Posted on 11/17/2006 9:43:00 AM PST by DogByte6RER
Move over, turkey
April E. Clark Post Independent Staff November 17, 2006
If Margie Garrett had her wish, she'd be having a turkey at her Thanksgiving dinner.
But this turkey wouldn't be roasted, fried or stuffed. It would be a guest.
"I'd love to invite one to dinner," said Garrett, who has worked at Good Health grocery store for 10 years. "I would love to have one as a pet turkey some day."
Each year, Garrett hosts a Thanksgiving spread that features enough food to make anyone forget about turkey. She's been a vegetarian since 1972 and, more recently, is a vegan, a lifestyle that avoids using or consuming all animal products.
"I'm telling you, by the time you finish dinner, you don't even miss the gobble gobble," she said. "I have all the trimmings."
Garrett's Thanksgiving menu includes homemade vegetarian stuffing covered with mushroom gravy, cranberries, salads, mashed potatoes, creamed peas, and baked squash stuffed with wild rice. Dessert features homemade pumpkin pie with organic whipping cream.
"People always ask me, 'Well, what do you eat?' But look at all this," she said. "The stuffing is so good when you make it from scratch."
For a turkey alternative, vegetarian-friendly stores such as Good Health sells Tofurkey, an organic, meatless tofu product that can be served alongside traditional Thanksgiving recipes. Tempe and tofu can also be substituted as Thursday's main course.
"If you're looking for a fake meat-type thing, one of the dishes I make - and I raised my family on it - is tempe or tofu diced up, sautéd in olive oil and coated with nutritional yeast on it," she said. "It makes a crispy brown coating that is almost like fried chicken."
Garrett has so many recipes for a vegetarian Thanksgiving, she doesn't even miss the leftover turkey sandwiches.
"I'm so determined for my love for the little animals, I don't miss the leftover turkey sandwiches," she said.
Being thankful doesn't require a turkey on a platter, Garret said.
"We're thankful, right, that we live in this valley," she said. "There's much to be thankful for, and it doesn't have to involve a poor little turkey."
Unless, of course, it's sitting at the kid's table enjoying a home-cooked meal.
Post Independent, Glenwood Springs Colorado CO
What's Tofurkey?
• Tofurkey is a pre-cooked meatless turkey alternative made with organic non-genetically engineered soybeans.
• Tofurkey products are made from a combination of organic tofu and vital wheat gluten made with all-natural, vegan flavors an no msg or hvp.
• Tofurkey is certified vegan by the UK Vegan Society. The product uses nongenetically modified or organic ingredients and are packed in 100 percent recycled paperboard packaging.
UGGGHHHH! Tofurkey?!?! How disgusting! Rest assured vegans, I have a great turkey stuffing recipe in which the turkey is stuffed with veal. How does that sound to you? For every turkey that you hugging vegans don't eat, I will cook an additional turkey just to make up for the deficit. I love all animals...because they are so delicious.
How do you tell the difference between the product and the packaging?
Let them eat tofurkey, It helps keeps the price down on the real thing...........
Tofurkey?
COSMIC BARF-OUT!
eh-hem...
I'm thinking of trying a Turduchen this year...
creamed peas,...organic whipping cream
Am I missing something about where cream comes from?
Picked up birdzilla yesterday: 23 pounds.
My "crunchy con" sweetheart wife was less than impressed.
I would happily invite Margie Garrett to my home on Thanksgiving for dinner. She could listen to Adam Sandler's 'Thansgiving Song' while I heap loads of turkey meat and veal dressing onto her plate.
Check out Sandler's turkey day ditty at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2JsILdSZf-0
Birds of a feather flock together. There is less than a standard deviation between Margie Garrett's IQ and a turkey's IQ.
I was thinking of deep-frying my tofurkey cajun-style this year.
/barf
My foot, vegetarians who claim moral superiority really get up my nose.
Go ahead and eat all the turkey you want....I will abstain.... LOL!
This is what makes America great! ;)
That's "companion turkey" you condescending speciesist dirtbag!
But this choice, which reflects my personal circumstances has to do with health, not a moral stance. Go ahead and kill that turkey - it's too stupid to know not to stand out in the rain. :)
Regards, Ivan
2 Turkeys.
20 quarts of Peanut Oil.
1 small tank of propane.
1 large pot and burner.
Pumpkin Ale stays in the icebox until AFTER the turkeys are done.
Even here in San Francisco some people think it is a bit much; on the train during summer before the 4th of July I overheard a girl telling a friend "and I told him NO TOFU, I want ribs on the barbque".
I should have followed you!
The pumpkin ale should opened and ceremoniously consumed at the moment you start the flame on your burner.
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