On Saturday, October 31, the two-week fall turkey season will open. The specific dates of the season vary widely based on which WMU you are hunting in, but generally in our area that means until November 14, with 3 additional days on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday of Thanksgiving week. Either a hen or gobbler can be taken and pretty much all firearms — rifles, handguns and shotguns — along with archery equipment can be used. The one bird limit will provide excellent table fare and can be used to provide a variety of meals.

All-too-often I hear people talk about how they “breast out” a turkey, and discard everything else, but doing so is being extremely wasteful. The heart, liver and gizzard, often referred to by folks as the “giblets,” are flavorful and can be eaten by themselves once pan-fried or boiled or can be diced and added in the preparation of soup stock or gravy. As to the legs and thighs, yes, I agree that they can be tough, especially the drumsticks. However, when placed in a soup pot, covered with water, brought to a boil and allowed to simmer for a few hours, or until the meat can be picked from the bone, this dark meat has many uses. The meat itself can be added to casseroles, soup, sandwiches or salads. The liquid that remains can be used to make excellent soup stock or gravy. If you decide to roast the entire turkey, you can later boil the carcass to create soup stock.

The meat of a wild turkey can be used in place of chicken in just about any recipe you may already be familiar with. One of the great benefits, however, of using the wild turkey instead of chicken you purchase at the local grocery store is that you are eating a free-range or natural meat — devoid of all of those “Government Approved” chemicals, hormones and additives! Here, then, are a few suggestions:

Turkey and Gravy over Waffles: This is a simple to prepare and popular way to use wild turkey. After all, how many times have you seen a Church Supper where they are serving “Chicken and gravy over waffles?” With the soup or gravy stock you created when boiling down the legs and thighs or the carcass, make a gravy using your Mother’s or Grandmother’s favorite recipe, then add the leg and thigh meat and serve over waffles. You can also slice or dice the breast meat and the heart, liver and gizzard to add to this dish. This is an old-time favorite that has been served in many country homes for many generations.

A great “dessert” idea to accompany this hearty meal is to make a few extra waffles, then melt a bit of butter over them and top them with pure Pennsylvania maple syrup!

Turkey Sandwiches: Here, either the white or dark meat is great for a tasty sandwich. Consider grilling or pan frying a slice of the breast meat and add your favorite accompaniments, like romaine lettuce, a thick slice of fresh tomato from the garden or a thick slice of sweet onion, such as Vidalia or Walla-Walla sweets. Or, just go the whole way and make a big thick BLT, using wild turkey meat and thick-sliced pepper bacon. Somehow, it just seems tastier when you make one of these sandwiches using the meat of a turkey that you actually hunted and brought home to share with the family!

Grilled Turkey Breast: Since the grilling season is in full swing, using a gas or charcoal grill is a preferred way to prepare wild turkey for the dinner plate. Here, the white meat of the breast is best. Slice the meat cross-grain at about ¼ to ½ inch thick, place in a Ziploc bag and add your favorite dressing, such as Italian dressing. (I have always preferred Gazebo Room Greek Dressing when grilling meat and vegetables). Refrigerate and allow it to marinate for about two hours, and then place on the grill, adding more dressing, if necessary, to keep the meat moist as it cooks.

Sliced zucchini, yellow squash, asparagus or green beans that have also been coated with your favorite dressing and cooked on the grill will make a great addition to the grilled turkey breast.

If you are successful this fall in bringing home a wild turkey, by all means, try to use all of the meat. It is tasty, healthy and worthy of your dinner plate! Good Luck!