November has come which means it’s time to start planning for the holiday festivities. Specifically, Thanksgiving! As you’re making lists of ingredients to pick up, which guest should bring what dish, and figuring out how anyone will have room for dessert, you might find yourself feeling overwhelmed. That’s a lot of food to plan, so why not pick up some Thanksgiving treats ahead of time.
The Greater Merrimack Valley is full of restaurants, bakeries, farm stands, and more where you can find delicious goodies to add to your Thanksgiving feast. Whether you’re trying to find the perfect ingredients, appetizer platter, or dessert, you’ll impress your guests with incredible local food.
Wilson Farm
Wilson Farm in Lexington, Massachusetts offers an abundance of delicious goodies to impress your Thanksgiving guests. Their fresh, locally-grown produce that you can use for sides and ingredients in your favorite dishes. They have a wide selection of seasonal vegetables that will compliment your holiday turkey perfectly and make your table vibrant and inviting.
Besides that, their party platters are sure to be crowd-pleasers. They will save you tons of time and prepwork so you can focus on the turkey, sides, and dessert. There’s a great selection of platters to choose from: charcuterie boards, shrimp platters, caprese trays, and selections of fruits and vegetables. Your guests can snack on bite-sized goodies to tide themselves over before the main course but not ruin their appetites. Such a thing is key when you’ve worked so hard to make a sumptuous holiday meal.
Or you can get a dessert tray so you won’t have to do any baking and pastry decorating. Choose from a festive cookie platter, mini pastries, and candy trays that will surely make everyone hungry again even after a massive Thanksgiving feast.
Marzae Wines
Nothing compliments a delicious Thanksgiving dinner like the right wine. Marzae Wines in Acton, Massachusetts has an incredible variety of New England wines made from local ingredients including fruits and honey. They’re all inspired by the local flora and fauna of Massachusetts, so a bottle of wine from them adds a hint of New England flavor and charm to the meal even if your holiday dinner is held out of state.
Consider serving a bottle of V. labrusca 2023 alongside your feast. This wine is made with local fox grapes, it has tasting notes of cherry pie, cranberry juice, blackberry, and blueberry, so it will pair perfectly with the cranberry sauce, turkey, and pie on the table. Or select a bottle of Native, which is a unique option that’s part mead, part cider, and part wine. It’s made with cider apples, cranberries, raw summer honey, and white chardonnay, among numerous other ingredients, truly tastes like the best of the harvest come together in your glass.
You can buy these wines and many others in-store at Marzae Wines, or their online store. They’ll ship to multiple different states so even if you live outside of the Greater Merrimack Valley, or you’re visiting someone for Thanksgiving and would prefer to send the wine directly to the host’s house, you’ll have incredible Massachusetts-made wine on the table.
For an extra holiday treat for Thanksgiving and beyond, Marzae Wines is having a special throughout November and December. Not only do they have delightful holiday wine bundles, but for every $30 you spend on your order, you’ll get a free can of piquette. It’s a delicious deal that will make the whole table happy.
Kimball Farm Country Store
Kimball Farm Country Store in Westford, Massachusetts is another local favorite where you can pick up some goodies to make your Thanksgiving meal special. While Kimball Farm itself might be closed for the season, the Country Store is open year-round. Their winter hours are Monday-Friday from 6:30 am to 6 pm and Saturday-Sunday from 7 am to 6 pm.
This two-story gift shop has tons of useful goods and baking supplies perfect for the holidays. Whether you’re hosting Thanksgiving or a good guest who’s looking to bring a gift, the Country Store has plenty of gourmet goods to choose from. Get some local honey to sweeten teas or add to biscuits. Spread apple, blueberry, or strawberry jam on bread or drizzle it on ice cream. Use the maple sugar from Ben’s Sugar Shack to bake delicious desserts and sweet treats with an unforgettable taste. No matter what you do with the ingredients, you’re sure to create a sumptuous Thanksgiving meal.
Verrill Farm
Among the oldest agriculturally sustained lands in the U.S., Verrill Farm in Concord, Massachusetts is another place where you can find incredible local produce. Over 40 varieties of crops are grown on 150 acres of land throughout the year. This means your holiday feast will have all of the local and seasonal flavor you could ask for!
This year you can order your entire Thanksgiving dinner from Verrill Farms. They’re offering traditional, classic dishes including mashed potatoes, their famous gravy, and more. Stonewood Farm fresh whole turkeys as well as frozen turkey breasts are available so you’ll have your beautiful bird to put in the center of the table. It’s a great way to make Thanksgiving easy.
For some sweet Thanksgiving treats, you’ll want to hit the bakery. They first began baking homemade pies and selling them out of a roadside tent in 1992. Now they also offer muffins, scones, cookies, cakes, and other desserts, all baked from scratch. If you’re in charge of dessert, order a few pies from the best and share the cheer with your friends and family at Thanksgiving dinner.
Holidays like Thanksgiving are about togetherness, but planning a party is naturally stressful. Save yourself some trouble and support local farms and businesses by getting parts of your feast from them. Be sure to order ahead of time when possible to ensure you get your Thanksgiving treats in time for the big day.
