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Thanksgiving Turkey Alternatives

Not a turkey fan? Accommodating dietary restrictions? We’ve got you covered with nine turkey alternatives — both plant-based and meat-forward!

PLANT-BASED

Plant-Based Holiday Roasts

In-house Vegan Holiday Loaf

This delicious housemade loaf is made with chickpeas, oats, vegetables, and mushrooms then glazed with a sauce full of classic Thanksgiving ingredients! Omnivores and herbivores alike can enjoy this mouthful of cozy, fall flavors. Truly a Co-op staff favorite!

A plate of vegan Thanksgiving food, such as plant-based loaf and cranberry sauce, ready to be enjoyed for Thanksgiving

Field Roast

Beloved plant-based brand Field Roast has two holiday roast options this season! 

The first is a rich and fragrant centerpiece, the Hazelnut Cranberry Roast. This sweet yet bold roast is wrapped in flaky puff pastry and is the ideal balance to salty potatoes and stuffing. 

This roast serves eight, and is typically $18.99 but you can get it at the Community Food Co-op for $14.99 for a limited time. 

The Celebration Roast is an even better deal and features a more savory flavor profile. The roast is enhanced by the rich and earthy porcini mushroom gravy included in this dish. Not only does Field Roast recommend this roast as a Thanksgiving centerpiece, but also for sandwiches! Yum!

This roast serves eight, and is typically $18.99 but is $12.99 for a limited time. 

Tofurky

Tofurky — a household, vegan name! Not only do they have a roast for you this season, but they have a whole feast.

A savory blend of wheat and tofu, this roast is filled with a flavorful wild rice and bread crumb stuffing, ready to be basted, roasted, carved and devoured by all. This roast serves five, is usually $17.49 but is $11.99 for a limited time, and has been around since 1995.

The Tofurky feast serves six and includes much more than just one roast! It also includes stuffing, gravy, and a brownie for $34.99. This meal is $24.99 for a limited time. 

Gardein

Gardein has a plant-based ‘turk’y’ stuffed with a tart cranberry dressing. This Savory Stuffed Turk’y is served with a warm, savory gravy to balance the tart stuffing. 

This vegan option serves five people and is regularly $19.99 but will be $13.99 for a limited time.

Quorn

This roast is for all the vegetarians out there! Quorn’s Turkey-Style Roast is gluten free and has 15 grams of protein. Perfect for a group of four and only $7.99 for a limited time at the Community Food Co-op, this savory-forward roast is great for a meatless Thanksgiving dinner. 

Plant-Based Ham

Tofurky

A plant-based main course perfect for any holiday, this ham has a tender, smoky flavor, complimented by a sweet, tangy glaze. We’ve heard positive reviews from vegans and meat-eaters alike.

Tofurky's plant-based ham roast on a sea of mashed potatoes for Thanksgiving

This ham serves five people and is regularly $17.49 but is $11.99 at the Community Food Co-op for a limited time only. 

ALTERNATIVE MEATS

Wild Alaskan Sockeye Salmon 

Our wild-caught, Alaskan sockeye salmon is previously frozen and sold as a whole filet. Sockeye is rich in texture and high in flavor; a northwest favorite anytime of year. Need some inspiration? Roast your salmon in butter for classic Thanksgiving flavors with an innovative protein. 

Steamed salmon with fresh herbs and lemon ready to be enjoyed for Thanksgiving dinner

Our filets are about 1-1.5 pounds each and serve two to four people. Sockeye salmon is $16.99 per pound.

Chicken 

Roast chicken is the perfect alternative for a smaller crowd, especially if you want the gorgeous roasting photos without the turkey! You can still enjoy the roasted vegetable bed, basting, and carving experiences of a turkey with this more manageable alternative.

Delicious, freshly baked, crispy, baked chicken set on a table for Thanksgiving dinner

First time roasting a chicken? Here’s a little inspiration.

Celebrating Red Wine Day with some Co-op Favorites

Three bottles of wine sit on a table.

August 28 is Red Wine Day! There's no better way to celebrate than with a good meal and a gorgeous wine to pair.

Not sure where to begin in the vast red wine aisle? We've got you covered. Below are three late-summer recommendations from Tim, our wine expert. We have something for every budget and preference.

In general, Tim suggests a chillable red as we are still in the heat of summer.

Let us know what bottle of wine you're celebrating with on Instagram (@communityfoodcoop), Twitter (@TheCoopInBham), or Facebook.

Paul Dolan, Mendocino Zinfandel 2020, $17.99

This Zin has notions of rich berries, such as black raspberry, along with vanilla, pipe tobacco, spice cabinet, fresh plums, and orange peel tea. This wine is for those who enjoy a forward and concentrated wine, with a balance of zest from the fruit.

Paul Dolan Vineyards is located in Mendocino County and has rich biological diversity.

To go with this delectable Zin, we suggest sweet and spicy BBQ short ribs or Moroccan eggplant with tomato stew.

A Zinfandel sits on a ledge.
A Bardolino sits on a table.

Zeni, Bardolino Classico 2020, $8.99

If you’re looking for a crowd-pleasing, chillable red blend, look no further! This soft yet zesty bottle features notes of pie cherries, cocoa, red currant, Allspice, Earl Grey tea, and hibiscus. 

The Zeni family has spent over 140 years producing fine wines in Verona. This blend in particular is produced from indigenous grapes in Lake Garda. 

This summer-weight red pairs well with many dinners, including veggie burgers, pasta pomodoro, and seafood risotto. In addition, this bottle is a nice accompaniment to an antipasti platter.

Jean-Marc Burgaud, Beaujolais-Villages Lantignié 2020, $14.99

This red is medium-bodied and has energetic suggestions of Marionberry, pink peppercorn, rose hip, loamy beets, Morello cherry, elderflower, and stony minerals. This wine is anything but basic!

Since 1989, Jean-Marc Burgaud has produced wine using organic principles and traditional Burgundian methods. Jean-Marc Burgaud adapts the wine-making process with the changing of the seasons and grows on rich, granite soil. 

Pair a glass or two of this with fresh-caught seared salmon — found at our seafood counter, any variety of burger, and roasted or grilled veggies.

A red wine is held.

Celebrating Salmon: Three techniques for perfect salmon every time

by Paul Manthe, Downtown deli

cooked salmon for dinner

I recommend three approaches to cooking fish which are simple, adaptable, and quick: pan roasting, salt broiling, and poaching. They are all accessible to home cooks, requiring no specialized equipment or knowledge. If you have a typical kitchen and a basic range of tools, you can use these alternatives to baking or frying. —Paul Manthe, Cordata deli

When I was a child, sometime back in the 1970s, I recall that around this time of year, after the fall salmon run, our family would often receive gifts of whole salmon from sport fishing acquaintances. I assume these gifts were occasioned by the realization that the giver had caught more than they could consume or find space for in the freezer.

These gift salmon were invariably baked whole, simply salted and peppered. The meat came out a bit dry, as you might imagine, and the leftovers thriftily went into salmon hash, casserole, or salmon salad.

Since then, Bellingham’s population has nearly doubled, as it has throughout the entire Puget Sound region, and the salmon runs have decreased considerably as the growing human population stresses the local environment.

I propose that we cherish those remaining and when fortunate enough to acquire a salmon that we prepare it with the utmost respect and care.

As we probably will not see abundant salmon runs like those ever again, I propose that we cherish those remaining and when fortunate enough to acquire a salmon, or even part of one, that we prepare it with the utmost respect and care. Long exposure to dry heat, as in baking, is not the best way to prepare salmon, or any fish. Alternative methods are called for.

I recommend three approaches to cooking fish which are simple, adaptable, and quick: pan roasting, salt broiling, and poaching. They are all accessible to home cooks, requiring no specialized equipment or knowledge. If you have a typical kitchen and a basic range of tools, you can use these alternatives to baking or frying.

My purpose in presenting these methods as simply as possible is to encourage a sense of ease and dispel some of the fear of cooking I feel from many people. Cooking is a life skill, it’s basic and necessary. It is above all not a competition, in spite of all the television shows which insist on presenting it that way.

I encourage you to try these methods and adapt them to your own needs and tastes.

Pan Roasting

This is by far my favorite method, which I presented in the Winter 2017 issue of the Co-op's In Season magazine.

EQUIPMENT

Oven-going skillet.

METHOD
  1. Preheat oven to 400 F.
  2. Portion skin-on fillets.
  3. Heat skillet on range top until just hot, not smoking.
  4. Add a teaspoon or so of butter or oil to the skillet, then quickly add the fish, skin side up.
  5. Sear the fish in the hot skillet for just two or three minutes, then quickly turn skin side down and slide the skillet into the oven.
  6. Bake for three minutes per pound of fish.
  7. Serve with lemon or vinegar, or create a pan sauce with wine, butter, and herbs using the remaining juices from the skillet.

Salt Broiling

A Japanese technique that uses the high direct heat of your oven's broiler to seal in the juices of the fish.

EQUIPMENT

Broiler pan or a flat pan of some sort with a rack inside to elevate the fish off the bottom of the pan.

METHOD
  1. Individually portion skin-on filleted fish (approximately a half-pound per person).
  2. Liberally salt each piece of fish with coarse or kosher salt on the flesh side only.
  3. Allow to stand at room temperature for about a half-hour.
  4. Move the top rack of your oven to its highest position, and set your oven controls to broil.
  5. When hot, broil fish for a good five minutes or so. It will hiss and flare from time to time, but this is to be expected.
  6. After surface of fish is browned and crusted, slide out the pan, turn the fish skin side up, return to oven, and broil for a few more minutes to finish.
  7. Present skin side down, with a squeeze of lemon or a dash of vinegar.

Poaching

A moist heat method, which Scandinavian cooks have relied on for hundreds of years.

EQUIPMENT

Stove-top pan deep enough to hold a few inches of water.

METHOD
  1. In a pan large enough to accommodate your fish, bring a few inches of salted water (1 teaspoon salt per cup of water) to a simmer.
  2. Lower fish into salted water, skin side up.
  3. Simmer for three to five minutes only, then remove carefully and allow the fish to rest, covered, for a few minutes more before serving.
  4. Serve with a squeeze of lemon, or for added richness I like to add a bit of butter or a drizzle of flavored oil.

Canoes, Salmon & Orcas

In the downtown store, upstairs in the mezzanine.
Free, everyone welcome.

Join Children of the Setting Sun Productions for a special First Friday event featuring songs, stories, and a short video compilation documenting war canoe racing, the annual canoe journey, the wild sockeye salmon fishery, and contributions of Lummi tribal members to help an ailing orca in the Salish Sea. Presentation will be followed by a Q&A session.

Samples of traditionally prepared salmon cooked over an open fire pit and samples from the Co-op will be provided.

An art show depicting war canoe racing, the canoe journey, Atlantic salmon spill cleanup, efforts to feed a Southern resident orca, and 2018 summer sockeye fishery, will be on display throughout October.

Learn more at settingsunproductions.org.

First Friday at the Co-op

Free, all ages

Art: Joel Brady-Power, photographer (joelbradypower.com).
Join Joel Brady-Power of Nerka Sea Frozen Salmon to take a virtual salmon-fishing adventure in the spectacular waters outside of Sitka, Alaska. Nerka (nerkasalmon.com) provides the Co-op with top-quality salmon during the off-season.

Entertainment: Poetry with Kevin Murphy, Matt Brouwer, and Rena Priest.

Food: Tasty tidbits and sips throughout the store including smoked salmon from Nerka and a special treat from the Co-op bakery.

The Perfect Mother’s Day Gift

Delight the mom in your life with a few of our favorite products for Mother’s Day.  Mother’s Day Bouquets   Fresh flowers brighten Mother’s Day and indicate that spring is here. Our tulips and field daffodils are grown locally in Mount Vernon. We have tulips in a variety of lovely colored [...]

Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month

Happy Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month! Annually celebrated since 1992, AAPI Heritage Month recognizes the cultural contributions of Asian and Pacific Islander heritage to the United States. AAPI is an umbrella term for cultures from the entire Asian continent and the Pacific Islands of Melanesia, Micronesia, and [...]

Shop in Bulk and Save

Shopping in bulk is a great way to reduce the carbon-footprint (and the cost) of your grocery haul, but your first foray into the bulk section can be intimidating. We want everyone to feel comfortable and capable in all parts of our store, so we've developed a handy guide to [...]

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DOWNTOWN STORE & DELI • map • 360-734-8158 • 7 am – 9 pm
meat and deli counter: 7 am – 7 pm
made-to-order counter: 7 am – 6 pm
salad/hot bar: 7 am – 6 pm

CORDATA STORE & DELI • map • 360-734-8158 • 7 am – 9 pm
meat and deli counter: 7 am – 7 pm
made-to-order counter: 7 am – 6 pm
salad/hot bar: 7 am – 7 pm

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