Complete turkey dinner from New Leaf
If you want suggestions on how to make your holidays less stressful, look to organic, Santa Cruz-based New Leaf Community Markets this season. They have a large variety of gifts including Andes Gifts – Fair Trade, handmade alpaca items – and PACT organic cotton socks, available in the Bloom Departments. New Leaf will also wrap your gifts for free in gift bags during the month of December.
New Leaf also has a blog that includes an early December entry entitled “Simple Tips for Holiday Success.” Check it out at newleaf.com/blog.
For holiday meals — including a la carte items or full dinner packages — you need to order by Saturday, Dec. 20 for pick-up on Wednesday, Dec. 24, 2014.
New Leaf has Holiday Side packages – the perfect compliment to any centerpiece with three delicious options – savory, gluten-free and vegan, for $49.99 each.
Other holiday ideas, both traditional and alternative:
- New Leaf offers easy catering options, here is the general (not-holiday-specific) catering menu. Selections include coffee/tea carafes, and assorted platters such as cheese, crostini, Mediterranean, and cookies
- Butternut Squash Lasagna is a house favorite from the deli ($7.99 per pound, serves 3-4)
- Parsnip Bread Pudding (also $7.99 per pound, serves 3-4) is a fun, different side dish and I personally recommend it – I had the chance to sample it around Thanksgiving
- New Leaf’s Own pie crust is now available in the freezer section – made with all butter, and reportedly very light and flaky
- A popular item that can be used as a festive snack or unique dessert: Angie’s Dark Chocolate Sea Salt popcorn
The market has holiday packages like “Turkey Dinner” ($139.99, feeds 4-6) with Diestel brown and serve turkey, organic herb bread stuffing, buttermilk mashed potatoes, pumpkin pie, and more. There’s also a gluten-free dinner package ($139.99, feeds 4-6) with the same turkey. Accompaniments include wild and brown rice stuffing, citrus beet salad, organic green bean casserole, gluten-free dinner rolls, and gluten-free pumpkin pie. These packages are available at all New Leaf locations except for Felton and Boulder Creek, which are offering different holiday dishes.
Read more at the New Leaf web site newleaf.com/holidays.
Several store locations are hosting Holiday Solutions Stations to help customers during the holiday season. This is where you can place orders, find recipes and cooking tips, and ask questions about suggested pairings and/or accommodating your guests’ dietary restrictions. The stations also feature occasional holiday treat and drink samples.
Find the station at the front of each store—including downtown Santa Cruz, Westside SC, Capitola, Half Moon Bay, San Jose, Pleasanton—open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily until Dec. 30.
Contact Info (there are also locations in Half Moon Bay, Felton, San Jose, Pleasanton, and Boulder Creek)
- Westside Location: 1101 Fair Ave, Santa Cruz, (831) 426-1306
- Downtown SC Location: 134 Pacific Ave, Santa Cruz, (831) 425-1793
- Capitola Location: 1210 41st Ave, Capitola, (831) 479-7987
Follow me on Twitter @santacruzfoodie.