Being a Renegade at the Byrd House Market

I wanted to get as many local foodstuffs for my Thanksgiving feast as possible, so I went to the renegade Byrd House Market this afternoon to see what I could score.

I had no real idea of how many vendors would be there or what they might have, especially given the gloomy, damp weather but it was worth a shot.

I have to say that I think I would get the locavore stamp of approval for my purchases.

I found several bunches of carrots for glazing with butter and brown sugar, potatoes for mashing, sweet potatoes because it's T-day, and perhaps yummiest of all, Brussels Sprouts and beets (and local goat cheese) for roasting.

I know a lot of people are not fans of Brussels Sprouts, but when they're roasted in bacon fat and then mixed with the cooked bacon, walnuts and a little salt and pepper, they're magnificent, whether you're a fan or not (rule of thumb: bacon makes everything better).

Given what a local meal the first Thanksgiving was (and we all know it was at Berkley Plantation and not Plymouth; the Pilgrims just had better P.R.) I thought I did pretty well in gathering a terrific representation of Virgina's finest for my Thanksgiving table.

And, yes, even the bacon is Shenandoah Valley local, from Polyface Farms.

Plymouth?

Bah! It's Virginia's bounty that will define my Thanksgiving meal.