In the shadow of the State House building in Downtown Annapolis sits a quaint, unassuming little shop.  On one of my recent visits to Annapolis, I stumbled upon Capital Teas while meandering down one of the many side streets jutting off of Fleet Street.  As soon as I walked in, the strong aroma of pumpkin filled my nose.  One of their autumn tea blends, Pumpkin Spice, was brewing in a lovely crystal teapot fitted with a loose tea infuser.  This was no ordinary tea shop – this was a tea shop for tea lovers. 

Open for a little over a year, Capital Teas brings the traditions of co-owner (and Maryland resident) Manelle Martino’s family to life.  Tea planters and merchants for five generations, Manelle has continued in her family’s footsteps by opening Capital Teas in the heart of Downtown Annapolis.  Buying from wholesale tea distributors from around the world, Manelle has created a vast and varied selection of teas from which tea connoisseurs can choose.  Herbal, green, black and infused teas line the shop in crystal and silver tins, inviting shoppers to smell the various blends.  Dotted among the loose teas are a wide array of tea pots, tea cups, infusers and decanters.  A mug fitted with it’s own ceramic infuser and lid is emblazoned with an Asian inspired design, the Capital Teas logo or simply in one of many solid colors.  An art deco tea kettle fitted with its own tea infuser comes in bright, vibrant primary colors, including red, yellow and blue.  Silver tins labeled with various teas populate the shelves, often in gift towers wrapped in a single brown ribbon embossed with the Capital Teas name.  And presiding over all things tea sits a painting depicting the tea party in Alice in Wonderland, Mad Hatter and all.

When I first walked in, I was immediately drawn to the assortment of black teas, my personal favorites.  I was pleasantly surprised to find a nice selection of organic black teas among the many crystal jars of loose teas.  These blends included Organic Irish Breakfast, Darjeeling, Berry Berry and Rooibos blends, along with an Organic Oolong tea oddly called Slimming Tea (according to Capital Teas, this blend is “a fat burning tea with hints of orchid-like flavor”).  I picked up the Berry Berry and could immediately smell roses and a hint of hibiscus.  The robustness of the aromas filling the jars spoke to the strength and quality of the tea leaves.  While there were the standard Earl Grey blends (both regular and organic), there were also such variations as Versailles Lavender Earl Grey and Cream Earl Black.   The shop is also known for its three signature blends, Annapolis Treasures, Queen Anne’s Pearls and Sailor’s Delight.

Annapolis Treasures is a blend of green and black teas, accented with the flavor of peach.  Opening the jar and taking a whiff, the notes of peach became very apparent.  Trailing slightly behind, however, was a lovely hint of vanilla.  The Queen Anne’s Pearls blend has a more nutty flavor interwoven amongst the green and black teas.  The sales clerk told me it was almond I was smelling when she saw the puzzled look on my face as I tried to place the aroma.  When I got to the Sailor’s Delight, my mouth instantly watered at the fresh smells of strawberry and papaya permeating the tea.  Also a green and black blend of teas, the Sailor’s Delight is one of the shops best sellers. 

All the other teas fell to the waste side when my eyes fell upon a jar labeled “Rose Tea”.  Growing up in Germany, rose and rose hip teas were common blends found in many households.  When we moved to the States, my mother had a harder time finding good quality rose hip and rose teas, even in the grocery stores on the Army bases.  The blends are either have weak rose flavors or are overpowered with an almost bitter after taste of burnt flowers.  To find a good quality blend of rose tea is difficult, even in this age of the Internet.  On my first visit to Capital Teas, I only bought 2 ounces of the rose tea blend because I wasn’t sure of its quality.  When I got home and brewed my first cup, I was in heaven.  The loose rose tea is populated with dried rose petals, giving it the right amount of rose flavor without overtaking the black leaves.  Even though it was cold outside, my thoughts immediately went to incorporating these flavors into an ice cream.  With my handy little automatic ice cream maker, I set about trying to recreate the rose tea in the form of a frozen treat.

Rose Tea Infused Ice Cream
1 cup whole milk
2 cups heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup sugar
2 to 3 tablespoons loose Rose Tea (2 if you want a lighter rose flavor and 3 for a stronger one)

In a medium saucepan on medium heat, combine the milk and cream.  Pour in the sugar, whisking until it has dissolved into the liquid.  Stir in the vanilla and then add the loose tea.  Stirring consistently (this is to keep the loose tea from sticking to the bottom of the pan), allow the mixture to steep for 5 to 10 minutes (steep longer for a stronger flavor).  Keep an eye on the flame to keep the mixture from boiling.  Once the mixture has steeped long enough, remove it from the heat.  Using a sieve, separate out the tea leaves from the milk and cream mixture and pour the mixture into a bowl.  Refrigerate it for at least thirty minutes, allowing the mixture to completely cool.  From this point, follow the manufacturer's instructions for your ice cream machine.  Once the mixture has churned into an ice cream, place it in a freezer safe container and allow the ice cream to harden to your preference.

If Downtown Annapolis is too far, visit Capital Teas website where you can purchase teas and all things tea related to be shipped anywhere in the United States.  Capital Teas, located at 6 Cornhill Street, is open seven days a week (closing at 6 pm during the week and 7 pm on Friday and Saturday.  However, on my many visits, I have found the knowledgeable and friendly staff and the relaxing environment to be as much of a draw as the teas itself.

With Thanksgiving less than two weeks away, some of you have probably already selected the bird for your holiday feast.  Who am I kidding?  Some of you more dedicated foodies probably picked your bird soon after it was hatched and tracked its growth all season long!

For those of you who are still searching for that ideal turkey, however, we're happy to provide you with a pretty extensive list of options.  Last year, Ramona walked you through the essentials of selecting a bird for your Thanksgiving feast.  If you didn't read it then, take a few minutes and check it out.  Once you've got a better handle on what you're looking for, check out the list below to find the purveyor that works best for you.

We found that prices can actually vary significantly from farm to farm and even between the farm and retailers for the same turkeys, so you may want to take convenience into consideration as you make your choice.  Is it worth a twenty-minute (or more) trip to save a dollar or two per pound?

Once you've made up your mind, do yourself a favor and call to confirm the details - you may even be able to place your order over the phone right then and there.  That way, you'll maximize your chances to get a turkey that is roughly the size you want.

If you've got any questions about what we've found, feel free to leave a comment and we'll do our best to resolve them for you.

Enjoy...and save a drumstick for us!

Washington-Area Sources for Fresh Thanksgiving Turkeys:

Local Retailers:

Capitol Hill Poultry
Eastern Market's new East Hall
7th Street between Pennsylvania and North Carolina Avenues, SE
Washington, DC  20003
(202) 544-4435
Cost: $2.79 per pound with a $10 or $20 deposit

One of the two poultry vendors at Eastern Market, Capitol Hill Poultry can be found at the far end of the temporary East Hall.  They'll be bringing in fresh Maple Lawn turkeys in sizes from 10 to 30 pounds for pickup on the Tuesday and Wednesday before Thanksgiving.  They require a deposit or $10 or $20 depending on the size of the turkey you order, and your best bet is to stop in to fill out the request form in person.  Alternatively, you can call in your order at the number listed above.  At roughly a dollar more per pound than Maple Lawn is charging for on-site pickup, this is a pretty minimal markup to get your bird right on Capitol Hill.

Let's Meat on the Avenue
2403 Mt Vernon Ave
Alexandria, VA 22336
(703) 836-6328
Cost: Local = $3.25 per pound; Eberly organic turkeys = $5.45 per pound

Boutique butcher Stephen Gatward's Del Ray shop will be selling both local and organic turkeys and will be taking orders until Thursday.  He expects most of the birds he brings in will be between 10 and 14 pounds, but the earlier you order the better your chances of getting the size you desire.  His local turkeys are free-range, raised without steroids and hormones.  The Eberly birds come from Pennsylvania, and they are the same organic turkeys that Balducci's is selling.

Market Poultry
Eastern Market's new East Hall
7th Street between Pennsylvania and North Carolina Avenues, SE
Washington, DC  20003
(202) 543-7470
Cost: $1.99 per pound

The second vendor at Eastern Market, Mel Inman and son are selling local turkeys from Hillside Farm and Eastern Shore for $1.99 per pound in weights ranging from 8 to 28 pounds.  They'll be taking orders through next Sunday.  If you've always wanted a fried turkey but worry about your fire insurance, they will also be selling fried turkeys up to 14 pounds for $1.99 per pound plus a $30 frying charge.  To order a fried turkey, stop in and pay the $30 as a deposit and place your order before next Saturday.

Organic Butcher of McLean
6712 Old Dominion Drive
McLean, VA  22101
(703) 790-8300
Cost: Natural = $3.49 per pound; Organic = $4.49 per pound; Local = $6.99 per pound

Offering two size ranges (8-13 pounds and 13-18 pounds), the Organic Butcher of McLean will be bringing in three different types of turkeys for every taste.  If you want a local turkey, you'll need to get your order in by the 24th.  For an organic bird, you should be able to walk in purchase one right up to Wednesday, the 26th.  Very convenient for anyone whose Thanksgiving plans end up coming together at the very last minute!

National Retailers:

Balducci's will be offering all-natural turkeys from New York's Plainville Farms for $2.59 per pound and organic turkeys from Pennsylvania's Eberly Farms for $3.99 per pound.  They also have several oven-ready and pre-cooked options available.

Marvelous Market has one option for your holiday turkey: a maple-thyme roasted turkey breast for $69.99.

Trader Joe's will be offering brined all-natural turkeys for $1.79 per pound and Glatt kosher all-natural turkeys for $2.29 per pound.  Both will be delivered fresh (not frozen) to their stores, who are keeping sign-up sheets.  Stop in to pre-order.

Whole Foods has natural free-range turkeys for $2.49 per pound and organic turkeys for $3.49 per pound.  Check out their "Holiday Table" section for a wide range of oven-ready options and ask in your local store if you want to know the provenance of their turkeys.

Local Farms:

Ayrshire Farm
c/o The Home Farm Store
1 East Washington Street
Middleburg, VA
(540) 687-8882
Cost: 10-12 pounds = $135; 14-16 pounds = $165; 18-20 pounds = $180

By far the most expensive option out there, Ayrshire Farm's turkeys are "Free-Range, Certified Organic and Certified Humanely-Raised and Handled Heritage Breed."  They are "produced without hormones, antibiotics, pesticides, insecticides, herbicides or artificial fertilizers.  Our birds are free-ranging with full access to the outdoors and are fed 100% certified organic feeds without animal by-products."  If you live in Hunt Country and Middleburg isn't too far a drive for you, this is certainly a top-quality option.  You can order by phone or online (email orders@homefarmstore.com) and pick up in store from 10 AM to 5 PM Monday through Wednesday the week of Thanksgiving.  They require a non-refundable $50 deposit to hold your turkey.

Eco-Friendly Foods
3397 Stony Fork Road
Moneta, VA  24121
(540) 297-9582
Cost: $3.85 per pound<

Eco-Friendly will be bringing their locally and humanely-raised turkeys to the Courthouse and Dupont Circle farmers' markets next Saturday and Sunday, respectively, but you need to pre-order to pick one up.  You can pre-order online by emailing letsmeat@ecofriendly.com with your name, phone number, email address and the approximate weight range you'd like.  You'll also need to pre-pay a $40 deposit, payable via Paypal.

Fields of Athenry
38082 Snickersville Turnpike
Purcellville, VA  20132
(540) 687-3936
Cost: $7.25 per pound

"Truly all-natural, free range, broad-breasted birds" are offered by Fields of Athenry, in weights from 15 to 35 pounds.  You can order via email by filling out this form and sending it to MElaineBoland@aol.com.  Be sure to include a credit card number for the $40 deposit.  You can pick up your bird onsite on Monday 4-7 PM, Tuesday or Wednesday from 9 AM to 7 PM.  A word to the wise - the Organic Butcher of McLean has indicated that some of their local turkeys, which will be selling for $6.99 per pound, may be coming from here.

Jehovah-Jireh Farms
7033 Ed Sears Road
Dickerson, MD  20842
(301) 874-6181
Cost: $3.79 per pound

Jehovah-Jireh will be offering pastured turkeys in weights ranging from 10 to 18 pounds for pickup onsite the week of Thanksgiving.  You can arrange to pick up your bird on Monday or Tuesday from 1 to 7 PM or Wednesday from 9 to 5 PM.  They can't guarantee a specific sized turkey, so you may want to show up as early as possible to improve the odds of getting just what you want.

Maple Lawn Farm
11788 Scaggsville Road (Route 216)
Fulton, MD  20759
(301) 725-2074
Cost: Hens (smaller) = $1.95 per pound; Toms (larger) = $1.75 per pound; Smoked = $4.50 per pound

Maple Lawn Farm provides free-range turkeys to a number of local retailers, but you can't beat the price if you're willing to pick them up on site.  Even with the $3 per bird 'drawing charge' - the charge to clean and prepare your bird for cooking - you're still saving a dollar or more per pound relative to what you'll pay if you buy from a retailer in Washington.  Pickup is available Monday through Wednesday from 7 AM to 5 PM, and you can email your request to maplelawnturkeys@comcast.net.  Check out their site for ordering information.

Springfield Farm
16701 Yeoho Road
Sparks, MD  21152
(410) 472-0738
Cost: Natural broad-breasted white = $2.75 per pound; Pastured broad-breasted white = $4.00 per pound; Pastured heritage or broad-breasted bronze = $5.75 per pound

Springfield Farm raises several breeds of turkeys, including a few of the more prized heritage breeds.  If you're looking to try a taste of classic Americana, these turkeys promise deeper, richer flavors than your average roaster.  To order in advance, you can call or email - just be ready to drive north of Baltimore to pick up your turkey next Saturday and Sunday.  Added bonus: the world headquarters of spice giant McCormick is located in Sparks!  No word on whether they offer tours or free samples, but it's something else to do while you're up there.

Want to see if there are other sellers that might be more convenient to you?  The Maryland Department of Agriculture offers a more comprehensive list of Maryland farms selling turkeys directly to consumers at http://www.mda.state.md.us/md_products/md_turkey_farms.php.

Whether you view scrapple as a humble use of otherwise “throw-away” leftover scraps or a culinary abomination, I hope you will consider this modest loaf of porky goodness. I did last Sunday during a visit to Cedarbrook Farm at the Dupont Farmers Market. It was an offal trip down memory lane.

Having grown up in Philadelphia, I am no stranger to scrapple. I was introduced to the pig “scrap” product as a youngster and I grew to like it long before I knew what was in it. Scrapple, when fried, is crispy on the outside and creamy in the middle. It marries well with fried or poached eggs and a piece of toast. It’s also pretty good with just a puddle of ketchup to dip it in. Later, like hot dogs, I would still eat scrapple but would not want to see it made. Well, maybe I still don’t, but I’m willing to be more secure in my quest for (not main stream) food choices which use the parts you won‘t see lining the cases of your local supermarket. Where once I thought fillet mignon was the king of steaks, I now prefer hangar or flatiron cuts. Not too long ago, I would not think to eat organ meat, until I had lamb kidney in Restaurant Eve’s Tasting Room. The kidney had the most intense lamb flavor I’d ever tasted. It was a revelation and something that many people are missing out on but would probably enjoy immensely (particularly when tendered by a chef like Cathal Armstrong) if they would embrace more parts of the animal.

Before it became foodie de rigueur and chic to eat organ meat, or before the movement which I like to call WWFD? (what would Fergus do?), frugal farmers had been using “nose to tail” practices to utilize all of the animal which they raised to produce food. Relating to scrapple, the pig was butchered, the blood sausage and liverwurst etc. were made, and what was leftover at the very end was made into scrapple. The epicenter of scrapple’s origin is reported to be in Eastern Pennsylvania, with either Dutch settlers who lived in Chester County (just outside of Philadelphia) or the Pennsylvania Dutch who settled in Lancaster County. In either scenario, scrapple is a product made by Old World German settlers (who made a related loaf called panhus) with New World ingredients. Scrapple also enjoys a strong local connection. George Washington’s Pennsylvania Dutch chef introduced him to this dish which he enjoyed all of his life. Today, scrapple can commonly be found throughout the Mid-Atlantic states.

If you don’t care to know what’s in scrapple, just skip on ahead. According to Wikipedia:

"Scrapple is typically made of hog offal, such as the head, heart, liver and other scraps which are boiled with any bones attached (often the entire head), to make a broth. Once cooked, bones and fat are discarded, the meat is reserved, and (dry) cornmeal is boiled in the broth to make a mush. The meat, finely minced, is returned, and seasonings, typically sage, thyme, savory, and others are added. The mush is cast into loaves, and allowed to cool thoroughly until gelled. The proportions and seasoning are very much a matter of the region and the cook's taste."

Now, if you’re still with me, let me tell you what it tastes like. It is a cross between breakfast sausage(herbs) , bacon (salt) and polenta (cornmeal). As I wrote above, it is usually served at breakfast with fried eggs but is also eaten as a sandwich ( a Delaware tradition). Accompaniments to scrapple include ketchup, apple butter, apple sauce and maple syrup.

Now go enjoy your turkey and giblets.