A New Harvest for Terhune Orchards

It’s always a family affair at Terhune Orchards and now there’s truly something for everyone on the farm. Send the kids off to pet the animals while you step into the tasting barn to enjoy the new crop of wines fresh from the vineyard. The Mount Family began preparing for this day four years ago when they planted their first fields of grape vines. Now, the grapes have been harvested, blended, pressed, bottled and aged into seven distinctly different varieties of local wine. Stop by for a visit and a taste. For just $5 you can sample five different wines including Chardonnay, Vidal Blanc, Apple Wine, Front Porch Breeze, Cold Soil White, Chambourcin and Barn Red and for $3 more they’ll throw in a keepsake Terhune Orchards wine glass.

Local Wines & Local Cheese

Host an autumn local wine & cheese party for neighbors and friends. A pairing of Terhune Orchards wines and Cherry Grove Cheeses is a great way to both celebrate and enjoy the local harvest while supporting New Jersey agriculture and open space.

A few great local pairings……

Terhune Vidal Blanc (Bronze medal winner - NJ State Wine Competition 2010) with Cherry Grove Herdsman

Terhune Chambourcin (medium-bodied red with good fruit flavor and peppery finish) with Cherry Grove Full Nettle Jack


Terhune Cold Soil White (crisp, sweet white; excellent aperitif or after dinner) with Cherry Grove Shippentaukin Blue

Cheers to Autumn!

White Eggplant?

Farms and markets are loaded this week with all sorts of late summer harvest goodies including great tomatoes, peppers and eggplants in a variety of beautiful shapes and colors. Large plump white eggplants are what caught my eye while shopping at the Whole Earth Center, a great place to shop in downtown Princeton for some of the very best fresh locally grown produce outside of farm market hours. I've been successfully preparing this eggplant and tomato sauce for years with the traditional purple ones but have now discovered the white to be superior in the dish because of its' extra firm and nearly seed free flesh. I prefer the outward appearance of purple aubergine, to this comparatively anemic looking couterpart, but the fact of the matter is that once the fruit is peeled and cooked color is no longer an issue.

Rustic Eggplant & Tomato Sauce
Serves 6 (about 1 1/2 quarts sauce)

This fragrant chunky sauce is easily assembled and quickly cooked. It makes a very satisfying supper served over a bowl of hot pasta (I love whole wheat for this), seasoned spaghetti squash (that's what I used in the photo) or spooned over grilled fish steaks. Leave the skins on the tomatoes as their texture is welcome in this rustic sauce. It also works nicely as a savory topping for crostini.


1/3 cup evo (extra-virgin olive oil)
1 cup chopped onion
2 large cloves garlic, peeled and minced
generous 1/3 cup red wine
1 large eggplant (about 1 pound) peeled and cut into 1/2 inch dice
2 1/2 to 3 pounds very ripe tomatoes, coarsely chopped (about 5 generous cups chopped)
1/3 cup large capers, drained
1/3 cup kalamata olives, pitted and coarsely chopped
1/4 shredded fresh basil
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
drizzle of balsamic vinegar

Heat oil in a large heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and saute until tender, fragrant and just beginning to color a bit, about 5 mins or so. Add the wine and simmer briefly. Add the diced eggplant to the pan, toss to coat in pan juices, season with a generous pinch of salt and saute over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the eggplant is very tender and cooked down, about 15 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, capers and olives. Bring to a simmer and continue to cook at a gentle simmer until the tomatoes are very soft and the sauce is aromatic, about 20 minutes. Add the basil and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar, stir and season with additional salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Just Peachy

Sales for our book Farm Markets of Central New Jersey are going strong. With a visit to the Burlington County Farmers' Market (just outside of Moorestown near Mt. Holly) this weekend we sold another 16 copies. This is one of the more "Southern" destinations in the book but if you're heading in that direction or visiting friends in the area it's worth a stop. On the subject of worthwhile stops, if you haven't been to visit Pam at Terhune Orchards recently get over there and enjoy some of the very best peaches and nectarines our state has to offer! They are extraordinarily delicious this year. I've been dreaming up and enjoying all sorts of peachy creations for weeks now including peach salsa (which you can also just buy at Terhune if you're less inclinded to cook), peach ice cream, peach cobbler, crisp and crumble but frankly they are so good naked and unadorned that you don't want to miss eating them right away this very weekend. The weather looks to be gorgeous and Labor Day weekend is all about firing up the grill and being outdoors with freinds and family. Just clean the barbecue before grilling a few of those deliciously ripe Terhune peaches to serve with a scoop of Bent Spoon ice cream. I can think of no better way to celebrate summer and the very best that our local harvest has to offer. Happy Labor Day Weekend!

Grilled New Jersey Peaches
serves 4

2 ripe Terhune peaches
4 small short bread or amaretti cookies, crushed into crumbs
1 tbs light brown sugar
1 tbs butter
Bent Spoon Organic Vanilla bean or Raspberry gelato
Bittersweet chocolate shavings (optional)

Preheat the grill on high and be sure the grates are very clean.
Once the grill is hot, lightly oil the grates.
Carefully split the peaches in half and remove the stones. This time of year most all of the peaches are freestone and will not be difficult to split in half neatly and evenly. Place the peaches, cut sides down, on the hot grill and cook until sizzling and seared with nice dark grill marks. Transfer the grilled peaches to a baking dish, cut sides facing up.
(You can prepare the peaches to this point a couple of hours before serving and company arrives.)
Transfer the grilled peaches to a baking dish, cut sides facing up.
Combine the cookies crumbs with brown sugar and sprinkle mixture into the center of the grilled peaches. Dab each with a bit of the butter. Place the baking dish into a preheated 375 degree oven or on top of a hot closed grill for about 30 minutes or until the peaches are slightly softened, hot and juicy. Serve warm alongside a scoop of gelato and garnish with a few shaving of bittersweet chocolate (optional but delicious).