It's Harvest Time for New Jersey Cranberries

Did you know that New Jersey is the 3rd largest producer of cranberries in the US?

We'd been told that this was true, so to satisfy our curiousity and set straight any naysayers, we assembled an adventerous group of bog seekers to witness our local harvest.

We traveled to the Pine Barrens to visit Paradise Hill Farm, a family owned and operated cranberry and blueberry farm committed to the environmental and historic conservation of the area. Owner, Maryann Thompson, is involved in every aspect of the 800 acre farm on which 170 acres are dedicated to cranberry production. They grow and harvest ten different varieties of cranberries at Paradise Hill Farm and several are organic and heirloom varieties. After decades of consuming generic plastic baggies of Ocean Spray crimson berries, we were amazed to discover that shape, size and color vary greatly among different varieties of cranberries but found all to be tartly delicious and oooh so good for you. 

Following our action packed tour of the bog, we purchased oodles of great freshly harvested berries content to divy them up and trundle home and prepare all things cranberry. Fresh berries will keep for several weeks in the fridge and of course they freeze well and will keep for over a year there. But, don't wait until Thanksgiving to enjoy these lovely gems from the bog. Here's one of our favorite new ways to enjoy their goodness and it's a welcome change from classic tomato salsa and chips for the Sunday football crowd.

Cranberry Apple Salsa

(excellent served with any good chips and particularly yummy with sweet potato chips)
makes 2 cups

1/2 cup coarsely chopped onion
1 fresh jalapeno pepper, seeded, deveined and cut into a few large pieces
1 large clove garlic, smashed and peeled
1 1/2 cups fresh cranberries (the red ones look best in this dish)
juice of one lime
1 tbs sugar
2 tbs apple cider
1 large Granny Smith apple
1/2 tsp coarse salt
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1 tbs or so of coarely chopped fresh cilantro (optional)

Combine the onion, jalapeno and garlic in a food processor, and pulse until finley chopped. Add the cranberries, lime juice, sugar, and apple cider and pulse several times to coarsely chop the berries.
Scrape the contents of the food processor out into a medium sized bowl and set aside while you grate the apple. Cut the unpeeled apple into quarters and remove the stem and core. Grate the apple using the large whole of a box grater or using the shredding disk of the food processor. Add the grated apple to the bowl with cranberries along with the salt and cumin and toss to combine all the ingredients. Toss in cilantro if using. Cover and refrigate for an hour or so allowing flavors to develop. Serve with chips.

Pumpkins, Pumpkins, Everywhere!

Happy Halloween! For those of us with kids, pumpkins turn into jack-o-laterns and simply decorate the front steps of our homes. Oh, and of course it can be fun to collect all the gook from the inside, sort the seeds and roast them with a little oil and sea salt for a yummy snack. But, for those of us interested in really good, nutritious local food, pumpkin is a delicious autumn and winter cooking ingredient. Small, sweet sugar pumpkins as well as the buff colored cheese pumpkins are the very best varieties to choose for roasting and eating. The flesh of these pumpkins is dense, nutty-sweet and nutritious and the possibilities for cooking it go well beyond your traditional dessert pie. Chunks of pumpkin are delicious added to soups and stews or split, roast and mash the flesh (season with a bit of salt and maple syrup) for a savory side dish. One of recent favorite ways to enjoy roasted pumpkin is in this yummy risotto dish.

Market Shopping tip: when shopping for pumpkins choose those with hard skins that are free of cracks or blemishes. They should be firm and heavy for their size. And keep in mind that size is not an indication of quality. In fact smaller squashes are easier to handle when it comes to the task of handling and cutting.

Preparation tip: While the task of roasting a pumpkin takes a bit of time, it is worth the effort and the aroma it fills the house with is unbeatable! Also, keep in mind that the actual roasting can be done well ahead of the actual cooking time. In fact, if you're making this dish, roast the pumpkin a day or two in advance and store the soft roasted flesh in the refrigerator until your ready to cook and serve. For faster prep, you can steam the flesh in the microwave. Just place slit sides down in mircowave dish filled with a 1/2 inch or so of water. Cover all with plastic and microwave on high for 5-12 minutes (depending upon size of squash) until the skin is easily pierced with a fork and flesh very tender.

Pumpkin Risotto
serves 6

1 small cheese or sugar pumpkin (2 cups soft roasted flesh)
6 cups full flavored vegetable or beef stock
1 medium onion, peeled and finley chopped
1 tbs butter
1 1/2 cup arborio rice
1 generous tsp minced garlic
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmagianno Reggiano cheese
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/3 cups roasted, salted pumpkin (or pepita) seeds

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Using a large chopping knife, split the pumpkin in half from stem to blossom end. Using a large spoon, scoop out and discard the insides (or wash, separate the seeds and reserve for roasting). Lightly oil a large baking sheet or line with parchment paper and arrange the pumpkin halves, split sides facing down. Place in the oven and bake until the skins begin to blister and burn and the flesh is extremely tender, about 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.
When the pumpkin is cool enough to handle, peel away and discard the skin. Reserve 2 cups of soft roasted flesh for this dish.

Bring stock to a low simmer in a small stock pot, cover and maintain at a minimal simmer.
Meanwhile, saute the onion in the butter in a heavy 4-quart stock pot over moderate heat until the onion is soft and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Add the rice, garlic and a dash of salt and cook, stirring about 3 minutes or until all the grains are coated. Stir in 1/2 cup of the hot stock and cook at a strong simmer until all of the stock is absorbed. Continue to add the stock 1/2 cup at a time, stirring frequently, and allowing each addition to be aborbed before adding the next. Meanwhile, halfway through cooking time (approx 10 mins.) stir in 1 cup of the roasted pumpkin flesh and blend in well with the rice and stock mixture. Continue adding the stock and cooking until the grains of rice are tender but with a slight al-dente bite to them and the mixture is a thick but creamy consistency, about 18-20 minutes in total. Blend in the remaining cup of pumpkin flesh. Add a bit more of the remaining stock if needed for consistency. Stir in the cheese and season to taste with salt and pepper as desired. Serve hot topped with additional cheese and a scattering of pumpkin seeds.

Gravity Hill Farm - 67 Pleasant Valley Road in Titusville

We think that Gravity Hill Farm (featured on pg. 37 of the Farm Markets of Central New Jersey guide book) grows some of the most beautiful organic produce around. Their produce is available in a few area farmers markets including the Pennington Farmers' Market on Saturday's 9am-1pm and the New Hope Farmers' Market on Thursdays 3:30-7pm. Or, you can visit the farm and purchase direct on Tuesdays 1pm-7pm and Sundays from 10am-2pm. If you have young kids they have animals to visit at the farm as well. Most importantly, they do a beautiful job showcasing the fruits of their labor. For a complete list of what’s available at the farm as well as a fresh list of great seasonal recipes check out their web site www.gravityhillfarm.com

After visiting last Sunday, we walked away with one of their lovely celeriac roots and the following recipe. It's yummy. We added a cupful of toasted coarsely chopped walnuts for extra crunch - either way it's simple, fresh & good!

Celery Root & Apple Slaw
serves 6-8
(courtesy of Gravity Hill Farm)

1 Celery Root, trimmed & peeled, cut into match stick size pieces or shred with food processor disk
2 crisp, tart apples, peeled and cored, cut into match stick size pieces or shred with food processor disk
1/4 cup apple cider
1 tsp sugar
2 tsps Dijon mustard
2 tsps finely chopped Italian parsely

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Toss and chill for 30 minutes before serving.

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).

Tomatoes Everywhere!

It is prime tomato time at all of our local farms and markets. It's no secret that New Jersey tomatoes are glorious and their season is relatively short lived so don’t let it slip away without enjoying a couple of your personal favorite tomato creations whether it be a drippingly good BLT sandwich, a simple plate of sliced heirlooms, fresh mozarrella & basil or a refreshingly zesty bowl of tomato gazpacho. For the best area tomato finds, check out the live links to farmers’ markets included here on this page and pick up your very own copy of Farm Markets of Central New Jersey.

Here’s one of my personal favorite summertime tomato recipes…

Summer Tabboulleh Salad


Right alongside the BLT sandwich, tabbouleh salad has met the unfortunate fate of too often being served up as a year round menu staple. The problem is that this delicious treat – which is what it is when prepared in season with really good vine ripened tomatoes and fresh herbs – is simply lackluster when prepared with out of season ingredients. Uninspired, out of season tabbouleh tends to compensate with too much bulgur wheat and not enough of the good fresh ingredients that make this salad shine. The good news is that great Jersey tomatoes are ripe and ready now. Gardens and farm stands are brimming with fresh Italian parsley, spearmint and scallions – the other key ingredients needed to prepare this traditional Middle Eastern dish that, like hummus, we’ve enthusiastically embraced and welcomed into our kitchens. Tabbouleh has a season and the time is now so get chopping!

Good summer Tabbouleh, should be vibrant and green with fresh herbs. It’s delicious served as a bright refreshing compliment to anything and everything off the summer grill. I love it best served with grilled summer seafood as the flavor of the fresh herbs, lemon juice and olive oil make a perfect pairing.

1/3 cup finest grade bulgur wheat
2 bunches Italian parsley, washed well (1 generous cup chopped0
½ bunch spearmint, washed well (1/2 cup chopped)
4 scallions, trimmed washed and whites and light greens coarsely chopped
3 vine ripened summer tomatoes, cut into ¼ dice (1 ½ to 2 cup diced)
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
1 tsp salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
Small crisp lettuce cups for serving

Place bulgur in a small bowl, add fresh cool tap water to cover and set aside to absorb water for a few minutes. Strain through a fine mesh sieve or cheesecloth lined colander and allow to rest while you prepare the remainder of ingredients.

Remove and discard all large parsley and mint stems. Pile the herb leaves into the work bowl of a food processor and pulse on and off to chop coarsely or use a large chopping blade to chop all leaves coarsely. Combine the chopped herbs, scallions, bulgur and tomatoes in a large mixing bowl and toss together. Cover and refrigerate until serving time. Just before serving add the lemon juice, salt, pepper and olive oil. Toss to dress and season to taste with additional seasonings as needed. Serve surrounded with small crisp lettuce cups as this salad is really wonderful scooped up and eaten within the lettuce cups.

What to do with Buffalo?

I confess that I'm like a kid in a candy store whenever I visit a new farm or market so naturally I returned from my recent visit to the Readington River Buffalo Company with an ample supply of ground bison along with several steaks for the freezer. Knowing that bison meat is considerably leaner than beef chuck (my instinctual choice for a tasty burger) I knew that infusing flavor into the meat for a great summer burger would be important. My first thought was to add some delicious salty cheese like blue or feta. Perhaps tuck the cheese into the center so that it will ooze out and add flavor during cooking. But, wouldn't that then defeat the purpose of this healthier meat choice? That's when I remembered the brown bag of cremini mushrooms purchased on Saturday am at the West Windsor Farmers' Market from Davidson's Exotic Mushrooms. Cremini mushrooms are simply baby portobello's and have loads of great mushroom texture and flavor particularly sauteed with shallots or onions. So the idea became to create a delicious duxelle of mushrooms (much like that found in a traditional beef Wellington) to mix into the meat before cooking and I must say it worked out beautifully! The burgers are tasty and moist. I served them with a simple topping of chopped ripe garden tomatoes with diced red onion, shredded basil and a dash of balsamic vinegar.

Confused about whether it's buffalo or bison? I was too but here's the deal. Bison are the animals native to North America and the ones raised here on this farm. The American bison is sometimes referred to as American buffalo as they strike a strong resemblance to the buffalo found in Africa and Asia.

Portobello Bison Burgers
makes 5 medium burgers

1 pound ground buffalo(or bison)
12 ounces portobello or cremini mushrooms, cleaned and coarsely chopped
2 large shallots (or one medium onion), peeled and coarsely chopped
2 tbs olive oil
3/4 tsp salt
freshly ground black pepper
2 tsps balsamic vinegar
generous dash of Worcester sauce

Pile mushrooms and onions into the work bowl of a food processor and pulse on and off until finely chopped. Heat the olive oil in a saute pan, add the mushroom mixture, season with the salt and pepper and saute until water from mushrooms has been released and the mixture cooks down and begins to brown and stick to the pan.
Add the balsamic vinegar, still in, working up the bits clinging to the bottom of the pan. Set aside to cool for a least 15 minutes. Once cool combine the mushroom and onion mixture with the ground meat, season with a dash of Worcester and work together using your hands until well blended. Form into five plump burgers.
Preheat the grill and cook over a hot fire for about 4 minutes per side or until charred on the outside but still tender and juicy.

West Windsor Farmers' Market

Sold another 20 copies of Farm Markets of Central New Jersey guide book at the West Windsor Farmers' Market on Saturday 8/14/2010. My entire family - including Amin, Natalie and Katherine - joined me in the effort. We enjoyed music and good food including smoothies, breakfast sandwiches and many nice people. It was a fun family outing and we went home with beautiful blackberries, fresh corn, mushrooms and amazing New Jersey tomatoes. Last night I prepared the most incredible berry cobbler!
The recipe feeds a crowd and as a result you need alot of delicious berries - 6 to 7 cups in total. Also you need a really big deep dish pan for baking the cobbler or it will overflow in your oven (trust me I've done that). Your pan should be 12" round by 2 1/2" deep - could be a large cast iron skillet. I've experimented with different baking pans and currently like using my round enamel coated Le Creuset roasting pan. I also think that based upon volume - which I've tested - this recipe will work well in a 9" x 13" (3 quart) Pyrex glass baking dish. There are three steps to the recipe and it may seem involved but trust me it's actually a snap to put together and the result so very beatiful, delicious and rewarding. You can prepare the crust and topping a day before serving and because the cobbler bakes for 1 1/2 hours plan to put it in the oven before your company arrives. Believe me it stays warm and delicious for a long time after coming out of the oven and looks gorgeous cooling on the counter.

Deep Dish Berry Cobbler
serves 12 or more

Crust
3 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup veg shortening
1 stick chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2" pieces
4 tbs ice water (or more if needed)

Topping
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1 stick chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2" pieces

Filling
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups sour cream
6 large eggs
6 to 7 cups fresh berries (blueberries, blackberries and or raspberries)
zest of one large lemon

Combine flour, sugar, b.p. and salt in a large bowl or the work bowl of a food processor. Add the butter and pulse in to combine if using a food processor or work in with a hand held pastry blender or two knives until crumbly. Add water and blend in until moist clumps form. Gather dough in ball, pressing bits together, flatten into a disk, wrap in plastic and chill at least 30 minutes and up to 1 day.

Blend the first four topping ingredients together in the work bowl of food processor or with a pastry blender. Add butter and cut in until mixture is crumbly. Set aside or refrigerate until ready to assemble.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Whisk sugar, flour and salt together in a medium bowl. Whisk eggs, sour cream and lemon zest together in a large bowl. Stir dry ingredients into wet ingredients and fold in the berries.

Press the chilled crust into the baking pan using fingers and spreading evenly over bottom and up sides of pan. Spoon in the filling and sprinkle evenly with the topping. Bake in the heated oven for 1 1/2 hours or until top is golden and center cooked through and puffed. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 30 minutes. Serve warm or room temperature. Excellent with good vanilla ice cream!

Tomato Time

A visit to Misty Acres Farm

At long last it's here - New Jersey's tomato season has arrived! Wow - what a wait. Especially after last years battle with the blight. All signs are looking good for this summer as the tomato season comes rolling into full bloom. It's perfect timing for the the introduction of our new guide book, The Farm Markets of Central New Jersey. I can think of no better incentive to visit New Jersey farms and markets high and low than in search of great New Jersey tomatoes!
This week I traveled to Misty Acres Farm - just outside of Flemington - best known for their specialty heirloom tomatoes. Father and son run this New Jersey state preserved farm. They grow over 26 varieties of tomatoes and take great pride in their harvest. They stock a picture perfect farm cart at the end of their drive and operate on the self serve honor system. During tomato season this farm is well worth the journey. I purchased the most delicious sweet white cherry tomatoes, gorgeous large dark pink Brandywine's and deep red Ramapo's (esteemed to be the true Jersey tomato).

Oven Roasted Cherry Tomatoes
Serves 4

1/3 cup olive oil
1 pound ripe summer cherry tomatoes (red, yellow or mixture)
½ cup unseasoned bread crumbs
Generous ¼ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
2 cloves garlic, minced
S&P to taste
2 tbs shredded fresh basil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease 13 x 9” baking pan with 2 tbs of the oil.
Cut cherry tomatoes in half and arrange cut sides facing up in pan. Combine bread crumbs, cheese and garlic and blend together with fingers to combine well.
Sprinkle over top of tomatoes to cover well. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and drizzle with remaining olive oil. Bake in the hot oven until softened and lightly browned, about 20 minutes; Turn on the broiler for the last minute or so if needed to add more color. Sprinkle with fresh basil just before serving.