Muscadine “Teeze”

Makes 1 cocktail

Muscadines are the autumn’s seasonal stand-in for the white peaches of summer in this bellini. In Italy, the juice of uva fragola grapes are used in the classic “Tiziano,” but we’re in Alabama, after all, so only muscadine juice will do … and we’ve shortened the name too.

• 1 ½ ounces chilled muscadine juice
• 4 ounces chilled prosecco
• Frozen muscadine grapes for garnish

1. Place a couple of frozen muscadines in the bottom of a champagne flute. Pour in the chilled muscadine juice and top off with prosecco.

Arugula, Persimmon and Bulger Creek Farm Goat Cheese Salad

Serves 8

If you haven’t tried a persimmon in anything but pudding, you’re missing out. Unlike mouthpuckering- unless-soft Hachiya persimmons, local Fuyus from Petals from the Past nursery in Jemison can be eaten when still crisp, like an apple, or soft and supple, making them a perfect seasonal addition to salads or cheese plates. Paired with spicy arugula and tangy fresh goat cheese from Bulger Creek Farm in Notasulga, this salad is a fresh burst of Alabama flavor.

• 1 large shallot, minced
• 2 teaspoons grainy Dijon mustard
• 2 teaspoons finely grated Satsuma or Clementine zest
• ¼ cup freshly squeezed Satsuma or Clementine juice
• ¼ cup champagne vinegar
• ¾ cup olive oil
• 8 ounces baby arugula
• 1 small fennel bulb, shaved or very thinly sliced
• 3 ripe Fuyu persimmons, stemmed and thinly sliced
• 4 ounces Bulger Creek Farms goat cheese, crumbled
• ½ cup toasted pecan halves

1. Place the shallot, mustard, citrus zest, citrus juice, vinegar and a generous pinch of salt in a small bowl; set aside for 10 minutes. Slowly whisk in the olive oil until the dressing is emulsified.
2. In large bowl toss together the arugula and shaved fennel and sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper. Dress with enough vinaigrette to moisten. In a separate bowl, toss the sliced persimmons with just enough vinaigrette to coat. Arrange the persimmon slices on the salad, tucking them under the greens and fennel in an artful way. Garnish with the crumbled goat cheese and walnuts to serve.

Conecuh County Sausage and Collard Cheese Grits

Serves 8

This is comfort food at its richest—spicy sausage produced in Evergreen folded into coarse-ground organic corn grits from the McEwen family’s grist mill in Wilsonville. Sautéed collards provide lovely specks of green. Bake this after the turkey comes out of the oven and while it rests before carving.

• 8 cups water
• 2 cups McEwen and Sons yellow corn grits
• 1 link Conecuh County hickory sausage, quartered lengthwise and sliced ½-inch thick
• 2 cups stemmed and coarsely chopped collards, blanched and shocked
• 1 ½ cups half-and-half
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1 ½ cups grated Gruyere cheese
• ½ cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano
• 1 cup sliced scallions

1. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
2. Bring the water and 1 teaspoon salt to a boil in a large saucepan. Whisk in the grits and reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook, stirring often with a wooden spoon, 20 minutes until grits are just tender.
3. While grits cook, brown the sausage over medium heat in a large skillet, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate with a slotted spoon.
4. When the grits are tender, remove the pan from the heat and stir in the sausage, collards, half-and-half, butter, Gruyere and scallions. Pour the mixture into a baking dish or braising pan with 3-inch sides. Sprinkle the top with the Parmigiano and some freshly ground black pepper. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes.

Satsuma-Stuffed Locally Bred Turkey with Alabama Root Vegetables

Serves 8 to 10

Satsumas are related to mandarins and are grown with success near the Gulf. In Birmingham they also do well, provided they are given protection from frost. The aromatic oils from the Satsuma skins infuse the bird with flavor from the inside out.

If time permits, brine your bird (see note) for 24 hours before roasting to add flavor and moisture during roasting. I slow-roasted our bird in a covered ceramic baker for the entire cooking time. The first 20 minutes of cook time is at high heat to kill any surface bacteria, then the oven temperature is reduced to 250 degrees F for the remainder of the cooking process. Once the thigh reaches 180 degrees F, you can be confident your bird is safely cooked to juicy perfection.

• One 12-pound Alabama-bred turkey, fully thawed
• 6 to 8 Satsumas or Clementines
• 1 stick butter, softened
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary, plus sprigs for stuffing and garnish
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Remove the neck and giblets from the inside of the bird and discard or reserve for another use. Rinse the bird well inside and out then pat dry thoroughly with paper towels. Brine the bird at this point in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours (see note) or proceed with recipe.
2. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
3. Finely zest the rind of 3 of the Satsumas or Clementines. Blend the grated zest with the softened butter and chopped rosemary until combined. Carefully loosen the skin of the turkey, without tearing it, using your fingers or the narrow handle of a wooden spoon. Stuff the Satsuma-rosemary butter under the skin of the turkey. Rub the exterior of the bird with any remaining butter or lightly brush with olive oil. Sprinkle the bird generously, inside and out, with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Stuff the cavity with the remaining Satsumas, as needed, to fill. Tuck a few rosemary sprigs inside.
4. Roast the bird on a bed of Satsuma slices in a covered roasting pan in the preheated oven for 20 minutes. Reduce the heat to 250 degrees F and continue roasting for 20 minutes per pound or about 4 hours until a meat thermometer inserted into the meatiest portion of the thigh, away from the bone, registers 180 degrees F. Remove the turkey from the oven and let it rest uncovered for about 20 minutes before carving. This allows the juices to settle back into the meat throughout the bird so that it is moist and delicious.

Note: To brine a turkey, bring 4 cups water, 1 quart chicken broth, ¾ cup kosher salt, ½ cup honey, 1 tablespoon peppercorns, 3 rosemary sprigs and 3 thyme sprigs to a boil in a large saucepan to dissolve the salt and incorporate the honey. Remove from heat and cool. Pour into a thick garbage bag with the rinsed turkey. Remove excess air from the bag and tie off. Place inside another garbage bag to be safe. Refrigerate for 24 hours. Remove from brine and pat dry, but do not rinse, before roasting.

Roasted Rosemary Potatoes

Serves 8

• 2 pounds mixed baby potatoes, such as purple and yellow fingerlings or red creamers, halved lengthwise
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
2. Toss the potatoes in a bowl with the olive oil, rosemary and generous sprinkling of salt and pepper. Spread in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake in the preheated oven for 20 to 30 minutes until golden and crisp on the edges. Shake the pan a time or two during cooking to make sure the potatoes don’t stick to the pan and roast evenly.

Ginger-Braised Autumn Vegetables

Serves 8

Simmering vegetables with herbs, aromatics and a pinch of sugar yields surprisingly tasty results. Plus braising is easy prep on a day filled with so much cooking. Just add the ingredients to the pan over low heat until they are fork tender or cook them a day ahead and reheat them in a sauté pan with a bit of butter and splash of water.

• 4 large carrots, peeled and cut into 1 ½-inch chunks
• 4 turnips, peeled and cut into 1 ½-inch wedges
• 10 ounces pearl onions, peeled according to package instructions
• 12 Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved lengthwise
• Three ¼-inch slices gingerroot
• 4 thyme sprigs
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley for garnish

1. Place all of the ingredients in a large sauté pan. Fill with water almost to cover. Bring the liquid to a boil over high heat then reduce to low and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes until tender. Add more water if it evaporates before the vegetables are cooked through. Transfer to a platter and serve warm, garnished with parsley.

Sweet Potato Tart with Brown Sugar and Pecans

Serves 8

Alabama is blessed with great sweet potatoes and pecans, and this is the time of year to enjoy them together. Instead of the usual marshmallowtopped sweet potato soufflé, make this Southern classic with local ingredients. Bake the sweet potatoes before mashing them for the best consistency and mix in the sugar and butter while the potatoes are still just a bit warm, but not so warm you cook the eggs when you add them. Pour the mixture into tart dough that has been pressed into a pan but not pre-baked.

• One unbaked tart or pie crust

For the filling:

• 3 cups mashed sweet potatoes
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 stick butter, softened
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon nutmeg

For the topping:

• ¾ cup brown sugar
• 1/3 cup flour
• ¼ cup butter, at room temperature
• Pecan halves

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Beat together the filling ingredients and pour into an unbaked tart shell.
3. Blend together the sugar, flour and butter and sprinkle the topping evenly over the surface of the tart. Arrange pecan halves in a decorative fashion on top of the pie.
4. Bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes. Let the pie rest on a rack for 2 hours before slicing. Serve at room temperature with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

Eating local

The ingredients for this meal are available through local purveyors, many of whom distribute their products in stores throughout the region.

Turkey for Main Course: Because you must preorder turkeys from local purveyors far in advance, we photographed a turkey from Publix for the purposes of this story.

Dove Farm, Union Grove, 256-882-9896. dovefarm.org

Day Five Farm, Trinity, 256-905-2372. Goose Pond Farm, Hartselle, 256-751-0987.

Mountain Fork Farm, New Market, 256-379-4762. mountainforkfarm.com

Rockin N Farm, Fyffe, 256-601-1127. RRBG Farm, Ariton, 334-397-4101.

Cornmeal for Grits:

McEwen & Sons, Coosa Valley Milling, Wilsonville, 669-6605. coosavalleymilling.com

Sausage for Grits:

Conecuh Co. Sausage, Evergreen, 800-726-0507. conecuhsausage.com

Cheese for Salad:

Bulger Creek Farms, Notasulga, 334-257-4265. bulgercreekfarm.com

Fuyu Persimmons for Salad & Muscadines for Cocktail:

Petals from the Past, Jemison, 646-0069. petalsfromthepast.com