Dining cook Ayel Lual (right) places turkey breasts into an oven while sous chef James Brenden coats one of 40 whole turkeys with herbed butter Monday at Union Drive Marketplace. Photos by Christopher Gannon.
Months of planning came to fruition Wednesday evening for ISU Dining staff when they welcomed diners at Seasons Marketplace and Union Drive Marketplace for the annual harvest meal. Thousands of students, plus some faculty and staff, passed through the doors to enjoy a homemade dinner with all the fixings:
- Herb-roasted turkey
- Roasted pit ham
- Mashed potatoes with turkey gravy
- Maple pecan sweet potatoes
- Garlic green beans
- Glazed baby carrots
- Cornbread stuffing
- Cranberry sauce
- Dinner roll with whipped honey butter
- Apple cranberry, pecan and pumpkin mini pies
"We know that many of our students are not able to make the long commute home for fall break so putting on this special dinner allows them to feel connected and celebrate with their ISU family," said Paige Ermer, residential dining associate director. "The harvest dinner demonstrates the hard work and dedication of our dining staff."
ISU harvest dinner by the numbers
- 2,445 pounds of turkey
- 1,040 pounds of potatoes
- 505 pounds of cornbread stuffing
- 35 gallons of gravy
- 3,000 individual apple cranberry, pecan and pumpkin pies
Dining areas received a fall feel with leaves and cornucopias throughout, as well as a couple of whole turkeys that were carved on location. The meal was served from three of the seven food stations in each of the dining centers -- but hard-working staff still had pizza, pasta, salad bar and deli offerings for diners.
Dinner prep
Ermer said preparation began in May with turkey orders to Ferndale Market, a family farm in Cannon Falls, Minnesota. Ferndale is a free-range turkey farm that delivers the order each year. The 128 turkeys, averaging 23 pounds and including 32 slaughtered and prepared according to Islamic dietary laws, were brined on Nov. 14. Both dining locations then smoked or cooked the turkeys. The harvest meal required all 50 cooks, and more than 300 student workers helped in preparation or service.
"I think our staff enjoys the change up of it," Ermer said. "It breaks up the serving cycle and gives something completely different to the students."
All baked goods -- dinner rolls and pies -- are made in house by the bakery team. The overnight shift (9 p.m.-6 a.m.) began assembling pies Sunday before baking and transporting them to the marketplaces on Wednesday.
The bakery made nearly 3,000 individual pumpkin, pecan and apple pies for the harvest meals on Wednesday at the dining centers.
The bakery team made nearly 3,000 individual pumpkin, pecan and apple pies for Wednesday's harvest meal.
