Grilled, smoked or fresh - let's talk turkey this summer!

Behind a grove of tall pines, just east of Tomelilla, lies Ingelsta Kalkon. This Scanian farm has become a meeting place for food lovers, tourists and locals, young and old, old and young. Here you can have lunch in the bright dining room or, if the weather permits, sit outside among flowering flower beds. Or you can buy fresh turkey for dinner or something ready-made for a picnic by the sea.

When the shop and restaurant open their doors, both the dining room and the shop slowly but surely fill up with people. Someone buys turkey mince for the evening's meat sauce and spaghetti, others want turkey jam, turkey sausages and coarsely ground turkey liver pate, someone buys grilled turkey thighs with creamy potato salad. A woman who is in a hurry chooses two packets of Dagens snabbe, today's "pulled turkey", turkey legs that have been slowly simmered so tender that it can be eaten with a spoon. A hefty portion, enough for two, she whispers and hurries on.

- When we work in the area, we always eat here. Super tasty turkey wallenbergare. Last time it was turkey tacos, it was almost even better," says one of three firefighters from Malmö who are having an early lunch before moving on.

- Are the stew pieces beef, asks a customer.

The answer is no. It is turkey. After all, turkey is and always has been Ingelsta's pride and joy. Everything revolves around turkey and all the meat, whether fresh or cooked, in the fridges and freezers is turkey. For vegetarians, there are options like a homemade vegetarian pie, hearty salads with vegetables and also various side dishes like potato salad and Waldorf salad. But back to the dark stew pieces that really look like beef.

- We get that question a lot. New customers sometimes find it hard to understand that the dark meat is also turkey. That's what's so unique about the turkey, that it has both dark and light meat. The light-coloured meat is very tender and is perfect for schnitzels and various types of cold cuts, for example. The dark meat has even more flavour and is perfect for slow-cooked dishes such as boeuf bourguignon," says Johan Jonasson, who has worked at Ingelsta for 26 years.

I've worked in many different jobs, including as a butcher, and now I'm a shop and restaurant manager. I enjoy that very much. Perhaps the most fun of all is surprising our customers, inspiring them to dare to try and taste. It's just a matter of getting them to find their way here, and once they do, they become regulars straight away," says Johan, laughing. What he doesn't know about these big birds is not worth knowing.

Ingelsta's bestseller is the tender Wilmaschnitzel made from turkey thighs and cooked in a few different ways. Today it is marinated and served with potato gratin and red wine sauce. It can also be bought fresh and ready for the barbecue.

Why is it called Wilma?

- At first we were going to make flintstone steaks from the upper thigh, but instead we made schnitzels and anyone who knows their Flintstone knows that Fred's wife is called Wilma.

The menu also includes a parmesan and panko breaded turkey breast schnitzel. The reporter from Österlen.se, who has roots in Austria, is initially a little hesitant. Can this turkey variant even come close to a classic schnitzel made from veal or pork? But one bite is enough to convert me. The freshly fried schnitzel is piping hot, crispy, yet tender and juicy. A breaded schnitzel should be so dry that you can sit on it without getting stains on your bum, as they say.

Johan is not alone in having worked here at Ingelsta for many years. Several of the staff have also worked here for several generations.

- Here we all help each other and the atmosphere is really familiar. There are great opportunities to develop and much to learn. Everyone has or has developed a great interest in food, and it's often the staff who come up with recipes or come up with a recipe that, for example, a grandmother or grandfather cooked. "It's so inspiring that you can do so much with turkey. Even bacon," says Johan.

Crisply cooked with a distinct smoky flavour and low in fat, if that's what you're after. All smoked charcuterie is smoked with alder shavings according to an old craft tradition. Craftsmanship is everything at Ingelsta and has always been so, ever since Lena and Leif Jönsson bought the Brukstorp farm and started rearing turkeys. In the beginning, customers had to pick up a turkey from a freezer and put the money in a box. In 1984, the farm shop opened and has developed and grown over time. Today, modern technology is used, but never at the expense of quality or flair. Lena and Leif set the tone and that's how it has continued.

- We are down-to-earth and do a lot by hand, for example the cutting. It gives us job satisfaction and pride. I'm convinced that it also adds flavour to our products," says Johan, offering a slice of cold-smoked green pepper sausage.

I have to agree. Tart with a piquant twist of pepper. On a cracker sandwich, with a cold beer ...

- Turkey is perfect summer food and I'm not saying that because I work here. I like to grill and it's always fun to fool your guests. What, is that turkey sausage? Another favourite is the mince. We grind it a bit coarsely and it's perfect for burgers and meatballs.

Most people know by now that fresh turkey is a lean, protein-rich and healthy meat. But many Swedes associate turkey with the classic Christmas variety. That oven-roasted turkey with golden-yellow crispy skin served with cream sauce, jelly and pickled cucumber, small parsley-flavoured potatoes, red cabbage and Brussels sprouts.

- Although traditions are nice, I wish more people would realise that a whole roast turkey is just as good in summer as in winter and is suitable for small and large dinners. But, if you don't want to roast a whole one, you can choose a cut-up part. It will also be delicious," says Johan.

And for those who don't feel like standing in front of a grill or stove, there are all the cold cuts: smoked and boiled ham, prosciutto à la Ingelsta, smoked turkey legs... Just put them in your picnic basket along with a side dish. Or you can opt for something ready-made, such as cabbage rolls and Caesar salad.

Many of Ingelsta's customers ask questions about sustainability and animal husbandry. More and more people want to eat locally produced and ethical food.

- We have selected farmers here in the neighbourhood who raise our turkeys and they are very careful. The turkeys live freely on straw and litter in large airy barns and everything is done to allow them to live as naturally as possible. They live their lives in one place and avoid long and unnecessary transport. Slaughter is done here at Ingelsta, always under the supervision of a veterinarian. "We want to avoid all forms of stress, which naturally affects the meat. If you want really good quality, you can't be careless at any stage," says Johan.

A group of pensioners come for coffee and have trouble deciding whether to have raspberry macaroons, blueberry pie or pear biscuits. A young couple orders a sandwich cake for a birthday party. Some German guests fill their baskets with honey, rapeseed oil and cider from Österlen, a way of bringing flavour experiences home.

- It's great to be able to offer many flavours of Österlen and we work as much as we can in season. We want Ingelsta to be a given tourist destination for foodies. For the usual everyday food and to celebrate. We serve beer, wine and not least cider from our neighbours here in Österlen," says Johan.

Everyone is welcome at Ingelsta, not least children. There is a large playground right next to the farm shop and restaurant. Those children who are lucky can also meet Konrad, a very cute giant turkey in a fabric case. Check the website to see when he might turn up this summer.

Curious to know more? Visit the website. You'll also find lots of summery and yummy recipes on how to cook turkey.