Farm to table: Valley growers share their favorite holiday recipes

The Diestels do not tire of turkey by the time they sit down for their Thanksgiving feast.

The family, which raises the birds near Sonora, roasts one for itself with a decades-old recipe from the late Margaret Diestel, the owner's mother.

"That was my mom's recipe, and that's what we still use," Tim Diestel said.

The Bee asked for Thanksgiving recipes from a few of the families that own food companies in and near Stanislaus County.

Foster Farms, another turkey producer, sent over a stuffing recipe from the late Verda Foster, who with husband Max founded the company in Modesto in 1939.

Ratto Bros., which grows and packs fresh vegetables west of Modesto, offered a chard recipe from the late Genevieve Ratto.

"My mother was a fantastic cook," said Frank Ratto, a third-generation manager at the company. "Her gifts in the kitchen were enjoyed by all who entered her domain."

A recipe for a sweet potato dip came from the Alvernaz family, which grows and packs the crop near Livingston.

"Growing up on a sweet potato farm meant we ate sweet potatoes more often than most folks," said Nicole Alvernaz, granddaughter of a retired farmer known as Sweet Potato Joe Alvernaz. "When you eat a lot of something, you tend to discover creative ways to prepare it."

The Bee also got wine recommendations from Stephanie Gallo, whose grandfather Ernest Gallo founded E.&J. Gallo Winery with brother Julio in Modesto in 1933.

Bee staff writer John Holland can be reached at jholland@modbee.com or (209) 578-2385.