Where's your turkey from?

Where is your turkey coming from this Thanksgiving? It's very likely from a small town you've never heard of . . . This past Friday my sister and I took the day in discovering this quaint town in the center of Utah, Moroni- a main capital of Norbest turkey manufacturing in the USA, Moroni Feed Company (raises over 5 million turkeys a year!).

On the drive into town along Highway 130 we passed several turkey farms nestled along the sides of the mountains and a few that were a closer to the road. There are white feathers blowing everywhere lining the sides of the highway waving you into town. We went straight to the Cooperative Retail outlet store where shoppers can pick up turkeys in anyway that you can imagine- roasted, cured, smoked, seasoned, flash frozen, from small to extra large and all at bargain prices.

The draw for me, a specialty product that usually sells only to caterers, the Sweetheart turkey breast ($2.90 @ lb.) and the thigh roast($1.60@ lb.) that are both packaged in a cooking bag for convenience and perfect performance. A dear friend introduced me to this and I'll never go back to a regular bird when I have the option of using a Sweetheart Roast- it's that good. They might seem pricy, but there is absolutely no waste- no bones, no mess, just beautiful breast meat that slices to perfection. It's what I'll be serving my 30 guests this Thursday at Thanksgiving along with the thigh roast. I'm a supporter of the Norbest Co-op Moroni Feed Company because they have a policy that no birds receive hormones or antibiotics. We saw with our own eyes the open spaces where these birds live. If you want to see a virtual tour go here.

We stopped for a late lunch at what we were told was the hot spot in town, the Silver Eagle (one of two eateries in town). "Just drive down Main Street to the end of town, you can't miss it", were our simple instructions. The Silver Eagle turned out to be the a gas station, food market and city center. The Silver Eagle is known for their BBQ turkey sandwich. It is served on a homemade bun with tomatoes, mayo, and all the trimmings and is fantastic. But trust me here, it is nothing like what you are envisioning as a BBQ sandwich at all. The meat is marinated in a mixture of lemon-lime soda, soy sauce, and garlic. They have a high enough demand for the BBQ turkey that the Norbest plant down the street produces it and sells it under the label "Sanpete BBQ Turkey".

The next time you are in Sanpete County, Utah stop in at the Silver Eagle and have lunch or at the Norbest Retail Outlet store for an entire box so you can make your own at home. You won't be sorry. While you're there pick up some great bargains on turkey products. Did you know that the average consumer eats 17.5 pounds of turkey a year? Gobble, Gobble!