 up to it….and then there is that delicious day after….with
 all that great food and none of the work!   If I had to pick something…very untraditional Black Cod on the grill is
my most memorable dish.


This Thanksgiving we raise our glasses in appreciation of all of you, our loyal friends and fans!  CHEERS to you and your families! 
May your homes be filled with delicious food, Holiday spirit, Fiddlehead wines, and lots and lots of leftovers!

Kathy